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More To Love Than Timbits And Ketchup Chips

By Maneesh Mohindra

2008_05_02_timbitsketchup.jpg
If you happen upon a group of tourists decked out in Chicago Bears regalia (with or without helmets) on your daily commute to work in the next few days, we think we may know the reason why. The Chicago Tribune recently informed its readers that a visit to Toronto would be well worth their while. The author of the article—who claims to have visited Toronto 137 times—recommends “10 Things To Love” about Toronto; let’s see how your list compares.
The author begins by making the obligatory compliments about the city’s cleanliness, as well as its abundance of Timbits (at Tim Hortons “cafés”) and ketchup-flavoured chips. Number one on the list of things to love is, of course, Winners. From there, onward we go to the Distillery District, touted as the epicentre of film shoots and beautiful people. The University of Toronto campus gets a mention, too. (According to the article, it is “bordered by Queen’s Park Crescent East and West.” We’ll verify that and get back to you.) Torontonians may be surprised to discover that shopping for booze at the LCBO was described variously as “cute,” “clean,” and “adorable.” Sassafraz is noted as the celebrity-sighting hotspot—examples of celebrities include Rod Stewart, Ellen Degeneres, Courteney Cox, and maybe even the guy from Sesame Street who does Elmo’s voice, if you’re lucky.
Readers could probably pick out a few examples of incorrect information from the article, but really, how well can you know a place if you’ve only been there 137 times? Chicago, you are welcome here! Visit the city that pretended to be you in the movies!
Photo by Today is a good day.

Comments

  • Mark Ostler

    Sure Winners might have some deals, but is it really anything to plan a vacation around? I mean, the Don Valley, St. Lawrence Market/Flatiron/other olde tyme architecture, High Park, my mom’s hosta garden. There are so many more important aspects of the city than Winners.
    Also, I love popping out to my nearest cafe to snag a Boston Cream and an extra large hot chocolate.

  • rek

    Winners is just the Canadian branch of TJ Max, isn’t it?
    Any Chicagonianite who comes here will be dismayed by how dirty and bland our fair city is compared to the Magnificent Mile and Millennium Park area of their city.
    (There’s nothing north of Bloor.)

  • David Newland

    It will be a pleasure to welcome Chigagoans (?) here. I just returned from their fair city, and having only visited 3 times I still feel confident to say this: Toronto should aspire to much of what Chicago is.
    Gorgeous architecture, an incredible lakefront, accessible art in public spaces, grand boulevards flanked with tulips, friendly people, minimal glaring advertising in touristy parts or along the lake, vandalism kept down…
    I just hope that whatever it is we may be offering our visitors, (our multi-ethnic composition? our bizarre mix of down-and-upscale neighbourhoods?) it doesn’t disappoint. We are somewhat the poor sister of our fellow great town on a Great Lake.

  • MariaPD

    I’ve never seen any Burberry or Prada at Winners, as the article claims. And I agree with #1, there are so many nice places to look around and things to do than going to Winners. There are so many other stores if what you want is to go shopping.

  • Mark Ostler

    Here, here, David. Chicago’s a pretty awesome city (though I’ve only been there once). I wish our waterfront would just get on with it already. Come on, waterfront! You’ve had YEARS!
    I do love all the bridges in Chi. and say what you will about noise and such, I love the look of the L-Train. The fact that you have something to look at while riding the rails is pretty wicked, too.

  • claire_cameron

    Whoever describes the LCBO as cute hasn’t had to schlep to pick up a bottle of wine. I assume this means you can buy booze in Chicago grocery stores.

  • rek

    I wish we’d do more with the rivers and valleys of Toronto.

  • Maneesh Mohindra

    I unfortunately neglected to mention in my post that the article in question originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press.
    Needless to say, Toronto will gladly welcome the visitors from Detroit to our city with open arms and fair prices.

  • Gloria

    What self-respecting American would come to Canada to shop? Silly.
    I thought I saw a mascot-type bear at Museum Station today on the way to work …

  • spacejack

    I have to visit Chicago sometime. I’ve always wanted to see the Empire State building.

  • matty

    I live in Chicago. Both TO and Chicago are extremely similar cities. I think Toronto is more diverse, however, but Chicago has a “BIG”ness to it that Toronto is missing.
    Then again i think the same thing when i go to NYC. Chicago feels tiny in comparison.
    Anyway, I like both, but I like Chicago more.

  • matty

    I will say TO has a better subway and better Chinese food than Chicago. I also like how proud people are of TO. People in Chicago hate themselves.

  • Svend

    We each used to be Second City, Toronto moved on to most populous while Chicago became their country’s third largest.
    Perhaps it helps to have the pressure off?

  • AR

    Chicago is fantastic overall, but it’s not like we’re lacking in terms of architecture or green space. I think the city is worth a Chicagoan’s time, though the cities are similar.

  • matty

    What city in canada was ever bigger than toronto?

  • Svend

    Montreal used to be bigger when Second City started.

  • Mark Ostler

    Toronto only got the “biggest” title because of amalgamation.

  • warmflash

    Toronto looks like a shabby sinkhole compared to the Windy City.

  • WiseHilda

    I have scored Prada at Winner’s, as have a couple of my friends.
    Agree, though, there are many more interesting stores.

  • redleaf

    mark0: I learned in highschool that Toronto became biggest in the 1970s when people (mostly the big banks etc.) began fleeing Montreal as a result of the FLQ, rise of Quebec nationalism. Anyway, long before amalgamation.

  • pman

    Two more reasons to like Chicago and despair of Toronto:
    1. Their municipal government shut down a downtown waterfront airport without having to get permission from Washington.
    2. The architectural boat tour. Could anyone imagine a tour of Toronto architecture?