Support NeoGAF

[DJ_Lae]

I really enjoyed living in Victoria, and other than the housing costs I would probably have stayed there. Vancouver is nice too in spots, but it's just too big for me. I don't think I would handle Toronto very well either.

I also like the Okanagan Valley, but that's less to do with any of the cities there and more the surrounding scenery and activities.

Don't come to Edmonton. Everything is always under construction. People calling Toronto boring are crazy. Come here and see what that word truly means. The most exciting thing to happen Edmonton in the last 20 years, is Connor McDavid. Which is why tourists who accidentally come here, flock to him to take photos.

On a side note, why can't they use whatever they built the Hendey with, for the city's two other highways? The Whitemud and Yellowhead always look like they've just been carpet bombed

But yeah, Vancouver > any other major city in Canada.

Is that the weird grooved stuff that causes the most annoying noise with your tires? I avoid the Hendey as much as possible, though, thankfully I don't have a huge commute.

Winnipeg and Regina are worse than here, though, and I'm indifferent about Calgary (it doesn't feel any better or worse than Edmonton).

I'll give Edmonton a slight nod for their number of festivals, which makes up for it being boring otherwise and having a really shitty climate.

 

[yanipheonu]

Ottawa just cus i live there now

Also it's not too bustling and the general area is very aesthetically pleasing to me unlike the bits i've seen of Toronto.

Ottawa is a genuinely nice city. As a museum goer, it's amazing with all the museums you can go to. Market is nice, and there's tons of nice restaurants to try out. Plus you get to visit the Parliament Buildings, which I've always admired the design of.

I'd pitch it above Toronto. Plus given where it is, you have an excuse to swing by Toronto and the other smaller towns and cities on the way.

 

[Toad.T]

Calga-hahahahahahahahahahah

get me out of this hellhole😢😭

 

[BigJonsson]

Vaughan
We've got Wonderland

 

[jstripes]

I would like to add: a pretty kickass indie dev game scene.

Also there's a bar on Dundas West that lets you order up retro console games to play from a menu at the bar. I mean, c'mon.

I will ignore Toronto's continuing pinball by-laws that are beyond stupid

http://www.tilttoronto.com/

Check that bar out. They've got old arcade games and pinball. It's in the Annex.


But ya, the indie dev scene has organically grown in the same way our indie comic scene did.

 

[BigJonsson]

Toronto is pretty boring to be honest. I've never spent more than 2 days over there 'cause I'd run out of things to do.

Montreal is goddamn awesome, it's my favorite city in North America. It's European looking and party life is on top of the world. Food on MTL is top notch too, I think it's one of the NA City with the most restaurants per capita.

How do you run out of things to do in Toronto? :|

Jays games
TFC games
Leafs games
Raptors games
Argos I guess?
Ripley's Aquarium
Toronto Zoo
Wonderland is close by
All kinds of restaurants
All kinds of clubs
Too much shopping
Royal Ontario Museum
Niagara Falls isn't too far away
Lots of concerts
TIFF
Pride
High Park
CN Tower
CNE
Harbourfront

 

[Minus_Me]

Fair enough - the only thing I'll add to this is, it seemed like I had to queue up for any remotely popular restaurant in Montreal. Was oddly common. Whereas that's pretty rare in Toronto (a line out the door, I mean).

As someone who eats out almost everyday I can only think of Kazu and Kem Coba ( Ice Cream) really having queues. Ice house does as well but the restaurant seats 20ish people at a time.

Schwartz as well, but I didn't even think locals go there anymore.

Ps. Maybe I'm making your point for you lol

 

[NuffDREW4two]

Medicine Hat because of its name

What a funny thing to call a city

And lucky me, I get to live here. :/

 

[jstripes]

Medicine Hat because of its name

What a funny thing to call a city

You'd love Moose Factory.

Or this place in Newfoundland...

 

[TheExodu5]

As someone who eats out almost everyday I can only think of Kazu and Kem Coba ( Ice Cream) really having queues. Ice house does as well but the restaurant seats 20ish people at a time.

Schwartz as well, but I didn't even think locals go there anymore.

Ps. Maybe I'm making your point for you lol

La Banquise had a fairly large queue last time I went.

Pretty disappointing poutine, though.

As for Schwartz, Main Deli across the street is so much better.

 

[Minus_Me]

La Banquise had a fairly large queue last time I went.

Pretty disappointing poutine, though.

As for Schwartz, Main Deli across the street is so much better.

Schwartz was absolutely the best maybe 10 years ago, but there's better out there now.

Also:

Patati Patata>La Banquise.

 

[prophetvx]

Calga-hahahahahahahahahahah

get me out of this hellhole����

Calgary is a boring city, but everything around it is awesome though. I love being 20 minutes drive from amazing mountain biking trails out at Bragg Creek / Moose Mountain and having world many world class mountain resorts within 4-5 hours drive such as Sunshine, Fernie, Lake Louise, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke. Plus cost of living isn't crazy like it is in Van or Toronto.

Good city to live in after you hit your 30's. Terrible city for nightlife but restaurants have improved a fair bit over the last 5 years. Your options are no longer just Earl's or Joey's.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Calga-hahahahahahahahahahah

get me out of this hellhole😢😭

I left for a reason

 

[p_xavier]

Ottawa is a genuinely nice city. As a museum goer, it's amazing with all the museums you can go to. Market is nice, and there's tons of nice restaurants to try out. Plus you get to visit the Parliament Buildings, which I've always admired the design of.

I'd pitch it above Toronto. Plus given where it is, you have an excuse to swing by Toronto and the other smaller towns and cities on the way.

Lived there 5 years, subpar city with genuinely mean "bland" people.

 

[the1npc]

No joke I have a few buddies who moved to thunder bay and they love it.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Lived there 5 years, subpar city with genuinely mean "bland" people.

I think it's worth considering that if everyone you meet is mean, they might not be the problem.

You'd love Moose Factory.

Or this place in Newfoundland...

There's also "Spread Eagle", "Come by Chance", "Heart's Delight", "Gay's Cove", and my fav "Bay d'espoir" (pronounced "Bay D'espair" -- literally the exact opposite of its meaning)

 

[Toad.T]

I left for a reason

We're like the worst parts of America rolled into one. I even see Make Alberta Great Again stickers bing sold here.

We can't even come up with our own hate filled slogan.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

I just moved to Toronto from Montreal, after living in Montreal for 10 years it's hard to say which is better, so far Montreal is the cheaper of the two by far but Toronto has more diversity and stuff going on.

For food Toronto takes the lead, Montreal has more accessibility to alchohol though. So far the weed is the same between the two.

Can't speak to Vancouver, I hear it's nice but expensive, more so than Toronto.

 

[Oppo]

http://www.tilttoronto.com/

Check that bar out. They've got old arcade games and pinball. It's in the Annex.

But ya, the indie dev scene has organically grown in the same way our indie comic scene did.

ah yes I haven't been to Tilt yet. Do they have more than 3 pinball cabs? I think that's the bylaw limit. I've been over to Get Well a few times as well, they have a bunch of old pinball/retro standups and it's all free so that's cool. (also great pizza in the back)

Wonderland is def a point in Toronto's favour; pretty much the only real amusement park in Canada, but holy shit has it ever gotten good since Cedar Fairs bought it. That gigacoaster is no joke.

 

[Mimosa97]

You might want to check your tongue, it might have been replaced by some parasitic bug (don't search this).

I'm not the only one who feels this. Just go spend two months in Europe or Asia and come back to Canada and you'll see how bland the poultry/meat and seafood tastes here.

I know a lot of expats from Europe and they all say the same thing. Canada is a great country but food isn't its strong suit. Food prices are insanely high and the quality is not so great.

Thank god for immigrants though who pretty much started the food scene from scratch in every big city.

 

[jstripes]

No joke I have a few buddies who moved to thunder bay and they love it.

My brother and sister moved out to Peterborough, and they're perfectly happy. Some people prefer not to live in a city.

ah yes I haven't been to Tilt yet. Do they have more than 3 pinball cabs? I think that's the bylaw limit. I've been over to Get Well a few times as well, they have a bunch of old pinball/retro standups and it's all free so that's cool. (also great pizza in the back)

Yup. There's a list of machines on the website.

 

[Moppeh]

Montreal

 

[Futureman]

Anyone here ever eat at L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel in Montreal?

 

[Indicate]

Toronto for the diverse food and people. That's all that's really needed in life. It's why Toronto is the centre of the universe.

 

[Bronetta]

I can whole heartedly recommend Toronto. Theres lots to do and see here, especially if you can take a day to go to Niagara Falls.


Ive heard great things about Montreals nightlife and food though, the city and sightseeing itself not so much.


I met some girls from Montreal awhile back and they invited us to visit. Can't wait to go check it out. Even though Ive spent most of my life in Toronto Ive never been to Montreal.

No clue about Vancouver.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Toronto for the diverse food and people. That's all that's really needed in life. It's why Toronto is the centre of the universe.

Toronto sucks!

 

[Shaanyboi]

We're like the worst parts of America rolled into one. I even see Make Alberta Great Again stickers bing sold here.

We can't even come up with our own hate filled slogan.

There was a news story of some dude trolling people with a MAGA hat at my old university, and I couldn't be less shocked.

 

[Minus_Me]

Anyone here ever eat at L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel in Montreal?

I go there regularly, and I've yet to have a bad dish. The atmosphere is also top notch as well as the service. They have a great wine list as well.

The nightclub downstairs is very trendy if that's your scene.

 

[Darksol]

I'm sure Vancouver is very nice but I haven't been there. I love Montreal. Kingston and Ottawa aren't exciting but they're quite beautiful. Really do not enjoy London or Toronto.

In general, Canadian cities are pretty meh to me, with a few notable exceptions.

 

[Zeenbor]

Montreal

 

[Shoeless]

Vancouver is definitely a great city to go to if you're a summer outdoorsy type. Probably the most visually appealing city of the three if you're into nature. Toronto is definitely the place to go for the more typical "urban" experience. If you're into restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, and geek culture like comics, movies, games, Toronto has the culture to support that as well as big events like Toronto Comic Arts Festival, the Film Festival and canuck mini-nerd proms like Fan Expo to cater to all this stuff.

Montreal is a very pretty city, with great food and a lot of character. It definitely feels like its own place, and while you can mostly get along with English, every once in a while, you may run into a situation where someone is more comfortable communicating with you in French. It's not something that happens a lot, but on rare occasions it crops up.

I think they're all good choices, but really depends on where your priorities are.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Medicine Hat because of its name

What a funny thing to call a city

Better than Regina. And no, it isn't pronounced like the name. A friend of mine from New Jersey couldn't believe it when I told her.

Vancouver is definitely a great city to go to if you're a summer outdoorsy type. Probably the most visually appealing city of the three if you're into nature. Toronto is definitely the place to go for the more typical "urban" experience. If you're into restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, and geek culture like comics, movies, games, Toronto has the culture to support that as well as big events like Toronto Comic Arts Festival, the Film Festival and canuck mini-nerd proms like Fan Expo to cater to all this stuff.

Vancouver has plenty that props up the geek culture side of things too. Plenty of cons, festivals etc. Cosplay scene out here is huge.

 

[Oppo]

I'm not the only one who feels this. Just go spend two months in Europe or Asia and come back to Canada and you'll see how bland the poultry/meat and seafood tastes here.

I know a lot of expats from Europe and they all say the same thing. Canada is a great country but food isn't its strong suit. Food prices are insanely high and the quality is not so great.

Thank god for immigrants though who pretty much started the food scene from scratch in every big city.

This is honestly a pretty strange opinion to have. I've been overseas for weeks, including 3 weeks in Italy and 2 in France, and I noticed no such thing. Not the taste, not the pricing. Baffling.

I suppose it's easier to buy "factory meat" here but, hey, don't do that. I go to a local butcher who lists the local farm where stuff comes from and guess what, it's as good as anything.

 

[Machine]

The only Canadian cities I've visited are in Ontario (short drive from Michigan). Toronto is probably the best of the lot although Stratford's Shakespeare Festival is legitimately great and Windsor probably has the best "ballet" (wink wink, nudge nudge). I have friends that camp in the Georgian Bay area and say it's gorgeous but I haven't made it there yet.

 

[Gitaroo]

Just do go anywhere close to ass fucked Alberta.

Honestly really happy here in Edmonton. I know it's not popular among Canada GAF but as someone who doesn't mind winter it's got a lot going for it.

I can drive end to end in 45 minutes, the River Valley has endless trails to run and bike, got my pro sports fix, tons of great summer festivals like Heritage Days/Fringe/Taste/Folkfest etc. The local beer and food scenes have really taken off making going out actually exciting for the first time like, ever. Cost of living is reasonable and it's close to the gorgeous Rockies.

Been to Vancouver/Toronto/Montreal and had a blast there but all a bit too 'busy' for me to live. However for someone who's just looking to 'experience' a city and not necessarily settle there I'd probably vote Vancouver. It's hard to beat that location and there's just so much to do.

Me too actually, where I live, close to south common is pretty much the perfect location because every store is literally 15 mins away from me. Just wish there are cheap Japanese food in the city...

 

[Shoeless]

Vancouver has plenty that props up the geek culture side of things too. Plenty of cons, festivals etc. Cosplay scene out here is huge.

It's also a lot more laid back in Vancouver. Every guy I know from the west coast is WAAY more chill and less uptight than folks from Toronto. Although compared to a typical New Yorker, people from Toronto are still more polite and relaxed.

 

[Oppo]

The only Canadian cities I've visited are in Ontario (short drive from Michigan). Toronto is probably the best of the lot although Stratford's Shakespeare Festival is legitimately great and Windsor probably has the best "ballet" (wink wink, nudge nudge). I have friends that camp in the Georgian Bay area and say it's gorgeous but I haven't made it there yet.

If you are referring to strip clubs then Montreal is world fucking famous, my friend.

I also love that they'll stick one of those next to a church and a daycare. Montreal dgaf.

However yes Georgian Bay is like primordial beauty.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

I can whole heartedly recommend Toronto. Theres lots to do and see here, especially if you can take a day to go to Niagara Falls.

Can I take a minute to recommend not going to Niagara Falls? It's a really crappy tourist trap town. The falls themselves are kinda neat but it's not really worth the trip out there from Toronto. There's not really much to do with just seeing a waterfall, even the boat stuff is not great. Then the town itself is fucking junk, like a gaudy eyesore with literally nothing good in it.

 

[Minus_Me]

If you are referring to strip clubs then Montreal is world fucking famous, my friend.

I also love that they'll stick one of those next to a church and a daycare. Montreal dgaf.

However yes Georgian Bay is like primordial beauty.

Strip clubs in Montreal are on the way out. They are being replaced by message parlours.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Windsor is like the worst city on the face of the earth.

Winnipeg is pretty bad.

How about a "most hated Canadian city" thread? That would be way more fun.

Regina and Calgary can suck it too. Also fuck Edmonton.

 

[Bronetta]

Can I take a minute to recommend not going to Niagara Falls? It's a really crappy tourist trap town. The falls themselves are kinda neat but it's not really worth the trip out there from Toronto. There's not really much to do with just seeing a waterfall, even the boat stuff is not great. Then the town itself is fucking junk, like a gaudy eyesore with literally nothing good in it.

Im not saying its must visit but if you've never been to the Falls its worth a visit. Theres plenty of activities to keep yourself occupied for a day on that little hill with all the attractions.

All Im saying is its worth going once to spend a day there. Last time I went was over 10 years ago. Now those people who routinely visit every year? I'll never understand them.

 

[CREMSteve]

Vancouver is tops. It's got the mountains and oceans, can't be beat.

Kelowna's pretty awesome too, though. So many beautiful women.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Vancouver is tops. It's got the mountains and oceans, can't be beat.

Kelowna's pretty awesome too, though. So many beautiful women.

Kelowna is too flat and Big White is a garbage hill.

Nelson >>> Kelowna.

 

[the1npc]

Can I take a minute to recommend not going to Niagara Falls? It's a really crappy tourist trap town. The falls themselves are kinda neat but it's not really worth the trip out there from Toronto. There's not really much to do with just seeing a waterfall, even the boat stuff is not great. Then the town itself is fucking junk, like a gaudy eyesore with literally nothing good in it.

Yep the falls is a dump. Whole Niagara region is pretty dire usually. I lived in welland for years was horrible. At least st catherines is passable

 

[Kuro Madoushi]

Fair enough - the only thing I'll add to this is, it seemed like I had to queue up for any remotely popular restaurant in Montreal. Was oddly common. Whereas that's pretty rare in Toronto (a line out the door, I mean).

Uncle Testsu cheesecake = line up
Tsujiri = line up
Lady Marmalade = line up
Bonjour Brioche = line up
Sansotei Ramen = line up
Plenty of places in TO with line ups not to mention the stupid food fests where people pay to line up for subpar quantities of average food.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

I loathe Montreal. It's one of the ugliest cities around. Concrete jungle through and through.

Wut? Montreal has tons of parks and greenery for a big city (though Seattle is the "greenest" large city I've been to so far).

La Banquise had a fairly large queue last time I went.

Pretty disappointing poutine, though.

La Banquise is overrated. Go to the Mont-Royal Hotdog just two blocks north of it, much better food, cheaper overall, and no lines.

Anyone here ever eat at L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel in Montreal?

I ate there for an office Christmas party some 10-12 years ago or so. It was... all right? Looked too fancy and expensive for me, but IDK.

 

[QualityPixel]

I've been to these places in Canada as a young teen (so I can't say anything about night life):
Victoria: lovely city, went orca whale watching and camped somewhere on the coast a good distance from the city.

Waterton Park: basically a village, but it's in lovely country and has the famous Prince of Wales hotel. Visit this town if you ever go to Glacier NP.

Niagra/Toronto: Nice places but there really wasn't much to do other than see Niagra Falls or the CN tower.

 

[hobozero]

Vancouver is tops. It's got the mountains and oceans, can't be beat.

Kelowna's pretty awesome too, though. So many beautiful women.

Yeah but with housing prices being what they are, can anyone afford to live there? My sister lives out there but she rents, I can't imagine living out there and wanting to buy a home

 

[Lombax]

Next week my wife, daughter and I are heading to Montreal. Any suggestions / pro-tips?

 

[GKnight]

Most assuredly not Regina.
Ive not seen Montreal but so far Id say Toronto. Its also definately not Winnipeg.
Also Whitehorse isnt a city, its maybe a town.