Things to do / Travel Guide
Western NY
Western New York's demography is largely Caucasian and homogeneous, with large populations of Europeans originally from Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Poland. African-Americans have a presence in both Buffalo and Rochester, making up nearly forty percent of these cities' populations. While Buffalo was originally settled by Germans, New Englanders, and Irish, there are today small minorities from Somalia, parts of Asia, and the Middle East. Rochester is also home to the largest deaf population in the United States - has been ever since the Rochester School for the Deaf was founded in 1876.
In and around the Finger Lakes, Amish and Mennonite communities retain a notable presence with their dairy and agricultural farms.
Toronto
In 2004, Toronto was listed second in the United Nation's “List of World Cities with the Largest Percentage of Foreign-born Populations.” Moreover, a 2005 census projected that by 2012, ethnic minorities will have become the majority in Toronto.
While the original Toronto residents were primarily from Ireland, Italy, and Britain, Toronto's current demographics make it more diverse than even Los Angeles and New York. Immigrant groups in Toronto originate from all over the globe: Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
While English is Toronto's primary spoken language, Italian is the second-most-common, and other important languages include Chinese, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Tamil. Toronto locals are generally characterized as polite and friendly; they are proud of their city's cosmopolitan yet down-to-earth feel, and are generally welcoming to newcomers. And they are also very proud of their accents, eh!
Western New York
While the smaller towns and rural areas are not culturally diverse, the region's many colleges and universities, including Cornell University, Hobart and William Smith College, and Ithaca College, among others, draw professors and students from a wide variety of cultural and geographic origins.
The Amish and Mennonite families who own much of the land and dairy farms in between the Finger Lakes bestow upon the region an enchanting air of simplicity and provincialism. Residents of western New York and the Finger Lakes enjoy their region's wineries, and they take full advantage of the eleven Finger Lakes and their tributaries by swimming, paddling and boating in the summer, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter.
Toronto
Toronto is one of the world's most diverse cities. People literally from every corner of the globe have made the city their home. Walk around in Koreatown and Chinatown and you'll here Mandarin and Cantonese, Thai, Korean and Japanese. On Danforth Street don't be surprised if you hear Greek or Arabic and in Little Italy and Corso Italia you may very well feel like you are in, yes, Italy. Toronto also boasts a Little India, Portugal Village and a Little Jamaica.
Toronto residents patronize theaters, go to the city's many annual festivals and top-notch performances, enjoy the vast assortment of ethnic food eateries, fine dining and trendy, eclectic cafes, and walk up and down the Harbourfront enjoying Lake Ontario's serene waters. They also relish the friendly, polite culture that characterizes their city. To experience a bit of this unusually-refined urban culture just stand at the corner of a crowded street or bus stop and watch the polite pedestrians actually stand in line!
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