Showing posts with label great cities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label great cities. Show all posts

Thursday, March 24, 2016

I Hear Music...Mighty Fine Music

Wake Up on the Bright Side


The question has come up of what do I miss about Toronto.  As I walked down James Street in St. Catharines, a young man was busking on his fiddle. 

I realize how many musicians there are on Toronto streets and in the subway.  Music make it a vibrant place.

Remember the fellow dressed in the horizontally-striped prison outfit who liked to play at the Bay Street subway walkway?  (no pictures of him as he always refused) Or the bagpipe player at Queen and University (I have pictures of him and what a loud sound).  There was Carl at the St. Lawrence Market  who played requests and would have me sing along (I bought his CD).  And the guitar player outside our LCBO with his little dog, whose portrait I took.  There's always some music resonating up the stairs at the Yonge and Bloom subway platform.  Music makes for a lively community.


Many years ago we heard Justin Bieber busking at Stratford a few times.  Our friends Rick and Vicki are musicians and we all commented on how terrible he sounded.  Out of key and a whining singing voice.  We realized his identity years later when he was famous.  We had to laugh at the success of practising in public. 

Friday, March 18, 2016

Great Cities

What makes a city great?  Google will quickly show you a list of sites claiming to know the top 5, top 10 and best cities to visit.  

The criteria must vary between the sites as different cities show up.  I started to think about what makes Toronto such a great city. Living in Grimsby now, the view of the skyline on the water gives me the sense of Toronto having landmark buildings - the CN Tower and the Skydome (Rogers Centre) - along with being on the water. The CN Tower is recognizable in a way that the Eiffel Tower is - there's only one in the world. I find out that is how most urbanites feel too.


A survey commissioned by planning and design firm Sasaki Associates (2014) asked 1,000 urbanites in San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. what they love most about their city. The findings, which cover diverse aspects of city life, offer truly fascinating insights for urban planners, landscape architects, and architects. One example: 60 percent of residents of these cities say they will still be in the city five years from now. 

1. Many people feel the history of a building is the primary factor that makes it iconic

2. Consumers across the country love to shop and eat - more than any other outdoor activity

3. Most people remember their favourite city experience taking place outdoors - either in a park or on a street

4. When it comes to transportation issues, people are most frustrated by traffic


Our pictures today are a pretty pot plant that came in to Coles yesterday.  It is a traditional plant for Easter with the common name of lady's purse and slipper flower.