TOareaFan
Superstar
Interesting. Maybe she lives in the suburbs? Then it might be true... But I agree with that 30 yr old observation, even 10 yr ago Toronto was more sleepy/quiet place than it is now. I remember visiting my wife back in 2000-01. She was articling at the time and she lived close to Bay and Edwards. We would go out to lower parts of Yonge, also to Bay and Dundas area, even to Queen W. These parts of downtown were becoming very empty after 10pm... and that was on Fri-Sat nights! I had to return to Kingston late on Sat/Sunday and, even around 1-2am, Princess was still bustling with toursists and Queen's students! Well, that was 10 yr ago... My wife did not like the downtown back then, but now she compares Toronto to San Francisco.
I often think that Toronto's image gets a bit hit by the location of some of our larger hotels. Case in point.....if you stay at the Intercontinental at Simcoe and Front and walk out your door on a non-game night....there is not a ton of life. If you walk out the the door of the same chain in Chicago you are right on Michigan Ave. Think of the front door of a lot of our large hotels and what a tourist/business traveller who wants to explore the 'hood (but not necessarily the city) might find....the Hilton (busy area during the day but once the towers empty...)....the Sheraton? Royal York?
Some of the perception of night life in Toronto is just an old stereotype hangover from the past....but some of it really is affected by those front doors.