The Chicago Sun-Times takes a dump on Toronto

Ahhh poor Chicago... Seriously though, why do we even care any more? We have to be pretty close to being over giving a damn what folks south of the border think.

Whatever, it's the Sun. The same kind of people read the Chicago Sun as read the Toronto Sun... except maybe even worse because they're Americans?

Umm 506 murders last year and that is a pretty big improvement from years past. Minimal social safety nets and a ghetto that is pretty much half of the city. I actually kind of like Chicago, but yeah... someone was crying into their light beer and woke up covered in a deep dish pizza over this one and is a bit bitter.

Toronto is a beautiful city. Clean friendly and they have great food too! This is coming from a New York City resident so maybe Neil Steinberg should get a grip. I have to wonder if he's ever been to Toronto, if he has then this is just sour grapes talking.

"Or shoots a movie in Toronto that actually takes place in Toronto"

Hasn't he seen 'Videodrome'?

Agreed.

yawn+fart

Pretty sure they just filmed a movie in Toronto set in Toronto, Scott Pilgrim? Whether or not it's actually a GOOD movie is debatable, but still. Canada has a fairly successful film industry, it's just not based in Hollywood, and Americans really love ignoring things that aren't America-centric.

Humm Chicago all he wants, the Movie Chicago was filmed in Toronto

I guess he sees the ring of slums and poverty that surround Chicago DT core, and the racial divide it creates as an asset.

As someone who has visited Chicago on five occasions, and spent about a total of a month and a half there staying in a residential area, I can definitely attest to the higher prevalence of crime there. Homeless people there are very aggressive and can even get physical if you don't give them money, whereas in Toronto they mostly leave you alone. I also recall hearing a shootout happen right around the corner of where I was staying, which is something I've never experienced in Toronto (yes, despite the many incidents over the past summer). Nonetheless, it is a very nice city, with lots to do, see, and eat, but I feel much safer living in Toronto, where I can walk home at night with (mostly) peace of mind. On a side note, I know Toronto is not exactly known for its fashion sense, but it definitely blows Chicago out of the water in that respect.

Keep justifying paying a half mil for a box in the sky and the same ring of poverty will surround Toronto in a few decades. Chicago's blight had a 100 year head start. We'll catch up (and we're already on our way there, I don't see Toronto's better-off residents going to restaurants in Rexdale).

he's got a really good point re: pizza

Movies filmed and set in Toronto v. Chicago? What an irrelevant point to make. We're a tiny middle power country of 30 million and the US has closer to 300 million and is a dominant world power. Regardless, off the top of my head I can think of Sarah Polley's Take this Waltz, Cronenberg's Dead Ringers and Crash, Norman Jewison's Hurricane, Scott Pilgrim v. The World and Hollywood/Bollywood, to name a few.

Chicago is necessarily not more dangerous, or more anything other than more segregated and extreme. It's terrible areas are much more terrible, it's nice areas much more nice. It's tall buildings are taller, it's touristy areas are more touristy, it's poverty-stricken areas are more impoverished, it's abandoned areas more abandoned, and so on. Toronto is indeed more balanced but because of this also more blah, which for some people floats their boat and for others leave them longing.

At least like Toronto, the Chicago media know an ass of a mayor when they see one:

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/170491736.html

Very sad, isn't it? I know that Torontonians are pretty thin-skinned, but I used to think that they, or at least BlogTOnians, had a sense of humour. And as mentioned above, the guy was pretty dead on. Especially the stuff about the TV antenna...

Chicago is a fine place in a lot of ways. This all reads like an inferiority complex pissing match though. Chicago was always the 'Second City' behind New York until L.A. made it the third. Apparently now, the see us as having made them fourth. They should be use to slipping down the scale and we shouldn't give a damn.

The fact that people keep citing the same pieces of evidence (scott pilgrim, CN tower, blue jays winning 20 years ago) is enough to make you think maybe there isn't really that much evidence out there. That these things are anomalies within the much bigger picture of Toronto's mediocre existence.

Dear Toronto,

Let's have a toast for the douchebags,
Let's have a toast for the assholes,
Let's have a toast for the scumbags,
Every one of them that I know
Let's have a toast for the jerkoffs
That'll never take work off
Baby, I got a plan
Run away fast as you can from all the haters.

Mr. Steinberg, stop taking cheap shots and write a substantial article that we Torontonians can give a fuck about. =)

Chicago style pizza is not even celebrated by their locals and are mostly consumed by tourists.... which is kinda sad.

Where in Chicago were you? If you were in the Loop (which is pretty much what is considered downtown) it is pretty similar to the downtown core in Toronto in terms of cleanliness, safety, etc. There are some pretty bad places in Chicago (some just outside of the core), but their downtown is fairly clean cut.

I grew up in Chicago and moved to Toronto a year ago. Toronto is safer, has better Asian food, and better-looking people. Chicago has better Mexican food, an almost laughably prettier lakefront, and a more vibrant comedy scene.

And to respond to ZKTXO, we ate deep dish pizza growing up on the southwest side of the city, and we loved it. It's definitely celebrated by Chicagoans. But we like thin crust too.

No!! No!! No!!! Chicago's bight, like all Amercian cities is due to racial segregation.

"And at least being polite means we didn’t murder 500 of each other last year, like you did. We maxed out at 54. You hit 54 homicides in your city before the end of February, last year."

Read the rebuttal "Dear Chicago" on Canada.com.
http://o.canada.com/2013/03/07/dear-chicago/#.UTjzgPq9LTo

That makes it even funnier, watching these fools get all riled up over nothing.

Steinburg sounds like your typical ignorant American, envious of our growing City.

Your food stamp economy in America has gone to shit.

Enjoy your lack of health care and your 3rd world status, America.

Watch out for the syringes on the sidewalk on your way out.

HEY PEOPLE, WAKE UP!
This was obviously a HUMOUR piece! The fact that no one seems to be able to see past their rose-coloured glasses is actually quite sad, wishing people get murdered and the like... Disgusting.

Give your heads a shake and read the article again. After about two paragraphs it is blatantly obvious. If you've reached the comment about the "TV Antenna" and still don't see it... well, don't think there's much one can do at that point.

oops, meant:

don't think there's much one can do "TO HELP YOU" at that point.

"The Chicago Sun-Times takes a dump on Toronto"

And we care why? Oh right, we don't.

This guy gets it.

Seriously? Grow a thicker skin and a sense of humour, people. I love Toronto, but this article made me laugh. It was so obviously tongue-in-cheek.

Have we lost the ability to laugh at ourselves?

And for the record, Chicago's downtown architecture is vastly superior to ours. How many Toronto buildings would you classify as beautiful or unique?

Satire? Probably. Funny? Not particularly.

As satirical put-downs of entire cities go, this is a lot better:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/pretty-cute-watching-boston-residents-play-daily-g,31554/

Also, if Chicago was as adequately policed as Toronto (it's thousands of officers short), the murder rate wouldn't be quite so outrageous.

Did you intentionally use Kanye's song because he's from Chicago? If so, you're brilliant.

In any case, I had a feeling of satire when I read this article. Maybe we're taking it too close to heart, and maybe this is all just a joke?

Harbourfront Center > Millenium Park
Argos > Bears
Raptors > Bulls
Ontario Place > Navy Pier
Drake > Kanye West
Maestro > Common
Jays > Cubs/White Sox combined
Leafs > Blackhawks
CN Tower > Sears Tower
nuff said!

I am a dual canadian/american citizen, born and raised in Toronto by an American mother and moved to New York City when I was 17 years old. I have always hated the anti-american sentiment that we as Canadians have held against Americans, however, this Chicago Sun Times writer totally validates that cross border hatred and disgust in which many in Canada enjoy to partake. I have been to Chicago and while it may have beautiful buildings ( architectural masterpieces) it is possibly one of the most boring, racist cities in North America. It is actually labeled as the most "segregated city" in America. What Toronto may lack in beauty it makes up for in ethnic harmony and world class cultural organizations. When he states that humility is offensive and Chicogoans always toot their own horn and that is something to be proud of-- I can only think that he is completely ignorant. What makes a Torontonian so special and Canadians as well is that we do not feel the need to pretend to be anything were not. As for the humour comment listed above, Canadians can laugh at themselves, in fact, half of the original cast of Chicago's second city were Canadians, but this article was just tasteless and covering it up as joke makes it evermore appear that the writer falters against scrutiny. What Canadians take issue to is the continuing disrespect and lack of education Americans and their government tend to demonstrate when discussing Canada, Canadians, and their contributions. Afterall, we are their largest trading partner and half of that country would not have electric power, timber, and various other resources if we were not around. Respect is due.

"And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:
Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning."

People, it's a joke. I can't believe people are actually getting insulted. The column is a joke playing on Chicago's reputation of being a gritty brawler. Like in Carl Sandberg's poem.

Carl Sandberg's famous poem "Chicago:"

"Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:
They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys.
And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again.
And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger.
And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them:
Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning.
Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities;
Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness,
Bareheaded,
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding,
Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,
Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs,
Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle,
Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse, and under his ribs the heart of the people, Laughing!
Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation."

Funny people get bent out of shape when blogTO and most of it's comments section takes a dump on Toronto pretty much constantly. Ironic some of the same names here defending our city are also the ones who are otherwise shitting on it!!

who cares and who gives a rats ass!

Haters gonna...

For all those pointing out that this is a joke, if you think we're taking this particularly seriously, you've misread both articles. FUCK YOU CHICAGO!

Kate, this is the internet: you don't have to actually read an article or two in order to form a well-versed opinion on them!

Does Toronto look more like Chicago than the city itself? Why film the movie, by the same name, here rather than in its namesake? Because we're so adept at adapting to everyone and everything. We are the Kings of kindness, Queens of Courtesy.
We are better at a lot of things than other cities but still, there is much we can improve upon.

Toronto is very unique city for the multicultural , the amazing foods , entertainment and mostly a safe city to compare with Chicago

Harbourfront Center > Millenium Park

Sorry, but no. Until Harbourfront gets a "bean", or a lawn, this one is not even close.

Argos > Bears

Can't disagree, Grey Cup champions that they are.

Raptors > Bulls

Seriously, no. Not even in the same ballpark, barely in the same galaxy. Even if you counted seasons over .500, even if you counted playoff appearances, not even close.

Ontario Place > Navy Pier

You know Ontario Place is closed now, right? I'd give Navy Pier this for the statue of Bob Newhart alone.

Drake > Kanye West
Maestro > Common

Whatever. Do you honestly think Toronto has in any way anything compared to Chicago's blues and jazz community?

Jays > Cubs/White Sox combined

Unless you are counting non-important stuff like recent playoff appearances, or even more non-important stuff like recent World Series wins, this is another, "not even close" comparison.

Leafs > Blackhawks

See above, times about a million.

CN Tower > Sears Tower

Willis Tower, actually. Costs 18 bucks. CN tower: almost $40. Plus they also have the John Hancock Center.

Again, no comparison.

Saw the entire tirade on TV. Very saddened to see the narrow-minded, blinkered, "Gung Ho" Great Corporate American Propaganda Whore's 20th century mesmerizations so loudly proclaimed, verbatem, as fact,in the 21st Century and the Global Village, even as now in Canada American "Branch Plants" are closed, shipped south or to China, and even Oshawa will go to union busting Michigan with the Camero. Hard to see reality past this sputtering asshole and his nonsense blustering - to the Chinese and Japanese Oil deals, the Chinese soft wood accords, wheat deals with China, the potash sales to the Pan Eurasian market-place and the Japanese engineered, Chinese sub assembly - Canadian final assembly Toyotas, Hondas, we all drive now? The America this man uses for his podium, long gone I'm afraid. Asians graduate by an order of magnititude more, and by merit not payment, Science graduates today. and Canadians - four of them from my village(near my beloved Toronto)alone are there, in Asia to teach these remarkably smart Asians - Canada and U. of T. export intelligence - imagine that!
Actually comparing anything Canadian to anything American is comparing apples to hammers! We are so unique in the world! We will learn Mandarin in our grade schools, invite the Chinese culture to our Multi Cultural mielieu even build a Korean family here, and respect any group that joins our land. We are not a "Melting Pot" nation - we are multi lingual, multi cultural and absolutely love it! Toronto ride on the Go Train will convince you of the many languages we can so speak! multi colored, hard to segfregate any one group so we stand united? Like I said - comparing apples to hammers!

Oshawa should have been closed two decades ago.

One thing to note about populations, is that American cities census areas are often much larger than Canada. Greater Toronto is 7124.15 km sq, with just under 6 million people (850 people/sq km). Compare that to Greater Chicago, which while having 9,729,825 people, encompasses 28,120 sq km and several states; this nets a density of 509 people/sq km. Looking at our actual city densities, Toronto is quite close to Chicago (both just under 4,450 people/sq km).

I bring this up in reference to the Sun author's boasting about total population sizes, and the fact that the amalgamated city of Toronto (630 sq km) is comparable in area to Chicago city proper (606 sq km).

A bigger population doesn't mean better.

Overpopulation and overcrowding are hallmarks of third world countries.

As far as lifestyle, quality of infrastructure, personal debt, affordable housing, poverty, living space per person, etc. Toronto is becoming more like Mumbai with each passing year.

Chicago = identity, a dump alongside growing beauty
Toronto = no identity, an exploited and neglected DUMP

I live near Boston but been to both Chicago and Toronto a number of times for extended stays. In my "independent" opinion, Toronto is a nicer metro area to bring up a family. In terms of shopping, culture, restaurants, education, ect, Toronto compares to the American city with "Big Shoulders". It is also more livable and safer. That being said, all the hoopla about the "skyscraper boom" in Toronto is a little exaggerated. The Toronto skyline has very few "quality" supertalls and only a few of the proposed buildings look promising. Chicago has a distinctly taller skyine and a much nicer lakefront.

He's right! It was the idiotic, pandering, ill-written, ignorant, arrogant Toronto Star that proclaimed our population bigger than theirs, while our metro area is only half the size. The Toronto Star: Telling Torontonians how great they are, since 1892, and making a bundle doing it. The Toronto Star: The tasteless, overstuffed broadsheet tabloid that's always in everybody's face!

That said, I have always found Chicago even more boring than Toronto. The architecture is overrated, the skyline is tedious, the people have ATROCIOUS accents, its history of political corruption puts New York and Montreal to shame, its violence is shameful. They do, however, have much better museums, but can't hold a candle in that regard to London or New York.

BTW, did you know that the U.S. midwest has an inferiority complex, vs. New York and LA, similar to Canada's vis a vis the U.S.?

What I find utterly ironic (in the colloquial sense) is that the sheet-metal clad Sun-Times building out of which this clot writes is the ugliest building I have ever seen in any city, anywhere!