  Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 371 Registered: 07-2004 |
There are many things that are similar in Toronto and Detroit. But one I always notice is housing in certain parts of our cities. Yesterday I went to my sisters house in East Toronto(10min from downtown), and walking from the subway to her house I got that "Detroit" feeling again. There are certain parts of Toronto that just are so similar looking to Detroit. What do you guys think? Here are some pics from sisters neighbourhood. Does that not look Detroit or midwestern US style? Click each link to see pic. http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ miketorontoscar/todet1.jpg http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ miketorontoscar/todet2.jpg http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ miketorontoscar/todet4.jpg http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ miketorontoscar/todet5.jpg http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ miketorontoscar/todet6.jpg | ||
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek Post Number: 2148 Registered: 12-2004 |
The street signs are a bit different. Other than that, well, there's a reason why Toronto is used as a stand-in for Detroit in so many Hollywood films. | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6036 Registered: 10-2003 |
Sorry Mike. There is one Ontario city that reminds me alot of Detroit and it isn't TO. Head down the QEW to Hamilton, and there you'll find some Detroitish views. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 339 Registered: 08-2006 |
I've been to both cities, more Toronto than Detroit. I have to be honest, the two couldn't be farther apart. Toronto is vibrant and alive. Every neighborhood is teeming with life. High rises packed with people goes on for miles and miles, roads and streets are packed with people walking and driving. There are hundreds of new apartment buildings and office towers under construction. Cool old ethnic neighborhoods, ie. Kensington Market. I'm sorry Detroiter's but I've never seen anything Detroitesque in Toronto. No patches of urban prarie and no where near as much crime, poverty, or abandonment. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 372 Registered: 07-2004 |
Milwaukee I am talking the built form. The two are very similar in many ways. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 443 Registered: 04-2006 |
Milwaukee Detroit is loaded with ethnic neighborhoods. If you stuck only to the main roads I do not doubt what you have seen, please remember the majority of a city is local streets. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 340 Registered: 08-2006 |
Your right planner, I've probably only seen 20% of the city at most. For someone that's not from Detroit it definately feels like a one race city, not that thats bad or anything. My comments were more meant as a compliment to Toronto than a crap on Detroit. | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 21 Registered: 11-2006 |
Detroiters are fiercely loyal to their city, Milwaukee! So much to work with architecturally and geographically. And the good people who just need a good leader. Detroit could be such a jewel again as she was in the past. She needs a good mother or father to take care of her better. | ||
Citylover Member Username: Citylover Post Number: 1907 Registered: 07-2004 |
Good post Kathinozarks. Detroit planner it is 2006 almost 2007 any ethnic " neighborhoods" in Detroit are in Troy, Canton, Dearborn, Sterling hts_ certainly not in the city.There may be remnants, social halls a few scattered restaurants but there aint no ethnic neighborhoods in detroit not anymore. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4311 Registered: 10-2003 |
Explain what SW Detroit's Arabic and Hispanic communities are then, please. Also East 7 Mile and Woodward? | ||
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin Post Number: 3342 Registered: 10-2003 |
Jams CItylover doesn't know... ALl he knows is crime and crime alone is the cause of the downfall of the city... | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 31 Registered: 11-2006 |
Crime in the city is indeed a serious concern among law abiding folks. It is, of course, not the only cause of the downfall of the city; it may not even be part of the cause at all. People have been hypothesizing for years that being a city built on the success of the automobile and with no real Plan B, the fall was as sure as the night coming after the day. Loss of jobs not only at the factories, but every business within the city was and is dependent on the Big Three in some way. What to do, what to do..... | ||
Citylover Member Username: Citylover Post Number: 1909 Registered: 07-2004 |
There is no doubt crime has been the major reason Detroit has lost population and continues to lose population..........someone even linked a study or survey that supported that contention. I did forget to mention the Mexican influx in S.W. Detroit.But that is hardly a city loaded with ethnic neighborhoods as claimed by Detroit planner. The majority of Arabs are in Dearborn. There are parts of Dearborn that are easily identified as being ethnic just as there is in the Mexican/ Holy Redeemer area. But other then that the ethnic neighborhoods are long gone........... | ||
6nois Member Username: 6nois Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2006 |
Trust me there are still plenty of ethnic neighborhoods. I live down the street from a growing African neighborhood. Also I have been to plenty of places in the city with a nice mix of people. | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 36 Registered: 11-2006 |
Used to be whole neighborhoods of Eastern European immigrants. Italian, German, Polish, Irish, etc. Is that what you mean, Citylover? | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1935 Registered: 07-2004 |
Let's not kid ourselves because we want to be pro-Detroit. Citylover, regrettable, is correct. There are no large concentrations of ethnic neighborhoods in Detroit. With the exception of SW Detroit, the border of Detroit and Dearborn along Warren Avenue, and Seven Mile and Woodward, there are no clearly defined ethnic neighborhoods like you'd find in other major cities like NYC and Chicago. The Irish, Germans, Poles, Italians, and Chinese are all absent in large concentrations in Detroit. That's simply the reality of Detroit. | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1936 Registered: 07-2004 |
Regarding the thread topic, one distinct difference between Detroit and the scenes of Toronto in the pictures above is that most residential Detroit streets have a patch of grass between the curb and the sidewalk. In the photo of the Toronto streets, the sidewalk and curb are connected. In AIW's picture of the day for 12-01-06, Elm street in Windsor looks a lot like some streets on the east side of Detroit, especially Seminole, Iroquis, and Seneca just north of Mack Avenue up to Canfield Street. | ||
Crash_nyc Member Username: Crash_nyc Post Number: 683 Registered: 08-2004 |
Over the past 20 years or so, Toronto has become the Hollywood of the North. It's non-descript urban landscapes can easily be made-up to look like just about any city, and the municipality bends over backwards to accomodate large film shoots (particularly for shooting permits: dirt cheap compared to NYC & LA). There is now a huge film-support system in place there. This includes experienced local film crew (gaffers, sound recordists, location managers, make-up artists, craft services, etc), and numerous businesses that specialize in renting filmmaking hardware (camera trucks, wardrobe trucks, lighting rigs, dollies, tracks, generators, etc). Toronto heard opportunity knocking some years back, and essentially went out of it's way to capitalize on it. Milwaukee, coincidentally, you live in a city that production crews often visit to shoot auto commercials. A friend of mine is regularly contracted by Detroit ad agencies to shoot commercials for the Big Three automakers, and he said that Milwaukee is one of the cities that they shoot their "urban running footage" in. Some areas of Milwaukee also have a non-descript urban landscape, not easily identifiable by those who don't live there. The crews that shoot there are very small though, and don't require much local support. | ||
Erikto Member Username: Erikto Post Number: 487 Registered: 11-2003 |
Sadly, film productions have plummeted in recent years over here. The higher Canadian dollar, and the tax breaks that have been surpassed by other jurisdictions have really hurt local film production businesses, from props suppliers to painters and everyone in between. It's really a drag, because the jobs pay quite well. As for Toronto neighbourhoods looking like Detroit's, that can be said of many north east and midwest cities. I'm sure neighbourhoods from Minneapolis to Columbus to Baltimore to Boston look like this typical city neighbourhood. I agree with Andrew that Hamilton is as close as any Ontario city looks to Detroit. I've put a bunch of pictures up at Flickr with Hamilton, Toronto, and Detroit sections. If the links weren't such a pain for me to hook up I'd send anyone interested over to my Flickr Hamilton page... If anyone else here is on Flickr maybe we should start a Flickr thread to link ourselves in Detroityes? | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 1764 Registered: 02-2006 |
Crash_nyc is right. | ||
Chow Member Username: Chow Post Number: 332 Registered: 10-2003 |
"Toronto has become the Hollywood of the North..." That nickname belongs to Vancouver. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 111 Registered: 09-2006 |
I saw this topic and had to jump in, I have residences in both cities...and have several friends who live in Toronto who were from this area.. Toronto is a vibrant, alive city , but I hate to disappoint some Detroit haters but there are actually some positive things that Detroit has that Toronto doesnt despite its negatives. My friends in Toronto often say to me when I am there that they miss Detroit,, that many of the people are no where near as friendly as they are in Detroit and they miss the edgy nature of the motor city,the more affordable cost of living and the access to America. Many people probably don't enjoy or even recognize those features but there are some who do.. Also, Detroit has an extremely rich history,, Toronto in the 1920/30s was primarily a conservative bastion and did not go through the industrial revolution and cultural explosion in the same manner.. It was referred to as "Hogtown" and was a dry city for a long time. Up until the early 1970s many Torontonians drove to Buffalo (yes) for a good time. Toronto has obviously changed and prospered, culture has evolved enormously and is indeed a wonderful place,, but it too is paying the price for this evolution. Crime has increased over 177% in the last 5 years. Gang violence is a major problem presently, so much so they have appointed gang violence squads in their police department. In Detroit crime is not as organized as in T.O. but most evidently present. Also Detroiters should enjoy the cost of living advantage they have.. Similar downtown condominiums are approximately 2-3 times the price of one in Downtown Detroit.. Another interesting avenue I notice when living in Toronto is the increase in racial tensions. Immigration is a major factor there. Approximately 45,000 new immigrants settle in Metro Toronto each year.. The city does a fairly good job of assimilating these new residents but there is a definite hostility from many of the existing residents. I hear it every day I work in Toronto from co workers I am with. It seems that people are people no matter where you live, and certain social pressures exist. Another major plus for Detroit is being on a International border,, You get both American and Canadian perspectives,, not so in Toronto by any means. The U.S. is a very different country than Canada not only from a social perspective but also the way business and retail is conducted. Many retail outlets that you have in Detroit do no even exist in Canada. Toronto biggest department stores now are Sears, The Bay and Holt Renfrew. Even the Eaton Center downtown has no Eatons since the company went under and was bought out by Sears. The quality has declined. I find it funny to hear Detroiters brag how unbelievable Toronto is and then I live in Toronto for a couple of weeks and I hear Ex Detroiters living in Toronto say they wish they could get the hell out of Toronto,, they think its a rat race and dont like many of the peoples attitudes. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side. Personally I like both cities for a host of different reasons. The major deficiency I see in Detroit is retail Downtown, Toronto is light years ahead on that front. I do find often though that some Detroiters are their worst enemies. I do find a more positive attitude in the motor city lately and that is encouraging. I also find it curious how many Torontonians I meet at work are interested in finding out more about Detroit and even more unusual is how much they know about Detroit. They often spew stats out about Tiger Stadium ,CoPa, Ford Field and the Detroit Institute of Arts. They are very aware of the rich musical scene and history Detroit has, while Torontos' is very mild. Most of their musical scene is imported from other areas, I found it funny last week when a coworker bragged to me that Toronto has the Rockettes this year from New York City for the Christmas review. This obviously is something Detroit had for many years before. They are very interested in the automotive industry and often point out things that originated in Detroit to me but are keenly aware of the crime rate and reputation. Yet, there are areas in Toronto now that you dont want to walk around in at night. Often many ask me if Detroit is turning around as they are hearing this often in their papers and media. It seems some good press is finally coming forward. Some times you dont know what you have till your gone. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 382 Registered: 07-2004 |
Detroitbill I would love to know what Toronto you live in, because I am not aware of any area you would not walk in at night, or a crime increase. Anyway there are many other similarities between Detroit and Toronto. Detroit and Toronto both have Metropolitan wide grid street patterns. Detroit the Mile Roads. Toronto the Concession streets. Both are even spaced roads. Toronto and Detroit are both seperated east and west by a main north-south street that runs through the metro region. Woodward in Detroit, Yonge in Toronto. Detroit's northern city limtis is 8 Mile, which runs east-west. Toronto northern city limits is Steeles Ave, which also runs east-west, in a similar manner and length. There are other similarities also. | ||
Erikto Member Username: Erikto Post Number: 488 Registered: 11-2003 |
Actually, Detroit has a rather unusual lay out for a North American city. The spokes-on-a-wheel design of downtown occurs in few other American cities, and I can't think of any Canadian cities that have this. Indianapolis seems to have something like this as well, if memory serves; that being my memory of a book I'm not going to get up and check, but it has great, detailed aerial pictures of many American cities, and it's called Cities From The Sky, last name Campanella, if memory serves. I think Detroit confuses lots of people, I've been asked a number of times for directions by people in cars with Michigan plates. Even with my knapsack and camera, looking as out-of-town as can be... they must have been pretty lost to see me, and think I could help! | ||
Detroitrulez Member Username: Detroitrulez Post Number: 2 Registered: 12-2006 |
Mike--are you nuts??? I mean, c'mon dude. What world are you living in? |
