Nada Alic (FWBA) #4

TORONTO > VANCOUVER

I just got back from a trip to Vancouver, my first-ever, in fact, and only then did I really come to appreciate Toronto. I was out there for a few Etsy events and and an Etsy party that I hosted at a rad art space in Chinatown called Blim. Spending a few years in California always had me wondering whether I should try living in Vancouver, if it promised the same lazy time zone, the same scenic mountains and beaches, the same general friendliness. This is not to say that Vancouver was stunning; still, snow top mountains hugged the edges of the cities, sushi of all kinds filled my belly, but there was something that was missing. A lack of familiarity, or something. I couldn’t navigate the streets with as much ease, the anatomy of the city wasn’t as intuitive, and it just wasn’t home. Flying back to Toronto was the first time I felt a sense of home in a while and with that in mind I wanted to share a list of my favourite things about this city that I missed while I was out there. To be clear – I love Vancouver, I love the people, I love my friends there, I love the generosity that was shown to me there, I love the fish.. But there’s no place like Toronto.

Toronto > Vancouver: Restaurants

There aren’t many veggie options. The city has such a heavy Asian population that every other restaurant is a sushi place. (Not complaining, I could eat that stuff for days) but when looking for a Fresh-type place, no dice. We had to drive out of the city to find it.

Toronto > Vancouver: Music

I went to one show, my boyfriend is touring with Seattle’s Damien Jurado so I headed to the Biltmore, which was a pretty neat venue but other than that, I can’t think of too many artists that are actually from Vancouver besides Dan Mangan, and there really doesn’t seem to be a thriving music community, I might be totally wrong but that’s just the vibe that I got. My friend works at a label there and she says she snagged the last of the remaining music jobs in that city.

Toronto > Vancouver: Weather

The gloomy overcast that Vancouver promised was fulfilled. We did get a rare few days of blue skies but the locals told us that never happens. I could not handle all that rain, it’s hard to appreciate Vancouver’s gorgeous outdoors when the rain keeps you in.

Toronto > Vancouver: There’s no Queen West

Or Bellwoods, or Roncesvalles, or Kensington Market or anything centralized that seemed all that “hip”. There was one place called The Foundation which is probably their best answer for Sneaky Dees. If that street exists, then my bad, I couldn’t seem to find it.

Toronto = Vancouver: Cultural attitudes

In this case, it’s a toss up, because Vancouver excels at having that laid back attitude – everyone is incredibly polite and easy going, no one is in any rush to get anywhere. Everyone seems so content. Toronto’s anxiety is what propels it, and ignites it’s creativity. We’re known for being ambitious, working hard and getting things done. That’s why it’s so exciting and inspiring to live here – there’s life everywhere. That being said, I could use a little Vancouver every once and a while.

Toronto < Vancouver: time zone

I love waking up at 7am feeling totally rested. For that first little while, you just feel like a super human.