Downtown Canada

[Coldrsx]

Live, work play downtown. Commute is 3 blocks.

[Nouvellecosse]

Currently I tend to go downtown about once or twice a month. But only by choice since I find it fabulous and exciting. ;D

But I've gone entire seasons without ever visiting downtown at times when my schedule was hectic and the places I lived, worked/schooled and played were all elsewhere.

Unfortunately I have absolutely zero need to go downtown more than maybe once or twice a year for some sort of appointment or government thing. I wish it wasn't true and that downtown was more an important anchor of our metro area, but unless you work there or area club person, it just isn't.

[halifaxboyns]

I live in DT Calgary. I work in DT Calgary - so I walk to work and I use the LRT when I'm going for small grocery runs or if I'm going to the zoo or the weather is bad. I walk the riverwalk most of the rest of the time.

When I lived in Halifax, I grew up in the burbs but I soon moved dt and loved it ever since. If I ever move back, I would move back to Halifax dt in a heart beat.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by Robertpuant

For you guys in smaller cities, you have to be downtown pretty often because if you're not, you're either in the middle of nowhere or in a completely different place. As for me I study downtown, so it's pretty much 4-5 times a week.

Live work and play downtown. Yes even small cities have a downtown core. My commute is 14 stairs.
My city's busiest commercial area is actually uptown now.

[The Gibbroni]

I'm downtown all summer long, 2 or 3 times a week the rest of the year. Old Port and Old Montreal as well. I was there every day when I was in school and I sometimes work downtown for stretches at a time.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Robertpuant

For you guys in smaller cities, you have to be downtown pretty often because if you're not, you're either in the middle of nowhere or in a completely different place. As for me I study downtown, so it's pretty much 4-5 times a week.

Have you ever been to the cities of New Brunswick? Especially in Moncton, urban sprawl has created a city of seemingly constant business parks and stripmalls. Outside of the undeveloped downtown, which is apparently trying to look like the suburbs with its surface parking lot obsession, you are certainly not in the middle of nowhere; you are driving through an endless suburbia.

If you ever visit, try driving down the entire length of Mountain Rd., and you will understand what I'm trying to convey

[vegeta_skyline]

Well this is a difficult question for me to answer.
Outside of work I only go downtown a few times a month. And occasionally there's been times where I've gone months without visiting.

Now here's the hard part, does it count each time I drive a train to Union station downtown?

As a GO train engineer I go through and see downtown Toronto several times a day. But its not as if I get to actually spend any meaningful time there while on the job. So its hard to say if I should actually count that.
Speaking of which, time for me to getting going to work.

[RyeJay]

In Halifax, I lived, worked, and studied downtown. I had absolutely no reason to leave the southern peninsula, except for the seldom trip to the Bayer's Lake Business Park (to which I hated going) because there weren't any decent pet stores elsewhere.

[isaidso]

I live in downtown Toronto. I venture beyond maybe 2-3 times/year not including trips to other cities in which I don't have any choice but to drive through the perimeter.

For me downtown is bounded by Davenport in the north, the lake in the south, Parliament to the east, and Bathurst in the west.

[The Chemist]

I don't know how you'd define 'downtown' for a city as enormous as Shanghai. I guess if you consider it anywhere within the Inner Ring Road (not a bad definition, given that the density of this area is above almost anything found in a North American downtown) then I could be said to work downtown. But if by downtown you mean one of the major commercial nodes such as Xujiahui, Lujiazui, or People's Square/Nanjing Road, then maybe once or twice a month.

[P. Alouishous]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I live in downtown Toronto. I venture beyond maybe 2-3 times/year not including trips to other cities in which I don't have any choice but to drive through the perimeter.

For me downtown is bounded by Davenport in the north, the lake in the south, Parliament to the east, and Bathurst in the west.

That's the great thing about Toronto - everything you could possible want / need is located downtown (except the airport obviously). You can live your entire life without ever leaving downtown. Many people do this except when they travel to another city.

I live in downtown Ottawa which is pretty dense and urban. The problem with Ottawa is that they locate many important services out in the suburbs. To get to work I have to take 2 buses out to the burbs.


Sidebar: Everyone seems to have a different definition of downtown Toronto. Mine would be Parliament, the lake, Dufferin, and Bloor.

[Acajack]

I worked in downtown Gatineau for many years until fairly recently, but no longer do.

I now go there maybe four or five times a month. Not so much to shop (the shopping kinda — there) but for restaurants and, more rarely, bars and other services.

I go to downtown Ottawa maybe once or twice a month. Mostly for shopping, restaurants and other forms of entertainment.

[Bigtime]

We live just across the river from the CBD in Calgary, and I personally go into the core once a week at a minimum.

[lubicon]

I used to go DT every workday (did it for 15 years). Then my employer moved out of the core, as a result I rearely if ever find myself there anymore. Maybe once a month for meetings with clients, or transiting through on my way somewhere.

[BretttheRiderFan]

Downtown Grande Prairie is only an area of a few blocks in each direction. I'm downtown almost every day, usually to go to the bank or just driving through on my way to somewhere else. Though we do have a pretty vibrant downtown with a ton of neat independent businesses.

[Xelebes]

Construction companies tend to not locate themselves in downtown so once or twice a week. Downtown is outside of my price range for renting for the time being.

[jigglysquishy]

I live about a twenty minute walk away, but I'm there probably once a week.

[Daveography]

The wife and I both work downtown, and live just a few minutes away across the river. I couldn't not work downtown, if my company moved I would not be joining them at their new location.

Aside from work, we're usually here at least every other weekend for food, entertainment, or friends.

[floobie]

I work downtown and live in sort of the middle ring of suburbs in Calgary. So, 5 days a week. Sometimes more for entertainment purposes. Commute (drive+train+walk) takes about half an hour each way.

My goal is to run my own business in a post-geographical manner (ie. basically from my iPhone/laptop, totally removing the concept of a physical workplace from my life), and actually live more or less downtown.

[hexrae]

Work downtown, live just outside (15-20 minute walk). Beyond that I try to go downtown once a week (outside of work).