There are some things about Toronto that are almost impossible to explain to someone who didn’t grow up in the city. While you can talk about the TTC or how much rent costs ’til your face turns blue, they’ll never fully understand why everyone still calls the ACC the SkyDome or our strange relationship with trash pandas (by which I mean raccoons, obviously).
After spending nearly three decades calling Toronto home, I’ve realized the city has its own collection of traits and experiences that every local just gets. Some of them are cute, others not so much. But if you’ve lived here long enough, chances are you’ve done (or noticed) at least a few of these uniquely Toronto things.
Calling everything by its old name
Nothing reveals how long you’ve lived in Toronto (or how old you are) faster than what you call certain landmarks. Like, the Rogers Centre will simply always be the SkyDome. The Scotiabank Arena is still the ACC. And depending on your age, Rebel might forever be The Docks or Sound Academy.
Corporate sponsors may change the names every few years, but if you’re a local, you probably still have the habit of calling things by a previous moniker.
Having a love-hate relationship with raccoons
No city embraces raccoons quite like Toronto. We complain when they knock over the green bin, steal tomatoes from the garden, or try to scrap our pets. But I know more than a handful of folks who think they’re totally adorable (and a bit hilarious, too).
Taking a “Toronto Left”
There’s a special kind of chaos about taking a “Toronto Left.” If you’re not sure what that means, allow me to explain.
It’s gunning for your left turn the millisecond a light turns green, cutting across an intersection before the cars coming toward you have the chance to budge. I’m not here to condone it or anything, just a fun thing I’ve noticed as someone who learned how to drive in the city.
Spending the day at the Spit
Every Torontonian eventually discovers the Spit (A.K.A. the Leslie Street Spit or Tommy Thompson Park). It’s where you go when you need a break from the city without actually leaving it.
You’ll pack snacks, hop on your bike, and spend the afternoon wandering the trails, wondering how this giant bird sanctuary exists so close to downtown. Somewhere along the way, you’ll inevitably see a fox, a cormorant, or at least one person who’s way more into birdwatching than you expected.
Or watching the sunset at Riverdale Park
Every city has a sweet lookout spot, but Riverdale Park (the east side) feels like Toronto’s living room. As soon as the weather gets nice, people start hauling blankets, takeout, guitars, and a couple of drinks up the hill to watch the skyline glow.
Avoiding King West like it’s the plague
There comes a point in every Torontonian’s life when they realize they’ve aged out of King West. It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with it, but locals can’t seem to bring themselves to wait in line for an hour to pay $22 for a cocktail while someone films themselves walking into the bar.
Feeling nostalgic about places that don’t exist anymore
One of the unofficial hobbies of living in Toronto is reminiscing about places that have been replaced by condos.
Honest Ed’s. World’s Biggest Bookstore. Guvernment. The old Ontario Place. Sam the Record Man. Every local has at least one spot they’ll insist “had so much more character” before it disappeared. Toronto changes so quickly that half the city’s personality exists only in people’s memories, and true locals will gladly spend an entire evening telling you about it.
Knowing someone who knows someone who was on Degrassi
Toronto manages to feel both enormous and teeny-tiny at the same time. Mention Degrassi, and before long someone will pipe in to tell you that their cousin, neighbour, or high school boyfriend had a role on the show.
Pretty sure every Toronto local (at least when it comes to Toronto millennials) is one degree removed from Degrassi, if not actually on the show themselves.
Never actually going up the CN Tower
While a lot of locals definitely went up the CN Tower when they were kids, there are plenty of us who haven’t bothered at all.
I was around 25 the first time I went up, and that was because a friend planned a fancy dinner at 360 (the restaurant at the top). It’s a super cool landmark, but when you see it every day, you’re simply not as inclined to stand in line to visit it. I think it’s safe to say that most Torontonians eventually make the trip, but that’s usually only because they’re playing tour guide.
Hating on anyone who’s from the Beaches
The rivalry isn’t serious, per se, but Torontonians who aren’t from the Beaches do love poking fun at the people who are.
The stereotype is that they rarely leave the East End because (according to them) everything they could ever need is already there. They’ll happily remind you they live steps from the lake, know the best brunch spot, and can’t believe you drove across the city for dinner. Everyone rolls their eyes, but really, most of us are at least a little jealous.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.