30 things I miss about life in Toronto, despite their (sometimes many) faults

This listicle is simple: things I miss about my hometown. It’s full of good things, stupid things, and things with complicated feelings. I often think about them while walking around Yellowknife.

Note: It is not in order of importance.

• The TTC, even waiting for the streetcar at 1 in the morning
• The LCBO
• Hipster bars like the Press Club (which is about to close anyway)
• My Parkdale apartment
• Trinity-Bellwoods Park in the summer
• Biking around the Island
• The abundance of Goodlife gyms
• The TIFF Bell Lightbox
• Kensington Market
• J-town
• Going to the CNE
• Big-name Broadway shows at a Mirvish theatres after buying a ticket on sale
• The variety of ramen shops
• Inexpensive high-quality Vietnamese, Cantonese and regional Chinese restaurants, especially in the suburbs
• All the media outlets
• The people I know who work at those media outlets
• All the events in the city about the media
• St. Lawrence Market
• Porter’s flights from the Island Airport
• The Rock Oasis (even in its new location)
• Grand Electric
• The Momofuku complex, especially its sculpture outside
• The restaurant scene in general
• The Toronto Reference Library
• Architecture gems like the AGO and the TD Towers
• The number of concert venues, big and small, for indies and superstars
• The overwhelming number of festivals every weekend in the summer
• Word on the Street
• The house I grew up in back in Scarborough
• My family