7 reasons why I would never move to Vancouver (as a Toronto local), Life in canada

#1. Give me the drama

Let’s get rowdy

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

If Toronto is Canada’s New York, Vancouver has always felt much more like Canada’s Los Angeles.

Maybe it’s the proximity to the mountains. Maybe it’s the ocean. Maybe it’s because the city isn’t as congested as we are here in Toronto. Whatever the reason, everyone I know who’s been there talks about how relaxed it is. The pacing is different.

And that can be great.

But I didn’t move to Toronto because I wanted to be relaxed.

I moved to Toronto for energy, excitement, ambition, and dream chasing. I wanted a city where everyone seems to be running toward something. Toronto feels alive. You can feel it walking through the Financial District on a Tuesday morning or squeezing onto a packed streetcar after work. Even crying on the subway after a night out in front of a train full of people reminds you why you chose this city.

Sure, it’s exhausting. But it’s also inspiring. And I’m willing to bet that most of the people who moved here moved here for the same reasons.

I’d rather complain about the pace than wish there was more of it.

#2. I’m not outdoorsy enough

I can feel the ticks now

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

This is probably my hottest take and definitely not as universal as my last point.

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. Mountains, beaches, forests, lakes, and hiking trails are integrated into daily life.

People bike everywhere. They paddleboard before work. They disappear into the wilderness on weekends.

But truthfully, all I’m thinking about are ticks. In my heart of hearts, I’m not a cottage-core girly. I’m not a nature girly. I prefer to get my steps in on the cold, hard concrete grounds of the city. If I wanted to live surrounded by nature, I probably wouldn’t have chosen downtown Toronto in the first place. The occasional cottage weekend is enough for me.

Give me patios, neighbourhood walks, vintage stores, bookstores, and restaurants over a six-hour hike.

#3. Snow > Rain

Winter in Ontario.

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

People love to complain about Toronto weather. We complain and complain about our horrible winters, and Vancouverites love to rub it in with their much milder winters.

They’re right.

But warmer doesn’t mean better.

Vancouver is famous for its long stretches of grey skies and rainy days, especially through fall and winter. Toronto might get brutally cold, but we get a proper snow season.

And I love snow (I mean, first of all, the tick issue is over). But snowboarding. Skiing. Tobogganing. Skating. Tubing. It might be inconvenient, but I can’t imagine a winter without snow.

I’ll take snow boots over endless rain boots.

#4. Pricing is not better

Pasta price point comparison

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

Toronto is famously known for being expensive. We talk about it all the time, myself included. It is not exactly an affordable luxury. But you know what’s more expensive?

Vancouver. Vancouver is consistently ranked as Canada’s most expensive city.

My best friend just went to Vancouver to visit for the World Cup game, and what really made me notice the pricing difference was her restaurant bills. As an Italian-Canadian, I obviously instinctively compare everything to the price of pasta — and from my observations, it was consistently more there.

If I’m paying outrageous prices anyway, I’d rather do it in the city I’ve already fallen in love with.

#5. I need a city that stays awake

Hey that’s me! I’m out!

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

Vancouver has spent years battling the reputation of being the “no fun city.”

And in comparison to Toronto, that’s true. Toronto is constantly seeing new cocktail bars, late-night restaurants, concerts, comedy shows, festivals, pop-ups, and neighbourhood events open.

Sure, sometimes, we all want a quiet weekend. That’s when I’ll take myself to the TIFF lightbox for a movie. But let’s be real, most of the time we want absolute chaos. Sometimes you just want to accidentally bump into someone on the street at 2 a. m. at the street meat counter.

Toronto has those options for you. Vancouver, the clean-girl aesthetic can wait. We want the rat-girl summer.

#6. Toronto’s arts scene is irreplaceable

Does Vancouver have Shakespeare in the Park?

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

Long-time theatre kid here. Toronto is Canada’s theatre capital.

Mirvish is the Broadway of Canada (another reason to compare Toronto to New York). Between Mirvish, the Fringe Festival, our independent theatre companies, our immersive performances, Soulpepper, community productions, and easy access to Stratford — there’s always something to see.

One weekend, you can catch a professional-level performance of The Outsiders. Next, you can find yourself inside a coffee shop watching an immersive solo show while the performer serves you lattes.

This kind of artistic ecosystem is incredibly special and just as rare. I don’t think people realize how much they’d miss the creative energy ein this city.

#7. Toronto’s foodie scene

subtle Beisl plug

Lauren DiBenedetto | Narcity

You thought I’d forget? Please. I’m a food writer first.

Vancouver obviously has incredible sushi and seafood — they’re coastal.

Toronto’s diversity, though, is unbeatable. Within a few subway stops, you can have authentic Ethiopian, Persian, Jamaican, Tibetan, Filipino, Greek, Portuguese, Italian, Korean — you name it, we have it.

That’s one of the best parts of this city. It’s what makes this wild city feel like home to so many people.