Originally Posted: 2006-08-30 12:54 (no longer live)
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I LOVE TORONTO, DAMMMIT!

For God's sake, I can't take all this dissing anymore. I moved here a year ago, and I love this city that you all seem to hate.

- I love the subway. I love that it's air-conditioned, and that it comes every 5 mins, even in off-times.
- I love getting surprised by bus- and streetcar-drivers who grin at you when you get on the bus, and sing out the stop names.
- I love that you can find fashionistas, indie kids, geeky scholars, and regular 9-5'ers all hanging out on the same patio.
- I love all the cozy lounges with fancy pants martinis. I love that I can get glitzed up a little to go get blitzed up a little.
- I love the vague, slow-as-molasses service at the Red Room because it forces you to sit back and chill.
- I LOVE that singing guitar man at the Madison. I also love that the Madison is basically a big frat house, but with better booze.
- I love the Beaches. (Beach? Whatever.) Especially that place with the really good calzones that you custom build, and all the cheese oozes out. Mmmmm!
- I love that "Yale" and "Harvard" in the films is really just Trinity College and Convocation Hall.
- I love watching old B horror movies at Bloor Cinema.
- I love that my vegetarian friends never have to stress about finding a veg-friendly restaurant. And I love that I can carnivore-down right next to them.
- I love that there's late night ice skating at Nathan Phillips Square. Ever walk down there some Chrismas-y night? It's right out of a movie!
- I love Toronto food. Thai, Sushi, Korean, Mediterreanean, Greek, Portugese freakin' barbecue... it's all good. And it never ends.
- I love Toronto music. There's jazz, rock, funk, electronic, folk, and it's all everywhere, all the time. And then after the concert you can go out and enjoy a smokey, greasy hot dog in the night air and laugh at the crazy club kids. Love!

Most of all, I love all you guys. Everyone I've met, every date I've gone on, every cab driver that's driven my drunk ass home, even the bums that hang out at red lights... they've all been warm and kind in at least some way. I love reading all your guys' drooling over the hot barristas at Starbucks, or the Cheese Magic boys, or the random people outside Hooker Harvey's. (I love saying "Hooker Harvey's"!!!) Yeah, I love even you grumpy angry Torontonians, because you remind me of everything I like about this city. An entire GTA-full of people, living their lives, pulling through their ups and downs, trying to make their way... it's heartbreaking and uplifting, all at once.


Maybe after a few more years here, I'll start to hate the city like you do. Maybe ennui will set in. But I doubt it... there is too much to discover, too much to try, and it's always changing. So there! I love this stupid city, and I'm happy and proud to call it home!!

-Mary Fucking Sunshine.

post id: 200891122