"Well, taking San Francisco as an example: spectacular topography and geography, glorious climate, cable cars, great shopping, fantastic museums, unique tourist attractions (Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Ferry Terminal, the Mission, the Presidio, miles of fantastic beach, great surfing, sailing kayaking, excellent restaurants that are reason to visit in and off themselves...."
...blah, blah, blah. This self-loathing is so tired. It's novel because you don't live there, you're a tourist!! I have relatives in San Fran who believe it or not can be just as blind to the attributes of their city as you are to those of yours.
Topography/geography - T.O. has a spectacular, though criminaly underappreciated and underdeveloped, waterfront location with islands, rivers and bluffs to boot!
Climate - Do you like mist and rain? See T.O. in the automn on a cool crisp day!
cable cars - street cars
shopping/dining/museums - Toronto has none of this? Where do you hang out???
Unique Tourist Destinations - The Distillery? Casa Loma? The CN Tower? The Beaches? Fort York? The Ex? The Islands? Bata? The Gardiner? Kensington Market? .....
"I've been there 4 times for a least a week each time and still haven't seen and done everything I'd like to. Meanwhile I have friends coming here for the Opera and CanStage in February and I'm racking my brians for things to do to entertain them the rest of the time."
Walk! Believe it or not we have a wealth of beautiful old neighbourhoods, lined with ancient trees and gorgeous heritage buildings that Americans *love*. I've been to San Francisco too - going in the fall as well - and their pastel coloured clapboard buildings don't rate one bit compared to our gorgeous redbrick Victorian gems! Is that boastful of me? How unusual, eh? How un-Torontonian
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