San Fran or Toronto shops

[Amelia_Barry76]

I'm traveling to San Fran & Toronto in December this year with my mum & I was wondering about any shops that I might (if I get the chance) to visit while I'm there

[AllieSF]

For San Francisco you have all the mainstream larger and smaller stores, plus all the boutiques. I shop there wherever I want in male and female mode with no problems at all. If you are looking for a specific TG/CD type store, I can only think of Carla's about an hour south in San Jose. They have a very limited stock of miscellaneous things to sell. You are much better just going into whatever store looks interesting and buying what you want. If you are afraid to use the dressing rooms, then just make sure that you can return it if it doesn't fit your "girl friend". Happy shopping.

[Beverley Sims]

San Francisco is more accepting of you using dressing rooms.
Toronto from my point of view seemed more conservative.
Clothing in both areas is very different as Toronto is catering for a colder climate.
Toronto is full of Canadians unlike San Francisco where there are mostly Americans and a sprinkling of tourists.

[darla_g]

Whatever you do in Toronto do NOT go to Wildside. I wouldn't send my worst enemy there. I went there on a trip to Toronto and was never so turned off by a store in my life. First the prices are on the ridiculous side. Some person comes in the door who supposedly was going to spend lots of big money (or so the owner starts screaming). Meanwhile I was in the middle of considering a purchase but was shooed out of the store on the spot. Never again!

BTW Toronto is an absolutely lovely city!

[Leslie Langford]

...Toronto is full of Canadians unlike San Francisco where there are mostly Americans and a sprinkling of tourists....

Huh??? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Trouble is, for the most part (except for some regional idiosyncracies such as our love for hockey, beer, and Tim Hortons donuts and coffee as well as the French ancestal part of our population) we pretty much look and talk like Americans, and it is awfully hard to tell us apart.

Maybe we should wear some kind of badges or other identifying markers to distinguish ourselves from our southern neighbours (yes, that's "neighbours", not "neighbors" as we spell it up here ;)). Even worse, we've started to send a Fifth Column down to Hollywood to infiltrate the entertainment industry with the intent of eventually taking it over. You know, people like the following:

Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Michael Buble', Drake, Carly Rae Jepson, Neil Young, k.d.lang, The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Rush, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morrisette, Leonard Cohen, Paul Anka, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Ryan Gosling, Will Arnett, Michael J.Fox, Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Howie Mandel, William Shatner, Alex Trebek, Alan Thicke, Lorne Michaels, John Candy, Lorne Greene, Wayne and Shuster, Norm Macdonald, Margot Kidder, Kim Cattrall, Eugene Levy, Steve Nash, Jim Carrey, Tommy Chong, Tom Green, Phil Hartman, Monte Hall, Jenny Jones, Rich Little, Mike Myers, Russell Peters, Leslie Neilsen, Ryan Reynolds, Seth Rogen, David Steinberg, Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell, Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLauchlan, Diana Krall, Pamela Anderson, Raymond Burr, Neve Campbell, Eric McCormack, Sandra Oh, Christopher Plummer, Jason Priestley, Donald Sutherland, Keifer Sutherland, Steppenwolf, Barenaked Ladies, Arcade Fire, Crash Test Dummies, Loverboy, Nickelback...the list goes on and on.

Or as they put it in the song from the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.."Blame Canada". ;)

[mikiSJ]

Amelia

I live in San Jose and we could meet up and head over to Carla's if you like. Aejaie is the owner and is really trying to build one of the first CD/TG/TS shops in the Bay Area into a really nice place to shop.

BTW, being a San Francisco native, it is either "The City" or San Francisco; never, ever San Fran or Frisco. :)

[Beverley Sims]

Huh??? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Trouble is, for the most part (except for some regional idiosyncracies such as our love for hockey, beer, and Tim Hortons donuts and coffee as well as the French ancestal part of our population) we pretty much look and talk like Americans, and it is awfully hard to tell us apart.

Maybe we should wear some kind of badges or other identifying markers to distinguish ourselves from our southern neighbours (yes, that's "neighbours", not "neighbors" as we spell it up here ;)). Even worse, we've started to send a Fifth Column down to Hollywood to infiltrate the entertainment industry with the intent of eventually taking it over. You know, people like the following:
."Blame Canada". ;)

The following is a dual language reply.
Kanadian and Merrykan.

Leslie,
My goodness,
Did that rattle your chains.....
The quote was a mis quote.
I was trying to illustrate the eclectic population of SFX.
Don't mention the French.

I do not care for "Doughnuts" dipped in koffee (you miss-pelt that one).
There is a whole thread elsewhere covering that subject, you mean you haven't visited it yet?
It is in the lounge, watch out...... started by Tamara Croft about dipping biscuits/cookies in tea/coffee.
It is easy to tell the difference between nationalities, you lot have a diffrunt aksent.
I successfully picked up a Canadian girl once because she thought it a compliment that someone recognised /recognized that she was not from the good ol' U.S.of A.

I have been trying to get someone to replace the "Grate Senator McCarthy"
When I do he will sort you out like the senator sorted that other lot out years ago.

Justin Beeber? I would not have started the list there, it makes the rest pale in comparison.
Crash Test Dummies, they have had full employment in Detroit for years.
Leslie Nielson, he is under an aircrash investigation and had his pilots licence or is it license, revoked

Ah! another item before I go,
a new national anthem for you.

"Blame Canada"

To the OP Amelia,
Do you really want to come over here?
Stay in Hawaii, buy souvenirs at the ABC shops, they have nice fashions there, cost you half the price, stay twice as long and then go home.

Arrr! The cable cars in SFX are cool and you can ride them dressed, no one will notice because the passengers are all hanging on for grim death as the car goes up and down the hills.
Just to comfort you the brakes haven't failed on them Yet!

[Amelia_Barry76]

that might of been nice if I was traveling by myself, but my mum is also coming on this trip as well.

thanks for the offer though


Amelia

I live in San Jose and we could meet up and head over to Carla's if you like. Aejaie is the owner and is really trying to build one of the first CD/TG/TS shops in the Bay Area into a really nice place to shop.

BTW, being a San Francisco native, it is either "The City" or San Francisco; never, ever San Fran or Frisco. :)

[Amelia_Barry76]

I was never ending to Hawaii, Beverley. going to Toronto as I have family living there

[I Am Paula]

Leslie- Speaking as a Canadian...you don't make much of a case for our talent til you hit Neil Young.
Justin B. Shows us the gullibility of the lowest common denominator.
Celine D. Needs a teleprompter to say hello. Has never had an original thought.
Shania. An immense talent that sold out.
Michael B. The poor man's Harry Connick Jr.
Drake. Will be flipping burgers by may.
Carly Rae Jepsom. Somebody had to fill the void left when Hannah Montana entered puberty.

Neil Y. Greatest songwriter of the last 100 years (sorry Mr. Lightfoot, you made a close 2nd.)

Yes, Canada has lots of real serious talent that we can be very proud of. I have a respect for ANYBODY that can make it in the entertaiment biz. Thanks for the list-Celeste

[Beverley Sims]

Leslie- Speaking as a Canadian...you don't make much of a case for our talent til you hit Neil Young.
Justin B. Shows us the gullibility of the lowest common denominator.
Yes, Canada has lots of real serious talent that we can be very proud of. I have a respect for ANYBODY that can make it in the entertaiment biz. Thanks for the list-Celeste

Celeste,
I am glad it was a fellow country woman that has replied to Leslie, she may never post again.
Or else with a vengeance.

I suppose it is her own fault for leading off with Justin Beaver. Yeah? Thinks.... that's right.

Amelia, go to Toronto at your peril.
Pay for the relatives to visit you in San Francisco.