Quote:
Originally Posted by ssiguy
I thought this could be an interesting conversation because it really makes you think about what you want in your city/town/region and what type of environment and lifestyle you would most like to enjoy but I was mistaken. I made 2 mistakes:1} I didn't state that it should be in Canada which is my fault, and 2} I proceeded from a false assumption............that most of you could read. This time I will be more basic and use small words so you can all follow along.
Santa checked his list and found out "you have not been nice" so he is going to force you to leave your home. Santa is a kindly old soul so he will give you 2 choices in a big, cold country named Canada and even pay for the ride so he can still put a present for you under the Christmas Tree. One ticket will be good for between 100 and 1000 km and the other for over a 1000 km. Now you can't just say a province because Santa has to know where in the province to park his sleigh. You also can't say 2 or 3 different cities because even if Santa spiced up the magical flying reindeer feed with crystal meth, they still can't be 2 places at once.
So when you are writing the North Pole this year, tell Santa EXACTLY which 2 cities he can find you lest he tell his good friend the Easter Bunny and instead of getting chocolates at Easter, he will shit all over your lawn.
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I love this post so much.
But, still, the premise is a little odd. The idea that "what you want in your city/town/region and what type of environment and lifestyle you would most like to enjoy" could be found in more than one region of Canada is probably a stretch. A lot of compromise necessary. Even within a single province, if you love absolutely everything about Edmonton, Calgary isn't going to be a reasonable replacement.
I, for example, don't particularly want to move deeper into Canada again. I've already experienced that. And the United States even less so these days. I wouldn't even visit there anymore.
But, gun to head...
100-1,000 km - The only city within that range for me is Halifax (860 km straight line; 1,488 km driving), so it'd have to be there. I'm certainly not moving anywhere smaller.
1,000 km+ - Montreal (1,568 km straight; 2,536 km driving) or Toronto (2,071 km straight; 3,078 km driving). I know it's still two so if the Easter Bunny insists, I'll probably choose Toronto for linguistic ease.
I choose these because they're large enough to compensate for anything I'd miss about home. Mount Royal could be a fun daily hike. I could take more interesting sunrise skyline pics every day.
I love subways and streetcars enough to get joy from that in TO, even if I miss the ocean or whatever else. I know they're sweaty and utilitarian, not touristy, but I prefer that anyway. I will be the grinning idiot on the streetcar every time, even after 30, 40 years.
There are a couple of things I could never, ever compromise on, though - I need my front door to open onto sidewalk, and I need my house to be completely attached on both sides. It's certainly unreasonable and a direct result of where I'm from, but that's the minimum necessary for me to feel I live in an urban area. If it's set back, if it's detached... I feel like I'm in the suburbs, and I hate that feeling, no matter how close downtown is. I assume it's not normal, but I genuinely feel more satisfied and like I'm in a bigger city in an average, dense European town of a few tens of thousands than in, say, Laval, or Mississauga. If it's not a house, it can be an stand-alone apartment building, whatever else, but absolutely no setback - no towers in the park.
And I'll need colour. I've seen lots of lovely homes in TO and MTL where, even if the brick isn't painted, the wooden window trim and doors are bright colours. I'd need at least that. Not just on my own home, but the whole neighbourhood.
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