nen9889

HI Everyone,

My family & I will be relocating to Toronto (mid April). Can anyone tell me which areas are within a 45min to 1 hr commute in to Toronto (Yonge Street)?
I am desperately trying to scout out potential areas to live so that I can start the ground work for schools etc but as with any moves to a large city it is difficult to see where is a realistic commute.

Any other advice on a move to Toronto would also be very welcome. We have lived in many other countries in the Middle East & Far East but this is going to be a long term move & whilst I know we won't decide anything until we physically arrive from previous experiences I am trying to narrow things down before we get to Toronto.

Many thanks in advance.

PS If anyone can recommend any good housing (rental) websites I would gratefully receive them

Novocastrian

Yonge Street is famous for being the longest street in the world. Can you be more specific? Yonge and which cross street?

nen9889

Yonge Street/Finch East

Many Thanks

lmartin999

Why not Yonge and Finch? Not a bad area. Still on subway for the city. No commute. I looked at this house (or one very like it) once. Closer to Bathurst. Quiet and residential if that's your thing.

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetail...Key=-580345552

Novocastrian

I agree with lmartin, why commute from anywhere? That's not downtown and its affordable. Lots of Koreans in the neighbourhood but hey, this is Toronto. I see you're looking to rent? There's lots in that area.

www.viewit.ca

conjonway

I'm not far away from that area, there is a lot to rent in that area right now.

I know they're having issues with class sizes in the yonge/sheppard area (major intersection south of finch) so wouldn't be surprised if finch is having the same problems.

nen9889

Thanks everyone, it is very reassuring to hear. I hadn't anticipated being able to live so centrally but if it is possible for my husbands commute be very small then fantastic - a real bonus!

Schools - I think class sizes are big issue in many cities around the world now. Hopefully now I can start to contact some in the mean time.

Many thanks & any help is more than appreciated.

Novocastrian

Class sizes in Ontario are not too bad at all and mandated by the Province, so pretty much the same everywhere. Having said that there are pressures mounting to relax current guidelines due to, erm, fiscal problems.

What ages are your kids? Edited to add: At the moment the guidelines are 22 per class in public school and 28 in secondary school.

nen9889

I have one boy aged 8 (grade 2). We still haven't decided on a type of school yet? Can anyone clarify if access to schools are limited to catchment areas? Also, as an expat would we have to pay for our son to attend a public school?

Thanks once again.

nen9889

I want to make sure that we choose the right school for son (as does any parent) but our 8 year old has already attended schools in Macau, Singapore & the UAE so as this is a permenant move we need to get this right - he has moved around due to us & we want to give something back to him now.

Novocastrian

Access to schools is determined by your address unless you choose (a rather rare and rather pricey) private school. The public system is just fine and has 4 different flavours, English and French in both non-denominational and Catholic varieties.

By far the biggest of course is the regular English language system.

I assume you'll be coming with some sort of permission to work, (TWP or PR or whatever). If so the public schools are free (all of them).

HTH