Why does Toronto always dominate the best cities list???

[TheTigerMaster]

I've noticed an interesting trend. Toronto always seems to be near the top of the best cities list. The city is the apparently the 4th best place in the world to live, the best place in the world to do business and the 15th most liveable city in the world. Toronto has also become one of the most influential financial centers in the world. It is the 7th largest financial center in the world, up from 15th a few years ago. I find this curious since the transit situation in the city is horrible and since most Torontonians just love to brag about how horrible the city is (especially the more conservative ones). So if Toronto is such a horrible place, why is it always ranked the best??

 

[innsertnamehere]

notice that toronto is lowest on those lists when the list holds transit as a high priority. (most livable city). it also ranks us up due to things such as air quality, standard of living, etc, where toronto scores extremely well.

 

[yin_yang]

exactly. toronto rules. our rush hours aren't even that bad. sometimes, there is hardly a rush hour at all. in the summer, half of the city is probably not even here. everyone (including me) is at their cottage or on the toronto islands. we have a fn sweet life. i don't know many other places where i can afford this type of lifestyle and only work twenty hours a week.

it is partially my personality and outgoing nature, but jobs find me here. i walk into a bar, and often i walk out with a business card or two.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

exactly. toronto rules. our rush hours aren't even that bad. sometimes, there is hardly a rush hour at all. in the summer, half of the city is probably not even here. everyone (including me) is at their cottage or on the toronto islands. we have a fn sweet life. i don't know many other places where i can afford this type of lifestyle and only work twenty hours a week.

it is partially my personality and outgoing nature, but jobs find me here. i walk into a bar, and often i walk out with a business card or two.

About the rush hours, I don't really understand why people love to brag about how Toronto has the worst congestion in the world (according to some studies). Having visited many cities around the world I can say that Torontonians have it very easy.

 

[Thanos]

Toronto is always ranked as one of the greatest cities in the world because..............it really is one of the greatest cities in the world.
Despite what some of the grumpy aholes will tell you.
The thing many people forget is that visiting a country for a week or even a month does not make you an expert on how it is to actually live in that city on a day to day basis and for whatever reason this logic escapes many people when they do go on vacation and when they come back all they do is complain. If you think it's any different in Montreal, Vancouver or any other city it isn't. People constantly complain there as well.

Remember, the grass is always greener on the other side.

 

[JohnCollins]

I've lived in several major cities across Europe and North America and Toronto is at the top of my list. The only thing I don't like is the really long winter, but this winter we have had it really easy so far

 

[James]

We're just too modest to accept it.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

About the rush hours, I don't really understand why people love to brag about how Toronto has the worst congestion in the world (according to some studies). Having visited many cities around the world I can say that Torontonians have it very easy.

Because it make the city look serious and busy. But in reality it just makes the city look bad. But if want proof toronto is on the Level with London and NY here you go.

Toronto is always ranked as one of the greatest cities in the world because..............it really is one of the greatest cities in the world.
Despite what some of the grumpy aholes will tell you.
The thing many people forget is that visiting a country for a week or even a month does not make you an expert on how it is to actually live in that city on a day to day basis and for whatever reason this logic escapes many people when they do go on vacation and when they come back all they do is complain. If you think it's any different in Montreal, Vancouver or any other city it isn't. People constantly complain there as well.

Remember, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Wish I could be as happy as you.

 

[kkgg7]

I don't say Toronto is a "great" city, as it doesn't have anything "great", but have to admit it is a great place to live. Clean, safe, walkable, good balance between work and life. Other great cities may be great, but don't really offer equal quality of life. Smaller cities have easy life but end up being too boring.

I always think if Toronto is 5 degrees warmer in the winter, and have 2-3 times rapid transit, and its downtown cleans up a bit with better architecture, it will be perfect as a place to live. Fortunately, all the three above is happening now.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I don't say Toronto is a "great" city, as it doesn't have anything "great", but have to admit it is a great place to live. Clean, safe, walkable, good balance between work and life. Other great cities may be great, but don't really offer equal quality of life. Smaller cities have easy life but end up being too boring.

I always think if Toronto is 5 degrees warmer in the winter, and have 2-3 times rapid transit, and its downtown cleans up a bit with better architecture, it will be perfect as a place to live. Fortunately, all the three above is happening now.

Agreed. I will change my mind. In 2020.

 

[Johnny Au]

About the rush hours, I don't really understand why people love to brag about how Toronto has the worst congestion in the world (according to some studies). Having visited many cities around the world I can say that Torontonians have it very easy.

I have to agree. What about Bangkok? What about Manila? What about Jakarta? What about Hyderabad? What about Lagos?

 

[Hipster Duck]

^I think those cities don't measure congestion or keep statistics, so we can't compare them, even if they are anecdotally more congested.

Also, I think "congestion" usually refers to the total commuting time spent in cars averaged across the population. In Greater Toronto, where 75-80% of all commute trips are made in cars, it would be quite high just because of the mode share in cars; in Bangkok or Manila this would be decidedly less.

Finally, I think that Toronto's congestion claim is "worst in North America" not "worst in the world". I'm not sure how it would be higher than LA, but Toronto's congestion is pretty awful.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

^I think those cities don't measure congestion or keep statistics, so we can't compare them, even if they are anecdotally more congested.

Also, I think "congestion" usually refers to the total commuting time spent in cars averaged across the population. In Greater Toronto, where 75-80% of all commute trips are made in cars, it would be quite high just because of the mode share in cars; in Bangkok or Manila this would be decidedly less.

Finally, I think that Toronto's congestion claim is "worst in North America" not "worst in the world". I'm not sure how it would be higher than LA, but Toronto's congestion is pretty awful.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/ne...stormfile=the_toronto_commute_named_on_271011
http://www.thestar.com/yourcitymyci...ing-times-worst-of-19-major-cities-study-says

It's the worst globally. Worse than NYC (22 million) Paris (12 million), etc. That's pretty bad.

 

[Dan416]

The highways are pretty damn congested. I finish work at 3:30 and the 410 south is ALREADY congested by that time!

 

[Hipster Duck]

From the article, it seems that the BOT study ranked Toronto worst among the 19 global cities studied, but that's different from being the "worst in the world". I would also like to see their methodology.

Regardless, Toronto's congestion is severe and we don't need to be ranked against other cities to recognize that it is a problem that needs to be addressed.