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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,819,647 times
Reputation: 14665
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChevySpoons
Part of the problem is, when you get there, what is there?
Nat, you in Vancouver can easily find an exciting, vibrant city just two hours at most, south of you: Seattle. Seattle is a great city; I've visited, and I hope to return some day. The market is fun (yes, the flying fish, but so much more), the monorail is fun even if you don't need to take it, and I recall many brewpubs with a lot of tasty beers. And it has a music store that stocks all kinds of folk music instruments and sheets, which I happily patronized.
Buffalo is no Seattle, but when I lived in Toronto, I never felt compelled to visit. There was nothing there to attract me--I'm not a Bills or Sabres fan, and it seemed senseless to go there for shopping to save a couple of bucks when you're spending twice that on the gas to get there. Still, it could get you on the New York Thruway, which would take you to New York City--a ten-hour trip from Buffalo. In other words, you went to Buffalo to get someplace else.
But where I am located, the US border is indeed just an hour south. And when I cross it, all I find is Sweetgrass, Montana. A sleepy little town that exists mainly because of the border. Like Coutts, Alberta, just across the border, the main industry is customs brokerage companies. There's no outlet shopping, no nightlife, no concert venues, no reason to visit. Just like Coutts.
An hour south of there is Shelby, Montana. A town this time, but with little to offer the Canadian visitor beyond a truck stop that offers a place to gas up.
An hour south of Shelby is Great Falls, Montana. That's a city, with rush hours (I got caught in one), and real restaurants with table service, and an international airport, and plenty of shopping options. It is a nice and friendly city, with much to enjoy, but it rarely gets the attractions that Seattle--or even Buffalo--does. Oh sure, I guess it has a Wal-Mart and a Target with lower prices than home, but it will never host the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith, the way Seattle can. And are those savings at Wal-Mart etc. worth the six hours of driving and the consequent cost of gas and duties when I return home?
The question remains, "When you get there, what is there?" In my case, there's very little.
This is an interesting perspective as I find myself on the opposite end of the spectrum with the closest major city being over the border in Canada. One of the reasons I chose Vermont as a place to settle into and live a good quality life was an easy laid back small town and rural lifestyle but without being too isolated. Burlington is nearby if I want a moderately busy place and it's an attractive and touristy college town, but most American posters on C-D would consider it tiny. It has enough to get by for occasional errands (Costco, Target, Trader Joes, Organic Food Co-ops, and the like). But if I want to kick it up a notch, I have a world class city at my disposal just a 75 minute drive away in Montreal. It's the go to city around here.
Being in a New England state, there is a fair amount of focus on Boston, and locals here in northern Vermont do make the four hour treck down there for concerts, Sox, Patriots, and Bruins games, college attendance, or relocating for job opportunities. I also go down to Mass pretty frequently to visit friends and family. But Montreal is much closer and quite frankly I find it a more fun city to hang out in than Boston. I've recently changed careers after working from home for some years and I needed a big upgrade to my wardrobe now that I'm back at the office. I went up to Montreal recently for shopping in the city and also a stop at the outlet malls in the suburbs. There is something about Montreal and their sense of style and fashion (and eye candy ). But anyway I'm more of a brick and mortar shopper than an online one and the selection was great, I got everything I needed in one feel swoop. It was fun to get back up there again as I had only crossed the border once last summer since the pandemic. But I intend to spend more time up there this summer with more frequent visits.
I will validate Nat's point on the exchange between Seattle and Vancouver as I spent five years living in Seattle back in the early 2000's and I had visited Vancouver at least a dozen times. It satisfied the itch of going somewhere different and I became well acquainted with the city. I'd agree with Chevy that Buffalo is not on the same level, I found myself passing through the city or at best stopping for lunch on road trips heading west on I-90. I'd expect more Buffalonians to get up to Toronto, I had a co-worker from Rochester that always had good things to say about the city. But somehow it doesn't surprise me if many of them are staying in the US despite being right the border, because well... it's Buffalo.
I found myself passing through the city or at best stopping for lunch on road trips heading west on I-90. I'd expect more Buffalonians to get up to Toronto, I had a co-worker from Rochester that always had good things to say about the city. But somehow it doesn't surprise me if many of them are staying in the US despite being right the border, because well... it's Buffalo.
Lot's of WNY'ers come to Toronto on the weekends to party. Especially those 19-21 because the legal drinking age is 19 in Ontario (I blv it is 18 in QC but that's a longer drive for them). Not just Toronto either - N.F's, St Catherine's and Hamilton as well as they are closer still for them.
Congrats on the new job btw!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
6.Bizzaro comment about Americans. I know a few Americans that have move here and work. No one resents them. Immigrants in Canada are not resented, wherever they are from. We still have some faith in the system.
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I think no or atleast the vast majority of Canadians would'nt resent an American living and working in Canada at all really - because big chances are they share more similar values to us as opposed to say Bob from rural Arkansas fronting MURICA, BIDEN Su7ks and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN all over his F-150 (less likely to move to Canada) than Joshua from Los Angeles who sorta just blends in with the CAD crew. I mean diversity is fine and all but we have to draw the line when someone thinks Marjorie Taylor Greene is inspirational.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,819,647 times
Reputation: 14665
Quote:
Originally Posted by fusion2
Lot's of WNY'ers come to Toronto on the weekends to party. Especially those 19-21 because the legal drinking age is 19 in Ontario (I blv it is 18 in QC but that's a longer drive for them). Not just Toronto either - N.F's, St Catherine's and Hamilton as well as they are closer still for them.
Congrats on the new job btw!
Thanks buddy! As is always the case, just depends on which social circles one encounters. No shortage of townies here in VT with no passports and no intentions of going to Montreal or Boston, or anywhere really. A trip into Burlington would send some of them over the edge, lol.
Thanks buddy! As is always the case, just depends on which social circles one encounters. No shortage of townies here in VT with no passports and no intentions of going to Montreal or Boston, or anywhere really, lol.
YW happy for you...
It's the same in reverse though. When I lived in DT Toronto there were people who WOULD NOT go to the burbs - too far. Their whole worlds revolved around 4 sq miles..
Either side of the border or within any border the townies as you call em exist. - my Sagittarian travel the world ways pities them, but at the same time I must respect to each his own I guess
It's the same in reverse though. When I lived in DT Toronto there were people who WOULD NOT go to the burbs - too far. Their whole worlds revolved around 4 sq miles..
Either side of the border or within any border the townies as you call em exist. - my Sagittarian travel the world ways pities them, but at the same time I must respect to each his own I guess
Oh yeah. We have those in NYC, too. I worked in the city with people who were completely confused to learn that we Jersey commuters might live an hour or two apart from one another. They looked across the river, saw the buildings on the west side of the Hudson and figured what they saw was NJ. Some of those people never left Manhattan.
Fair enough. I guess i was thinking where you could go to a local 'big store' and buy. You can get the 20 percent vinegar at Lowes in the U.S for example. Not happening at Lowe's here. Or atleast in Ontario. So for me, just easier to cross the border on one of my trips and get it as opposed to ordering online here. thanks for the link!
Oh yeah. We have those in NYC, too. I worked in the city with people who were completely confused to learn that we Jersey commuters might live an hour or two apart from one another. They looked across the river, saw the buildings on the west side of the Hudson and figured what they saw was NJ. Some of those people never left Manhattan.
i'm so used to being able to get in my car and just go - road trip what have you I love the feeling of getting out of a cramped city. Well I don't even live in a cramped city anymore
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
You could drive to Newmarket
So do you have a garden?
My house is on a huge lot so I have a few little gardens and lots of places where weeds grow. My dad tends to the seed, plants and maintenance though. He's retired so he has time
1. Assuming you have given up an address in the US for Canada, then you will have to change carriers. Many US tourists and visitors who retain an address in the US can keep their US carrier, Many plans on both sides of the border offer US/Canada plans.
2. Totally false. Millions of US tourists in vehicles drive into Canada every year. No one is checking , and has no way of checking, whether you car is paid off. My BC car insurance is valid in the US as well, and I'm sure it's the same the other way around. They may ask if you are the owner of the car, but that just means, is it your name on the registration, not if it's paid for. However this question has nothing to do with you car insurance company.
3. You will have to start a new credit rating. This is the norm for anyone moving to a new country. No job no renting makes sense. Proof of income is normal everywhere.
4. SOME items are higher priced, but just looking at the price of things, doesn't really show the COL in both countries. Some things included in Canadian taxes, are paid out of pocket in the US.
5. Take it up with US merchants.
6.Bizzaro comment about Americans. I know a few Americans that have move here and work. No one resents them. Immigrants in Canada are not resented, wherever they are from. We still have some faith in the system.
7. As MQ said. ???
8. Nearly the entire world uses the metric system. Americans have to use it every time they leave the country.
That said, Canada is one of the few countries that use Metric, that still has many items in the old Imperial measurements. Just understand that some of the old Imperial Measurements are not the same as US measurements. Example, a liquid pint, and gallons are different.
Back in the 1970s the government tried to force the metric system on people in USA. That lasted about half a year but the resistance was so strong the idea was abandoned. Most Americans are quite comfortable with our system and see no reason to change it. We seldom have the need to utilize metric, but when it happens it is viewed as somewhat of an adventure.
Any American who works in Medicine, Science or Technology has to work in metric. No nurse in the USA measures drugs in ounces, it is metric all the way. No Engineer in the USA designs a project using feet and yards, it is metric . American manufacturers who export their products outside of the USA use metric fasteners and measurements in their products. Food producers in the USA include the metric measurements on their labels. Face it the USA is working in metric, you just don't notice it.
Examples. The Ford Mustang with a 5 LITER V 8 engine in it. The 2 liter bottle of Coke. The DEA seizing 100 KILOS of drugs. The Glock pistol is a 9 Millimeter caliber. Your antibiotic pills are 250 milligrams each. I am 179 centimeters tall and I weigh 94 kilos. That is what I says on my Ontario Provincial Driver's License.
Any American who works in Medicine, Science or Technology has to work in metric. No nurse in the USA measures drugs in ounces, it is metric all the way. No Engineer in the USA designs a project using feet and yards, it is metric . American manufacturers who export their products outside of the USA use metric fasteners and measurements in their products. Food producers in the USA include the metric measurements on their labels. Face it the USA is working in metric, you just don't notice it.
Examples. The Ford Mustang with a 5 LITER V 8 engine in it. The 2 liter bottle of Coke. The DEA seizing 100 KILOS of drugs. The Glock pistol is a 9 Millimeter caliber. Your antibiotic pills are 250 milligrams each. I am 179 centimeters tall and I weigh 94 kilos. That is what I says on my Ontario Provincial Driver's License.
Good points.
The coke bottle is a good example. Most probably forget that it's metric since they are used to it.
However, the average American when travelling outside the US, has to put more effort into using metric than someone from elsewhere.
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). But anyway I'm more of a brick and mortar shopper than an online one and the selection was great, I got everything I needed in one feel swoop. It was fun to get back up there again as I had only crossed the border once last summer since the pandemic. But I intend to spend more time up there this summer with more frequent visits. 
