Through an entirely unexpected series of events, I’m working and living in Denver for at least the next two months. I guess “living” isn’t entirely accurate since I’m lodged in a hotel throughout the week, and back in Toronto on the weekends. It feels like living, anyway.
Denver’s an interesting city. It’s much smaller in population density than Toronto, has much more sophisticated urban planning, and looks and feels generally like a “cleaner” city. That has its ups and downs, for sure. Maybe it’s due to its multiculturalism, but Toronto has this really vibrant, diverse feeling. As you walk through different neighbourhoods, you get the feeling of this kind of cultural tapestry.
The streets aren’t as well kept as Denver’s, but this allows for the development of lots of unique and interesting citizen groups, that take matters into their own hands. The Toronto Public Space Commitee’s Guerilla Gardener group comes to mind immediately.
I always find that the most compelling parts of a city are its outskirts; Misfit neighbourhoods like Queen West are something that Toronto has in spades. Granted, I’ve only been here a few days, and I’ve seen some cool parts so far (including 17th Street East), but I hope the time I get to spend here lets me discover some more interesting locales.
I would like to live in Toronto ((