Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

I am contemplating emigrating to Toronto with my family and I have just started to do my research and evaluation of the key reasons for moving. I am an IT professional (Software Business Consultant) and I would really appreciate it if I could get some input from people that have taken this step from the UK to Canada.

I do plan to go to Toronto in July anyway to meet agencies, look at the housing situation and get a feel for the day to day standard of living. The obvious question may be why Toronto? Well I have a lot of extended family there (not UK ex-pats) who are mostly professionals so I already have a social circle there.

I would like to know about the gotchas / negatives and things that you don't realise from reading books on the subject or experts you speak with.

Thanks.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

I honestly can't think of any. Bad rush hour traffic maybe? The standard of living varies greatly from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, which makes things interesting.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Provided you're not seeking British/European culture/architecture then Toronto is a great city in which to live. It is reputed to have more multiculturalism than any other place on the planet. It is Canada's major financial centre and consequently has a large proportion of the country's IT jobs. There is plenty of available rental housing. It's about a two hour drive to the US border. Warm/hot summers and, by Canadian standards, reasonably mild winters. The city has a good public transit system so, depending on where you choose to live, a car is not necessary.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Weather: Hot and humid in summer, bitterly cold in winter.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

I would say adequate and antiquated.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Toronto, for the most part, is NOT bitterly cold in winter.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Hey, looking to move to toronto this year. Don't have any link to Canada myself other than my Fathers visit in the 50's any my visit on honeymoon in the 90's. I currently work for Bank of America in the UK and know they have a base in Toronto, don't know it's size etc. I am an ASP.NET developer but I'm more interested in the areas of Toronto. i've 3 kids and want oto know where is a good place to live basically, good outdoors but with access to the city. Thanks for this by the way (in advance).

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

If you mean "outdoors" as in wide open spaces, Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Unionville, Markham would be my choice for raising kids. It's definitely more suburan but a little more "country" up there.
The plus side to these locations is there is a lot of high tech computer and technology firms peppered throughout the region, plus access to the downtown business core via GO transit.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

That's not so much a consideration of areas of Toronto as one's view of raising children. The suburbs mentioned, with the exception of Markham, are very much "soccer Mom" territory. One's children will require ferrying everywhere and be able to do nothing without a parent, until that parent buys the child a car. Markham differs only in being a Chinese suburb.

If one wishes to give the child some freedom, or to gain some freedom from the child, then a location with transit works better. That brings us to the usual suspects, Leaside, Beach, High Park.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

The priorities when selecting the "right" neighbourhood would be the (1) the quality of schools (2) local standard and cost of living (3) proximity to downtown areas (general location compared to the main popular areas (4) good local facilities (not too rural). Some of this is subjective but helpful. Any suggestions for areas that tick these boxes?

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

How would you define quality of schools?

Two of the schools I rate very highly in Toronto are Lawrence Heights Middle School and Stanley Public School. They are both outstanding for all kinds of reasons. You will also find property prices quite reasonable in the local areas. Westview Centennial is also quite exceptional in what it achieves though I don't know it as well. Charles Fraser near Bathurst and Queen is great. I have many more...

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Oh god, oh god. oh god.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Of course you could be totally wrong. Maybe that's what he wants. I'm just going by the sentence To me that reads as "I don't want to live in the city."

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

It's a shame then that the thread header does not more accurately reflect the question being asked:

"Any insight to live nowhere special in southern Ontario? I'm looking to be somewhere like Slough"

might have worked better.

Re: Any insight into live in Toronto?
 

Have you already got PR or a job offer? If the latter, whereabouts is it as that will influence the answers you are given. If not, you'll need a job offer to get a visa from what you've said, and it may well be in Saskatoon so no point focusing on Toronto just yet!

Personally I'm not a fan of Toronto, far too industrial and built up for me, but that's just my opinion. Anybody considering it would be wise to check it out as it seems to be somewhere people either love or are very disappointed with.