Zimscot

Hi guys, I will most probably be working in Markham, but I quite like Burlington and looking to move my family there in September. If any of you have done this commute, I'd be most grateful if you could share your experiences. I am guessing it's not going to be easy in winter (right now, google map states 45 min driving time). I've got some experience in bad commuting though - daily drive from Milton Keynes to Hammersmith - gets easier with time
We will be renting for half a year or a year, so I am not committing to a place yet anyway, but if the journey is absolutely awful, I suppose even half a year can be a long time. It looks like the route has two tolls, what effect does it have?
Many thanks!

dbd33

45 minutes! An hour and 45 each way would be more like it. Worse in Summer than Winter due to construction.

HGerchikov

It looks like he is planning on taking the 407, based on comment about tolls, which, depending on proximity of home and work to the exits would make journey a lot less painful. To the OP, there is no need to stop at the tolls. Either you buy a gadget for your car and that is recognized as you enter and exit the highway or they photograph your license plate and send you a bill. The gadget is the cheaper way to go.

magnumpi

Using the ETR will cost approx $30 each way per day. On a normal 5 day week that's $300 per week, approx, plus fuel and it's still over an hour.

Using the normal highway, 401 ect it's as stated above, at least 1 hour 30 mins on a good day.

Just to put things into perspective, if I commute to a job in Etobicoke from Ajax, anytime after 6:30am, but before 9am I can be sat for at least 2 hours, and that's half the distance, east to west.

FlyingDutchman6666

If not working from home, this is sheer insanity. You'll last a few months, tops.

Zimscot

Oh dear, this does not sound promising! Thank you so much for your feedback guys! What about Richmond Hill/Vaughan then?

I know those areas are supposed to be much more expensive than Burlington, but I keep on finding properties there which are equal in size/seemingly quality to those in Burlington/Oakville and google street view looks decent as well. Is there a catch I wonder.

For instance, 3 bedroom houses rented out for $1600-1700. Isn't it cheap? Does it mean area will be dodgy?
We have a 10 year old daughter and need a good elementary school nearby. Rent up to $1800, hopefully. 2+ bedrooms.
Would anyone know a good realtor in Richmond Hill that I could talk to?

Many thanks!

magnumpi

There is not that many areas in Richmond Hill, if any? That are dodgy per say.

Look east too, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Brooklin and maybe Oshawa. For Markham a commute from these areas would be via Steeles Ave or Hwy 7.

Former Lancastrian

Novocastrian might be interested in selling his house to you as he is naffing off to France shortly. He lives in Richman Hill.

sharkus

Drops to around $27 if you get a transponder as you won't pay the 3.95 video toll charge, and if you're using the 407 daily it would make sense to get one.

Looks like it's roughly 88km each way too.

Personally I think it's a bit far, especially considering the cost of the trip and wear an tear on the car. Now, if the company were paying for the car, fuel, and 407 expenses I might consider it, or you get a large enough salary that would offset the cost, but otherwise, I'd be looking at living a fair bit closer.

dbd33

Yes, taking the 407 would make it quicker but there's madness here. Burlington is a bland suburb of Toronto, Markham is a similarly bland suburb. The only way in which someone dropped from Mars could tell the difference is that Markham is ethnically Chinese while Burlington is not. I would have thought that, if you had to work in Markham, and wanted to live in somewhere like Milton Keynes, you'd either live near work and learn Mandarin or move north to the nearest English speaking identitown. Living in Burlington would seem to me to be pointless (doubly so if you work in Markham).

HGerchikov

I am inclined to agree, although I do quite like Burlington (southern bit). I wasn't suggesting it was a great idea to do that commute daily, merely pointing out that the 407 would be a lot less painful than the other routes. I used to have to travel between Oakville and Burlington on a Thursday evening for a 6pm arrival in Burlington. That trip along the QEW could take in excess of an hour on a bad day, on a good day it's 15 mins.

Novocastrian

As perhaps has already been hinted at, I live in Richmond Hill.

Frankly, if you're going to be working in Markham why would you even consider a place like Burlington? There's really nothing special about Burlington that could possibly warrant the commute.

If you want advice about areas in Richmond Hill, make one more post to activate your PM and then use it.

FlyingDutchman6666

Newmarket or Aurora. Although much, much closer, the commute to/from Markham will not be much quicker during peak hours. The queues are horrendous and there's no toll road.

FlyingDutchman6666

A bland, safe, (relatively) affordable English-speaking suburb within commuting distance of Markham is the hamlet of Brooklin. The only downside is having to take Highway 7 to get to the 407 (toll road). However the toll road is being extended so you will soon be able to bypass Hwy.7 altogether.

Twitcher1958

Hamlet? Ha! It's nice but no sleepy English village. Very convenient for Markham so worth considering. PM me if you want insider info - we've lived here for 4 years and have experience of local schools too.