Lullabell

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum but I'm a serial expat . We are relocating to Toronto just after Christmas. Visas/job etc is sorted. I have 2 children one of junior school age. Could anyone recommend good areas for us to start our house search. We need a good commute to the financial district but in an area where I can walk my daughter to school as I don't drive. If possible some shops about as well so I can run errands in the day. Many Thanks, look forward to talking to you all

SchnookoLoly

Toronto and the GTA are pretty big and it depends a lot on what you want.

I'm in Oakville, which is about 30 minutes southwest of Toronto. There's a GO train that runs through the day that goes into Union, so that's convenient for my husband who works in the financial district. There are tons of schools around, some are walking and some are bussing, depending how far away from the school you live but there's tons to work with there, and bus stops are always walking distance anyway. At least in Oakville, there are lots of little plazas dotted around with subdivisions surrounding it - where we are right now, a 15 minute walk away is a huge grocery store, a convenience store, two banks, a few restaurants, an LCBO, and a few other bits and bobs. So that's convenient. The town is nice, but it is suburbia, so if you don't drive you might find it a bit tough to get around. The busses are as good as you would expect for suburbia.

There are other similar areas around - it just depends what you are wanting. House? Apartment? Flat? Big backyard? And so on.

So post a bit more detail and we can try to help from there!

Lullabell

Great. Thanks for the quick reply. I'm not actually worried whether it is a house or apartment but would be looking for at least 3 bed. I was looking at the highpark/bloor west village area would anyone recommend this?

Novocastrian

Yes. I would. I lived 2 minutes walk from High Park for a year, in BWV for 2 and just east of Roncesvalles for 2 more. All three were easily commutable from downtown, great for young kids activities and walking distance from shopping, eating places etc.

Of the three I'd probably choose Bloor West Village today.

Welcome aboard.

MarylandNed

I lived on Bloor St West directly opposite High Park for a few months in temporary accommodation before our move back to the UK. We had 2 small kids at that time. Great area. I love High Park - it's a great park.

I also lived just north of Yonge/Eglinton (Sherwood Ave) for a few years. That was before kids but we also had our first kid while there and lived there for a year afterwards. I like that area a lot too. There were a couple of decent parks within walking distance.

Oakville is another area that expats seem to like. Good transport into the city and worth a look.

dbd33

Some expats. Leaside and the Beach are other areas in Toronto worth looking at, they have reasonable public transportation. Budget is, of course, key.

Lullabell

Thanks everyone. I started looking at the beach last night as they seem to have more choice were rentals are concerned. I will also check out oakville and leaside when I get a moment. So much choice arghhhh!

dbd33

If that's not enough there are also suitable houses with lots of shops and parks off of the Danforth. The advantage of the Danforth over the Beach is that it has a subway, whereas the Beach has trams. otoh, the subway entails changing at Yonge/Bloor (as does the one from the High Park area) and that's something to be avoided if at all possible.

I would absolutely start in the city though rather than beginning with a commute from a suburb. What if you move to Oakville and find that you love the zoo and want to go there most weekends? Better to be reasonably central until you have the measure of the place.

SchnookoLoly

I agree with dbd, it sounds like you'd prefer to be more in the city than in the suburbs, so start your look at the areas mentioned here around Toronto before spending time in the 'burbs. As you don't drive, Toronto is probably a better choice for you anyway.

I have a friend who lives at the Danforth, she loves it up there. She just rents an apartment, but she's lived there for about 10 years and adores it.

My aunt lives just off College east of Yonge close to the old Maple Leaf Gardens (Cabbagetown), she is loving living there as she finds the area really vibrant, lots and lots in a close walk, a subway a few blocks away... she's very happy there.

plasticcanuck

I drive the Danforth regularly and it's such a great street with great shops and restaurants. There are wonderful houses on the many side streets. I have friends living there and they're very happy and wild horses couldn't drag them away.

Lullabell

Wow ok I didn't even consider Danforth . I'll also look into that once I have the girls in bed later. You're all right I would prefer to be more in the city as would my husband. Thanks for all the suggestions, looking forward to having a look around � ����

MarylandNed

I've never considered Maple Leaf Gardens as being part of Cabbagetown. Doesn't Cabbagetown start further east than that? Maybe at Sherbourne St? Although some might say even further east e.g. Parliament St.

SchnookoLoly

I might be wrong on that then, my aunt just said she lives in Cabbagetown (or maybe close to Cabbagetown?) and i know she's close to the Gardens from when I walked to her place, so I may have had the geography part wrong. In fact, almost certainly I have.

plasticcanuck

Cabbagetown, Toronto
Cabbagetown is a neighbourhood located on the east side of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It comprises "the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in all of North America", according to the Cabbagetown Preservation Association. Wikipedia
Province: Ontario

It includes Maple Leaf Gardens.

dbd33

It's two blocks, 1 3/4 if you count the Cabbagetown Pet Valu as being in Cabbagetown. A bit hair splitting.

Back at the Danforth, my daughter sold her cute little house there when wild horses dragged her to emigrate. To Tower Hamlets. The Danforth is a bit mixed and has previously been rubbished on this board for being smelly.