I moved from Canada, Canada to Brooklyn in New York. Anna Haines
After spending a year in New York City I returned to Toronto, Canada after my visa expired in 2018.
The US has a greater selection of streaming services as well as grocery-store snacks.
I miss the iconic stores that we don't have here in Canada, such as Target and Trader Joe's.
Despite the many similarities between Canada, the US and Canada, Canadians have always prided themselves on being superior to their southern neighbors.
Although I may be a rare exception, I fell in love with American culture in Brooklyn, New York while I lived there until my visa expired in 2018.
Here are some things I miss most about New York City since being sent home from Toronto:
All of the TV streaming services are missing from me
Canada has many streaming services, including Crave, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime. However, my Canadian friends say that watching TV is something they look forward to when visiting the US.
Canadian Netflix has fewer options. CraveTV, a streaming site available in Canada, can sometimes be slow. But I love Hulu. This streaming service is affordable and offers a wide selection.
The selection of grocery stores in the United States is impressive
In the US, snack brands offer more variety. OLOZANO/Shuttershock
The selection of plant-based products in US grocery stores is more affordable. I do miss single-serve yogurts.
Canada does have some non-dairy yogurt options, but most yogurt is sold in large tubs or multipacks. NYC caters to individuals with single-serve cups and a variety of dessert-like flavors.
Canada may offer novelty products like Coffee Crisp or ketchup chips but the US has more varieties of chips, candy and cereal. The brands we share often have more flavor options or different recipes than the ones we don't.
Canadian friends and I often travel to the USA with them. We go to the candy and cereal aisles and marvel at the Oreo flavors, and then stock up on sweeter Hershey's Kisses.
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The US has a lower cost for cell phone service
Canada is smaller than the US, and has more ground to cover with cell towers. We are the second-largest nation in the world after all. However, our network is still not developed enough to lower the cost of cell-phone plans.
Canadians typically pay $3.33 per gigabyte for mobile data.
There are also more cell-phone providers in the US. Canadian cell phone companies don't have the incentive to lower their rates without that competition. We are too polite to ask for change so we grudgingly pay an average $100 per month for our plans.
NYC feels like NYC is open to all.
It made the streets lively. Anna Haines
New Yorkers have access to almost any type of food at any time. I miss the 24-hour Bodegas and not having to worry about a shop closing.
I live in Canada's largest city, and the majority of local grocery stores close at 9 p.m.
I can live with the inconvenience but I miss the energy 24-hour shops bring to the streets - my neighborhood is a ghosttown by 10 p.m.
Canadians are polite but Americans are more friendly
I have found Americans eager to talk, from New York to California to Georgia to Texas.
Although we are known for being kind, Canadians can still be friendly and will talk to anyone if they need help. However, we tend to be reserved. In Toronto, I find that people prefer to be themselves.
I was a solo journalist and enjoyed having conversations with Americans at the grocery store, in the subway or on the streets.
American service is friendlier, too
Most Americans who work in hospitality and retail are very polite. I have heard Canadian friends say that they get caught off guard by the overly friendly staff.
After spending time at both ends of the border, it became clear to me that Canadians are used to subpar customer service and employees who are often cranky or determined to do little.
An earlier Thanksgiving delay the Christmas commercialism
Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October. pryzmat/Shuttershock
Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October. However, we can be a bit too excited about the holiday season. Even before Halloween decorations are down, aisles are filled with tinsel, advent calendars, and other festive items.
Although I am aware that winter arrives sooner than we expect and we need to have something to look forward too, eight weeks of Christmas panic feels excessive.
The US is also awash in holiday commercialism, particularly in NYC. However, Thanksgiving ends that stretch and a month seems like a more reasonable time to sustain the festive spirit.
New Yorkers are skilled at keeping pedestrian traffic on sidewalks moving.
Perhaps it's the slower pace of life or the smaller number of people, but it sometimes feels like Canadians don’t know how to share the sidewalk.
Canadians are known to apologize for passing someone, or pause to allow the person in front of them to pass.
NYC is the US's most populous city, but there is an amazing order to pedestrian traffic. It is amazing to see how people take control of their space on the sidewalk.
Target is a great chain to keep around
Target is the best department store for affordable home and athleisure.
It was great to be able to go to a store and get toilet paper, a chic lamp, soft PJs and Ghirardelli chocolate all at a reasonable price.
Canada had a Target briefly a few years back, but it was short-lived due to high prices & poor selection.
More than anything, I miss Trader Joe's
Canada doesn't have Trader Joe's. Shoshy Ciment/Business Insider
The quirky shopping experience is enjoyable from the friendly staff to their try-anything policy. It didn't bother me that New York City had long lines. This ensured that I wouldn't miss a shelf.
I miss Trader Joe's so badly that I paid a few hundred more for an extended layover flight, and Airbnb in Fort Lauderdale, Florida a couple years back just to shop there.
There are grocery stores in our area that sell private-label products, but they're not as innovative or as affordable as Trader Joe's.
I know of several Canadians who drove down to get a bagful of the chain's unique products before the border was closed.
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