Toronto is a great place to live, but when returning to the Canadian city from my home in Dubai, it's hard to ignore some of the things it's seriously lacking.
I grew up in Dubai and my family still lives there, so I get to visit fairly often even though I'm based in Toronto for much of the year. Dubai is a lavish city that people mostly think of as a tourist destination, but it's home for me.
When in Dubai, a typical day for me consists of waking up and grabbing a coffee before heading to the public beach, where I grab a slider for lunch and stay till sunset.
My day in Toronto looks a lot different, so I'm left thinking about all of the things, big and small, that the 6ix is missing, in my opinion. These are eight things Toronto could improve to make life in the city better and more convenient.
Bidets in every washroom
If you aren't sure what a bidet is yet, keep reading because it's one of the best creations ever and I'm honestly shocked when people don't use one.
In Dubai, there's a bidet in every washroom, both private and public.
The bidets I prefer are placed in the toilet and are used to clean your tushy whenever you use the washroom. Not only do you save the planet by using less toilet paper, but it also makes you feel super clean.
In Canada, having bidets in a home isn't the norm, let alone finding them in public. But in the Middle East, you would almost never find a toilet without a bidet, no matter where you go.
Topgolf
Topgolf Dubai.
Golf is actually popular in Toronto but people have no idea how much more fun it can be unless they've discovered the world of Topgolf.
Okay, I'm not too sure how to explain this amazing venue that needs to come to Toronto immediately, but their website describes it pretty well: "We're a sports entertainment complex that features an inclusive, high-tech golf game that everyone can enjoy, paired with an outstanding food and beverage menu, climate-controlled hitting bays and music. Every Topgolf has an energetic hum that you can feel right when you walk through the door."
In other words, any amateur like myself would have a blast at Topgolf because you end up having food and drinks with your friends and learning how to golf at the same time.
When I'm home, I go there at least once a week!
More late-night coffee shops
Toronto has a great cafe scene. There are so many different spots spread out around the city, each catering to their neighbourhoods. But why in the world do most of them close so early?
I understand that, as an Arab, coffee shops are basically a part of our culture. We socialize in coffee shops and drink a cup no matter what hour it is. But in the West, coffee is associated with the early hours of the day. Meanwhile, cocktails are the beverages to drink after the sun sets.
To be honest, that sucks.
I don't necessarily want to spend money on food or cocktails when meeting a friend after work. I want a cup of coffee or tea and to feel like I still have the whole day ahead of me.
NEO Coffee Bar on Spadina has extended hours and I love it. All of my Middle Eastern friends and I were ecstatic when we found out they closed late, and guess what? That's where you can often find me after work.
Waterfront restaurants
I understand that Dubai has a beach that's much prettier than the one in Toronto, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't go to a Toronto beach if I had something to do there.
Toronto's waterfront is actually beautiful, and a lot of people move from the downtown core to areas where they are closer to the sound of the waves hitting the shore. For the life of me, though, I do not understand why there aren't more places to eat by the beach.
Amsterdam Brewhouse might just be one of the busiest restaurants by the waterfront during the summer months, and that's because they don't really have competition. Why not?
I think Toronto sometimes has a hard time using spaces in an optimal way, so let's start making the waterfront a destination to check out no matter the season.
Highways that can handle congestion
Dubai highway.
Can someone explain to me why the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway are so narrow in comparison to the volume of cars that actually use them every day? I also think we need more lanes that merge onto the Gardiner from downtown, because the traffic bottlenecks at the on-ramps cause even more congestion.
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai's main thoroughfare, has 14 lanes, while the Gardiner has only six for most of it.
Dubai is notorious for having traffic, but at least it moves — compared to Toronto, where you experience gridlock quite often.
Smooth roads
Dubai neighbourhood road.
Dubai is known for having tons of luxury cars in the streets, and besides the fact that it might be cheaper to buy them there compared to Canada, I also think the roads are a contributing factor. What do I mean exactly?
Toronto's potholes actually ruin cars, so why would anyone spend money on something that wouldn't last very long? According to the City of Toronto, over 47,000 potholes have already been repaired so far in 2024. And there are still so many more.
I feel like I constantly get carsick when driving in Toronto because there are so many bumps on the road. While I know that with the salt and harsh cold, it can be harder to maintain smooth roads, they're some of the worst I've ever seen.
Skyscrapers
Wakeboarding in front of the Dubai skyline.
While Toronto may be the best "metropolitan" city in Canada, it really isn't such a metropolis in comparison to other major cities around the world, like New York City and Dubai.
In Toronto, most tall buildings are stuffed into the downtown core — mainly around the Financial District — but, oddly, they don't feel that tall and, comparatively, there aren't that many of them.
Growing up in Dubai, I was surrounded by actual skyscrapers. Not to say Toronto ones aren't massive, but they just feel underwhelming in comparison.
Maybe this is because, despite having very similar urban population sizes, Dubai has a whopping 263 skyscrapers — fourth in the world — while Toronto has only 90, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
In Dubai, the high-rise towers are also spread out around the city, so unless you drive into the more residential areas, it'll always feel like you're in a big city, similar to what you might feel when you're in Manhattan or Hong Kong.
Things to do outdoors
A beach club in Dubai
Toronto is cold for a big part of the year, but when summer finally rolls around, I don't want to be in any enclosed spaces, especially at night.
Like Toronto, Dubai also has extreme weather, but the country experiences the opposite temperature — heat.
You might think the heat isn't as bad as the cold, but it's arguably worse as temperatures can reach nearly 50 degrees during the summer. This means many outdoor activities are officially shut down for around the same amount of time as patios are closed in Toronto for winter.
So why doesn't Toronto have many outdoor clubs, bars and swimming pools?
All I want is more options to make the most of the best months of the year. Is that too much to ask for?
With all this in mind, I've lived 10 years of my life in Toronto and I also call it home. It's a city filled with so many memories and great people who have given me the best years of my life.
I met my husband and best friends and accomplished so many things in Toronto, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
