Toronto and Montreal Compared (my thoughts)

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
  • How does life in Toronto and Montreal, Canada's two biggest cities, compare? Let's discuss in today's video.
    Mentioned in today's video:
    • Une vidéo tout en fran...
    Street interviews on this topic:
    Toronto, what do you think of Montreal?
    • Toronto, what do you t...
    Montreal, what do you think of Toronto?
    • Montreal, what do you ...
    0:00 - Intro
    0:25 - Population
    0:53 - Density
    2:29 - My Bias
    2:47 - Pronunciation of Toronto and Montreal
    3:07 - Toronto is a Concrete Jungle
    4:00 - Transit
    5:40 - My Upcoming Trip to Toronto
    6:00 - Via Rail Train
    6:44 - French Language
    9:10 - Quebecois Culture
    9:56 - Montreal is Colder
    10:44 - Conclusion
    Support My Work:
    👉 Patreon: / thenewtravel
    👉 (one time donation, always appreciated 🙏) www.paypal.me/danvineberg
    #Montreal #Toronto #Canada
  • Hudba

Komentáře • 78

  • @act_sion
    @act_sion Před 14 dny +13

    ' Laissons Toronto devenir Milan, Montréal sera toujours Rome ' Jean Drapeau.

  • @donteatthechalk
    @donteatthechalk Před 12 dny +9

    A lot of people's idea of Toronto is concrete jungle, but I've lived in Little Portugal/Dundas West for 10 years. My version of Toronto is quaint shops, cool bars, street art, trams, and bicycles.

    • @BornKafir
      @BornKafir Před 12 dny +1

      I grew up in Toronto. It's not fair to compare present day Toronto with the Toronto of early nineties or 2000's.
      Toronto is more like Punjabistani-supremacist sh.iytwhole Turbanland today.
      Thank you Quebec for fighting back against Caste system imported from foreign cultures.

    • @kumbaon
      @kumbaon Před 6 dny +1

      This is it! Thank you, most Montrealers are comparing their city with King and Bay - not Little Portugal, not Leaside, not Kensington, not College, not Roncy. When you ask them about these areas - they go mute. Toronto is the only truly international city in Canada, period. Montreal is a regional hub.

  • @TheKenContinuum
    @TheKenContinuum Před 14 dny +20

    Toronto does have lots of old neighbourhoods surrounding the downtown core with lowrise retail strips of shops and restaurants much like the one you were riding your bike through. They are also characterized as little towns onto themselves in the same way as in Montreal. During your visit check out Little Italy, Little Portugal, Parkdale, The Beaches, Roncesvalles Ave, Leslieville, Riverside, Mount Pleasant Village, Gerrard India Bazaare, The Ossington Strip, & there are many more!

    • @christinecamley
      @christinecamley Před 14 dny +2

      The skyscraper/concrete jungle seems to be what stays in people's minds about Toronto! I vastly prefer Montreal!!

    • @christofat2704
      @christofat2704 Před 13 dny +2

      ​@@christinecamley Yep. The missing middle in Toronto is sadly being replaced by taller buildings and the few remaining have less charm than the one in Montreal

    • @klarissaclairiton9010
      @klarissaclairiton9010 Před 12 dny +2

      One thing you won't get much of in Montreal is Indian cuisine because there are not many people from India in Montreal. This video gives the impression that there are only skyscrapers in Toronto. Both cities have their different ethnic groups and so you get the cuisine of these groups.

    • @christinecamley
      @christinecamley Před 12 dny

      @@klarissaclairiton9010 I have found all types of cuisine in Montreal and delicious cuisine but I agree that cities tend to offer more restaurants to larger populations of people.

    • @lukster79
      @lukster79 Před 12 dny

      @@christinecamley I guess it all depends on where you stay. When we visit Montreal, we typically stay in the old Montreal and can see all the new towers being built downtown.

  • @Entername-md1ev
    @Entername-md1ev Před 14 dny +30

    Toronto is the city for working and Montreal is the city for enjoying. In that sense, Toronto is the equivalent of Sydney, Madrid, Frankfurt, Moscow, São Paulo, and Milan in Canada while Montreal is the equivalent of Melbourne, Barcelona, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Rio de Janeiro, and Rome in Canada

    • @christinecamley
      @christinecamley Před 14 dny +2

      My cousin's son just left a superb engineering job in Toronto to move back to Montreal. He missed the culture and family! I am in Vancouver but I'd take Montreal any day! Thankfully my cousin's son was able to do a lateral transfer to Montreal so he maintained an excellent job!

  • @algonquin91
    @algonquin91 Před 14 dny +10

    Calling Toronto a concrete jungle is not accurate (most focus only on the downtown but not the rest of the city). Toronto has an expansive park and ravine network, multiple trails along rivers, numerous beaches, the Toronto islands, and a national park (Rouge National Urban Park). The mature neighbourhoods of Toronto and suburbs like Mississauga are covered in a tree canopy and when you‘re on a high enough elevation one mostly sees trees in between the clusters of tall buildings. Please don‘t focus a comparison of Toronto to only its financial district.

    • @roberthicks6161
      @roberthicks6161 Před 6 hodinami +1

      Montreal is my favourite city in Canada, but you are correct here about Toronto. Toronto has some beautiful, leafy neighborhoods, especially near the ravines and outside the central districts and away from the major arteries like Yonge or Bloor, Danforth etc.

    • @algonquin91
      @algonquin91 Před 4 hodinami

      @@roberthicks6161 Montréal is so beautiful and unique!

  • @shappy321
    @shappy321 Před 12 dny +4

    The type of neighbourhood strips like Mont Royal shown in the video are common in Toronto. Try an evening walk west on Queen St from about University to Ossington, north to Dundas, and west again to about Brock (a long walk... about 4.5km). I'd love to hear your thoughts after that walk. Toronto's central west end actually compares well to Montreal's Plateau. Good luck.

  • @roberthicks6161
    @roberthicks6161 Před 6 hodinami

    Nice, thoughtful video essay on the differences between Montreal and Toronto, Dan. Though watching and listening as you biked around some familiar streets really made me wistful about Ville Marie; can't wait to get back. Montreal me manque!

  • @azaadkamal6188
    @azaadkamal6188 Před 14 dny

    Keep up the great work Dan ❤

  • @bearfootsteve6104
    @bearfootsteve6104 Před 14 dny

    Can I ask which day it was when you filmed this video ? Is it Saturday night? .. I have to pass by… ❤

  • @christofat2704
    @christofat2704 Před 13 dny +3

    Would be nice to compare Montreal Toronto and Vancouver.

  • @curiousobserver6077
    @curiousobserver6077 Před 13 dny +3

    "We have colder winters" means "we have winters". There was almost no snow in Toronto this year. P. S. Mes salutations de Toronto.

    • @lukster79
      @lukster79 Před 12 dny

      I often wear converse in the winter in Toronto, rarely wear winter boots but every now and then I will wear some waterproof runners.

    • @TheWaross
      @TheWaross Před 12 dny

      Should've seen Mtl this past winter. It was disgusting and barely any snow. Makes me sad :(

  • @lot3oo
    @lot3oo Před 14 dny +1

    Glad you understand the French situation properly ❤ Merci!
    Watch some movies from here, it helps a lot I hear, and seriously you won't regret it they're great!
    My recent favs:
    - Les Chambres Rouges (2023)
    - Simple comme Sylvain (The Nature of Love), 2023
    - Laurence anyways, 2012
    - Les Amours imaginaires (Heartbeats), 2010
    - Mommy, 2014
    - C.R.A.Z.Y. , 2006
    I'll hook you up if you can't find them

  • @torink8229
    @torink8229 Před 5 dny

    Toronto’s bathurst/bloor/koreatown/annex is extremely relaxing and calming, with artists, students, professors, punks, and bike lanes and hip stores galore. Its right downtown. Not at all like you are describing. Please wonder outside our financial areas and head to places like the beaches, leslieville etc.

  • @RoyM-rq1nt
    @RoyM-rq1nt Před 13 dny +5

    I just moved from Montreal back to Toronto. I really love both cities, but have a preference for Toronto. I think you have some major misconceptions regarding Toronto.... but with that said, enjoy your trip and try Loga's on Close.

  • @philippes1987
    @philippes1987 Před 14 dny

    I have not been to Toronto in a while. I hope they improved the air conditioning inside the TTC network. They had AC inside the trains(great!)...but it made the stations super hot and humid.

    • @thoughtsontravelandlife
      @thoughtsontravelandlife  Před 14 dny

      That's interesting. I don't think Montreal has AC in the trains, but people say it's deep enough underground that it doesn't get super hot

    • @philippes1987
      @philippes1987 Před 14 dny

      ​@@thoughtsontravelandlife nah, im talking about the TTC.😊

  • @user-iw4jl6bc8h
    @user-iw4jl6bc8h Před 11 dny +3

    You cannot compare Montreal with Toronto . Montreal is unique in north america and has more in commun with New York ( an Island , central park, cultural , architecture and 400 years of history ) . In 1998 , the Ontario government decided to merged ( agglomerate ) all cities up to 130 km away ( Niagara region) for the only raeson to get the title of the largest city in Canda . Greater Montreal includes the island and cities outside the island no more than 20 km away on the south shore and north shore .
    Toronto is not NYC and will never be . No identity , no soul . Toronto is now more Mumbai ( mostly indian communities ) , not walkable and the only landmark you see on all picture , the overrated Cn tower which is not unique in the world .

  • @philippes1987
    @philippes1987 Před 14 dny +4

    The difference that I see between those 2 cities is Montreal has 'cultural nooks and crannies" everywhere. Where in Toronto it's much harder to find those due to the size of the city. If you stay away from the harbour(tourist spot) Toronto is great.

  • @gl4989
    @gl4989 Před 6 hodinami

    "Even in the summer, people are out" .... Bro what ?

  • @kumbaon
    @kumbaon Před 12 dny +3

    Why is it that Montrealers go off the beaten path to compare their city to Toronto? You can have 2 great cities that compliment each other. Montrealers come to Toronto - go downtown to the CN tower, shop at the Eaton Centre and say the city is boring. Without doing any type of exploration. Just stop

    • @klarissaclairiton9010
      @klarissaclairiton9010 Před 12 dny +2

      they need to see Yorkdale mall. It's huge. I live in Montreal, but I like both cities. They are just different.

    • @Sogger2Agahim
      @Sogger2Agahim Před 6 dny

      As a Québécois I would never compare my city to yours.
      2 countries, doesn't make much sense to compare them considering that have nothing in common

  • @PatrioteQuebecois
    @PatrioteQuebecois Před 9 dny

    8:47 the Brazilian who speaks a little English but no French would make a far better choice with Quebec than with the rest of Canada.
    For native Portuguese speakers, it takes 600 hours to get to the same level in French as it would take in English with 1000 hours.
    Plus, Quebeckers are super friendly when it comes to languages and, if you are trying to speak French, they will encourage you while anglophones have usually no reaction because it is so common.
    It means a lot to a Quebecker that a non French speaker learns our language before he learns English. It means that we are together in this fight to have the right to live in our common language.

  • @johnsmith67931
    @johnsmith67931 Před 13 dny +3

    Born in Toronto and lived there for most of my life except for a few years in Montreal. Toronto is the greatest city in the world….lots of great neighbourhoods, nice buildings, walkable streets and a great transit system. Montreal is a poor city with rude people, outdated buildings, opinionated government, bad roads, lots of homeless people and crime. You feel much safer and more welcomed in Toronto. Much better than boring and bland Montreal….

    • @gracedagostino5231
      @gracedagostino5231 Před 13 dny +1

      Born in Toronto, but have lived in Los Angeles for several years. I love Toronto, but it is not on par with New York or London which are far greater cities in everything. I don’t get nearly the excitement or awe when visiting Toronto, as I do New York City. I do agree with you that Montreal is vastly overrated, and dirty compared to Toronto. The only part of Montreal that looks European is old Montreal, which is a tiny area of the metro. Most of metro Montreal looks like any North American city. I don’t need to go to Montreal to hear a bunch of people speaking French, which I could care less about. It’s like the millions of Los Angeles residents speaking Spanish, which I also don’t give a rats bum about. lol, I hate cold weather, so I will be spending the rest of my life in Southern California.

    • @noseboop4354
      @noseboop4354 Před 13 dny +1

      Toronto and Montreal both pale in comparison to Vancouver. No city is more beautiful or desirable.

    • @gracedagostino5231
      @gracedagostino5231 Před 13 dny +1

      @@noseboop4354 Both Toronto and Montreal are far superior urban cities to Vancouver, which is bland and sterile. What you should have said is the surrounding area of Vancouver is far more beautiful. Also having mostly cloudy weather is not desirable to me as I like the sun. Although colder than Vancouver, both Montreal and Toronto get more sunshine than Vancouver.

    • @guyl9456
      @guyl9456 Před 10 dny

      Your opinion. Toronto scene is all IMPORTED from the US or the UK at least Montreal has a culture of its own. You conveniently forgot to mention that you need at least 4 grands income per month net to live confortably in TO

    • @gracedagostino5231
      @gracedagostino5231 Před 10 dny

      @@guyl9456 lol, nothing the matter with USA or UK culture in the same way Montreal borrowed some French culture. None of it is superior to the other, just different. Celebrate the difference!

  • @hexhex7220
    @hexhex7220 Před 3 dny

    Depends if you're a tourist....if you're an English speaking citizen, forget Montreal

  • @dreios
    @dreios Před 14 dny +9

    I've lived in Montreal for 2 years, Toronto for 1 year, and now in Ottawa, I can't wait to get back to Montreal. All great cities, but Montreal just feels cozier, like home, can't really explain.

    • @Sogger2Agahim
      @Sogger2Agahim Před 13 dny +1

      please don't come back, stay in Ottawa!

  • @416pp
    @416pp Před 12 dny

    there are only 2 concrete jungles in the states New York and partially Chicago.. LA has no concrete jungle.

  • @tommyflorida9204
    @tommyflorida9204 Před 14 dny +6

    As a Montrealer, having visited Toronto several times a year and lived in Vancouver for 2 years, I came back to Montreal which has a bit of everything from the Canadian culture. More affordable, bilingual, European, doesn't have the grey of Vancouver with a majority of ethnic French Canadian. Love it here. Being fluent in French is a plus.

  • @johnsmith67931
    @johnsmith67931 Před 13 dny

    TTC is way better than STM. Toronto has a great bus network….they can get you anywhere including the downtown streetcars…..Montreal has infrequent bus routes, and buses break down a lot and don’t have good ride quality on the atroicously bad roads in Montreal. Montreal subway is horrible with outdated and ugly stations, lots of homeless people and crime…

  • @merc340sr
    @merc340sr Před 11 dny +1

    I can't afford to live in Toronto. End of story.

  • @theicyridge
    @theicyridge Před 12 dny +1

    Surprised to see so many people defending Toronto. There are a few moderate exceptions (that are NOT comparable to what you biked through in Montreal; that's very wishful thinking), but not only is so much of it a concrete jungle for an absolutely flat-out stupid price, but the exceptions that folks are mentioning here are CONSTANTLY getting gentrified into oblivion. Fun Toronto neighborhoods get destroyed by big money faster than new ones--mostly built by folks who have been pushed out of the old ones--can be assembled. Hell, even the Toronto Fringe Festival is down to 77 shows; it had 150 shows 20 years ago. Montreal actually fights to maintain a way of life for the public.

  • @user-iw4jl6bc8h
    @user-iw4jl6bc8h Před 11 dny

    New York city is unique in the world and has more in commun with Montreal than Toronto . NYC and Montreal are both built on an island with a central park , rich architecture old and new with churches ,walkable , both have the highest number of restaurants per capita in north america , arts , creativity , multicultural and both are walkable and unique cities .
    In 1998 , Toronto , in order to get the title of the largest city in Canada, amalgated ( merged ) cities as far as 130 km way ( Niagara )from downtown . Cities with nothing in commun and no sense of community .Toronto has no identity , no soul , no historical buildings , blend architecture and the CN tower is the only landmark you see on all pictures .

  • @Snatch_184
    @Snatch_184 Před 14 dny +1

    I have been in Toronto for less than a year and I am already fed up of this place. I was thinking of learning French and moving to Montreal, but I have no idea where to start. And your friend is right, TTC is trash.

  • @BornKafir
    @BornKafir Před 12 dny

    Montréal. Hands down. Every single time.

  • @PatrioteQuebecois
    @PatrioteQuebecois Před 10 dny

    Dan, ton niveau de français est excellent, n'en doute pas! Pour les lusophones brésiliens, hispanophones et italiens qui choisissent le Canada et qui ne parlent ni anglais ni français et ne sont pas doués pour les langues, l'idée de déménager au Québec est beaucoup plus logique que dans un pays anglophone.
    Pour info, un natif d'une langue latine ne devra prendre que 600 heures pour apprendre le français contre 750 pour l'anglais.
    Il est illégal pour un employeur au Québec d'exiger la connaissance d'une autre langue que le français.

  • @Kaizerzydeco1
    @Kaizerzydeco1 Před 4 dny

    Montreal’s not worth the aggravation.

  • @christinecamley
    @christinecamley Před 14 dny

    Fabulous thoughts Dan! Happy you love the smaller feeling of some parts of Montreal! Toronto is arrogant and is basically huge buildings without much character! IMO they choke out the character of the city! No thanks to all the cranes taking away from the the skyline!! Yes lots of complaints about the TTC! Hi from Vancouver! Did you enjoy your time living here?!! I will be in Montreal soon and yes to 24 hour subway service! 🙂Have fun in TO!! I have taken the VIA train from Montreal to Toronto! Montreal and St. Viateur win!! 🙂

    • @algonquin91
      @algonquin91 Před 13 dny

      That’s a very arrogant statement to make about Toronto. I think you are only focusing on the financial district because your description of Toronto doesn’t match with the vast majority of the city and its metropolitan area. Toronto is very green (parks, ravines, a national park within its borders), has beaches, is incredibly international and vibrant, has countless festivals and events, museums, markets, and many unique neighbourhoods. It has milder winters than Montréal and no seismic activity like Vancouver which is always a plus.

    • @christinecamley
      @christinecamley Před 13 dny +1

      @@algonquin91 Fair enough. I am in Toronto often - every 2 months - and while I do find it a huge concrete jungle and at times I love that, I also acknowledge there is green space. Of course there is. I just sometimes find the enormous building going on and existing buildings to take away from that feeling of beauty. I love Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Be well.

    • @algonquin91
      @algonquin91 Před 13 dny +1

      @@christinecamley I’m sorry for my harsh tone… yes there definitely is lots of construction, including in the suburbs of Toronto which also have their skylines. I really wish Toronto was consistently dense like Montréal is, which would have decreased the need for such expansive (and tall) construction to keep up. The Toronto area is also limited by the lake and the Greenbelt (which encircle the metropolitan area) and city zoning rules have meant that the region can only grow upwards and along major arterial roads and public transit corridors. If you are high enough on a building you’ll see tree canopies covering low rise housing broken up by various smaller skylines all throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

    • @christinecamley
      @christinecamley Před 12 dny +1

      @@algonquin91 Hi! No worries! I appreciate your thoughtfulness about the oasis of lovely green space in Toronto and suburbs. Like you I also enjoy the denseness of Montreal. Having said that I love finding green space in TO and taking it in and I understand why there might be some limitations. Being high up in a building and overlooking greenspace is very nice! Thanks for helping me to look at this in a more enlightened way! I do love TO! Have an awesome day! Cheers!

  • @JoshKoehnapolyglot
    @JoshKoehnapolyglot Před 14 dny +1

    Only ever have lived in Mtl, never even visited Toronto. I fell in love w Montreal❤

  • @laupert9021
    @laupert9021 Před 12 dny +1

    Personally, I found Toronto the least interesting of Canadian cities I've visited. Yes Toronto is more than a concrete jungle, but it's rapidly growing into one. It's losing more and more of it's soul and no one seems interested in preserving it. Montreal is a better place to be than Toronto in any way I can think of.

  • @mattvideoeditor
    @mattvideoeditor Před 13 dny +1

    I don't know Toronto, but I definitely don't recommend Montreal. The language thing is annoying as hell. Even if you speak French, there is always this little dance around the communication code, which sounds super charming, but at the end of the day, it leads to confusion, prejudice, arrogance, discrimination, etc. They fancy themselves as better than the rest of the country. I am leaving as soon as possible.

    • @christofat2704
      @christofat2704 Před 13 dny +2

      In Rome do as Romans do this is called Respect. I will not complain of Portuguese language in Brasil or Portugal

  • @Terrybear27
    @Terrybear27 Před 14 dny

    Anywhere with a climate suitable for human habitation. Why in this day and age do people live in a dark dull wet frozen climate??

    • @Sogger2Agahim
      @Sogger2Agahim Před 13 dny +1

      caus it's 30 degres in the summer and I can skate during the winter

  • @Starstreak170
    @Starstreak170 Před 13 dny +3

    The biggest con to Monteral is the snobby French speaking population who ironically cant even speak proper French like real French people can.😂 Real French people laugh at their strange accent.

    • @paulthomas281
      @paulthomas281 Před 12 dny +1

      @Starstreak170
      Francophones in Montreal speak French perfectly. Do people in Toronto speak defunct English, do people in Mexico City speak defunct Spanish? What the hell are you taking about?

    • @Starstreak170
      @Starstreak170 Před 12 dny

      @@paulthomas281 Someone I work with from Montreal told me he refuses to speak French with French people because they focus on his accent and sometimes joke about it.

    • @paulthomas281
      @paulthomas281 Před 12 dny +2

      @@Starstreak170 If that is the case, then that is unacceptable and demeaning behaviour on the part of individuals who do that. I would wish to apologise to your friend on behalf of those assholes.
      Your comment however is different. It is an attack on an entire population. That, too, is unacceptable.
      I am French (from Europe) and live in Montreal, and I cannot remember one instance in the Québécois media where what was said or written was not pure French. French-language media in France, Belgium, Canada/Québec, Switzerland, and of course Africa, uses the same standard French language.
      As far as accent is concerned, yes there is a wild difference. Québec and the South of France are two very distinct regions.

    • @guyl9456
      @guyl9456 Před 10 dny +1

      And of course you know all about it .. lemme guess you speak only 2 words of French. Actually I have been to France and they love Quebec artists, music and their accent.

  • @416pp
    @416pp Před 12 dny

    montreal sucks lol ..