What Becomes a Skyscraper City Most?

In some ways, Toronto seems like Manhattan Light. The vibe can be quite similar, especially in areas like the Financial District and Entertainment District, where the proverbial hustle and bustle is at its most hustled and bustled.

Of course, we have a personality of our own, but the pace is ever-increasing here, and it’s pretty clean and safe for a big city there (wasn’t always the case though). Both cities are notable for their ethnic diversity, and its resultant cultural, culinary and artistic diversity. Neither city really sleeps, if you know where to go.

If we’re going to be a skyscraper city, and we are, there are lessons to be learned from the biggest, brightest metropolis in the area. What does Manhattan’s infrastructure do well that we don’t? And vice versa?

For starters, we both have huge traffic issues. People love to say there’s nowhere to park in downtown Toronto, but I haven’t found that to be true. What they should say is that there’s nowhere reasonably priced. We do have a number of parking lots right in the core, but some of their prices creep up over $30 for a day. Ditto Manhattan, only up the price even more. We allow parking on our side streets, as do our American cousins, but there, you’re not allowed to feed the meter, so when your two or three hours of street parking are up, they’re up. Where we fall down is twofold: Our underground transit is still pitiable, where theirs is an actual viable alternative to surface travel. We rely far too much on surface travel – not just cars but buses and streetcars.

Secondly, they use one-way streets to keep traffic moving, and for some reason we eschew them. Adelaide and Richmond spring to mind, and not too long ago, Adam Vaughan was discussing the possibility of making them two-way streets, so they would be less thoroughfare and more destination. Hamilton and Oshawa both rely on one-way streets to keep traffic flowing, as does Manhattan; the only hold-ups come from construction or emergencies. One would assume that one-way streets are safer for cyclists, too. We actually let our busses and streetcars run on our four-lane streets with cars parked on both sides. Unless you love a conga line, this is enough to make your hair curl. Winner: Manhattan.

Garbage collection here is a municipal responsibility, and happens on average once every two weeks. In New York, garbage gets picked up three times a week, with recycling weekly, so they win there. Composting is still in a pilot phase there, so kudos to us. (And yes, it all slows down traffic.) Their garbage collection happens overnight. Winner: Manhattan.

In Manhattan, there are more than 150 schools including private, public, special interest, special needs, etc., so most children are within walking distance of one that suits them, with bussing common for private and special schools. Class sizes range from 15 or 16 in kindergarten to closer to 50 for high school phys ed. We have 85 schools in the downtown core, with special needs kids mostly integrated into classes; our kids often have farther to travel. With our class sizes capped at less than 30 (from 20 in primary school to about 26 in middle school and 22 in high school), it could mean better news for Torontonians, as the latest research says kids learn better in smaller classes. (Stands to reason, no?) Let’s call this one a draw.

When it comes to prices, there’s no contest: According to Numbeo, you need more than $7,000 a month to match the lifestyle $5,000 a month can buy you in Toronto. Rents are 100% higher in New York; purchasing power in general is 3% lower in Manhattan, restaurant prices more than 30% higher and groceries more than 12%. Transit costs, whether by car, taxi or public transit, are cheaper here; utilities are about equal. In the city centres, a condo will cost you nearly 70% more in New York, but their average disposable income is only about 40% higher. Compare us to Sydney or London and we won’t fare any better, but aside from a few major cities, we are as expensive as it gets. Still, score one for Toronto.

On balance, Manhattan has a lot going for it, but the things that make it a great skyscraper city are less tangible than statistics can show. It’s attitude, artistry, culture, vibe — the things you can write about but never quite describe. We may be tied by the numbers, but there’s no place like home.