Souvenir

I didn't think it was you but I only know two people with sufficient knowledge of the GTA. As I recall, and to answer Novo's question, the point made was that Asian immigrants to Canada prefer houses with garages attached to the house. They do not like houses with garages unattached. What the other person suggested to me was that the houses (in Markham?) had been built with unattached garages deliberately to keep Asians away. I'm no longer in touch with the person, so I can't check.

Novocastrian

What a strange notion. Did your friend suggest any reasons for this highly unlikely generalization at all?

iaink

Im not asian, but I dont like the idea of an unattached garage on the grounds of what on earth is the point of having a garage if you have to boot up and get the winter coat on just to get to it before getting in the car and driving off?

Souvenir

No, not at all. The conversation was some years ago but it's coming back to me. It was in no way meant in a bad way but she was making an observation about an area she'd grown up in. A Tronna girl through and through but you'd giggle if I told you where she was born.

dbd33

Three bedroom apartments in less frightening locations:

http://www.gottarent.com/apartment/v...l?SpaceID=1971

http://www.gottarent.com/apartment/v...ml?SpaceID=495

http://www.gottarent.com/apartment/v...ml?SpaceID=582

dbd33

With this, you confuse me?

Souvenir

She was born in Newcastle.

Novocastrian

I doubt it. I don't do giggling. But she obviously wasn't born in Markham. The houses there are predominantly of the standard hideous Canadian suburb design with double garage firmly attached right at the front and a house somewhere at the back. And the population is overwhelmingly asian (chinese in ths case).

Novocastrian

Aha. That's funny, so was I. Did I let that slip out sometime?

Bleepedy Bloops

Generally in this city there are pocket areas where middle to high income housing is right next to low income and government housing. So it's not really like a lot of places where there is one or two areas in town that are low-income and people are aware of it, it's very much a patchwork here. The reason it's that way is because real estate here is at a premium and almost all new buildings are going to be pricey to rent or buy, older ones attract poeple looking for affodable housing.

One pice of advice I would give is to be extremely careful where you chose to live if you're going the hi-rise route. Some hi-rises have problems with serious crime, and I mean guns and people being shot. I would personally try to avoid these areas, Jane and Wilson definitely being one of them, also Rexdale Martingrove area is iffy too. I would avoid those areas like the plague! When I go looking for places to live, I never even consider a hi-rise, houses are much more my style, and around here renting in a house is almost always a better bet than a hi-rise, unless you have enough for a condo, which you don't.

Generally speaking, inside Toronto, the more central and/or further south you are, the nicer things get, GENERALLY...there are always exceptions. Also it's quickly turning into a renter's market right now due to the recession, so what $1200 couldn't get you three months ago, might get you something now

This link is very scientific but it might help a little (with links to PDFs):

http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/p..._and_index.htm

dbd33

But, the streets called Driftwood This and Driftwood That, in North York, are places where people routinely get shot. They're an area of townhouses. Regents Park is also townhouses/low rise apartments and hellish. Much of the rent geared to income housing in Scarborough is low rise. I think the prejudice against high rise buildings is a bit unfair and suggest avoiding crime by not being poor.

Bleepedy Bloops

Obviously this is true, most people are already aware what subsidized housing is like and should be wary of them...but we also have that situation in older apartment buildings at Jane & Finch; she was listing one of these locations in her previous post... I was trying to point that out, most newcomers are not aware of this.

Novocastrian

I work at Jane & Finch. Fortunately not on night shift.

madhusivan

God it's confusing! I think I have to change my preferences now. What are the choices available if I'm ok with suburbs and Indian neighborhood not a criteria? I'm ok with going to the Indian grocery once in 2 weeks and to a decent Indian restaurant once a month, as long as the area is safe and good enough to raise children.

madhusivan

dbd33, thank you very much for the listings. The first 2 is affordable, will conisder it.