Hello,

Love the site we have been reading for a few weeks but not posted as yet.

Just back from Toronto, found somewhere to live for 30 days plus in November but now looking for somewhere to rent for 2/3 years.

We need good links to Toronto financial centre but would prefer to live somewhere a bit further out with good shops, recreation preferably near lake.

Our son is staying in UK to finish schooling so no need for schools, he is 18 so about to go off on his own adventures!

It has been suggested that Oakville would be good, we live in a small hamlet of 20 houses so know that life is going to be busier. Does anyone agree or have other suggestions?

Thanks

Hi dougliz,

Just welcoming you to BE. We're sure more Toronto savvy folk than us will be along in due course and if not, you can always repost the bulk of your query in the main forum as not everyone makes it into the Meet & Greet.

Kind regards,

Eamonn & Janet.

Anywhere along the lakeshore east to west.

Go Train to Union Station will bring you right in to the financial district and with the Path system you'd be pretty set. I've just spent 6 months in Pickering and enjoyed it. Some here say Port Credit is great.

Or get a condo downtown. The kid will love the accessability to the downtown core when he gets over.

And I am soooo not jealous.

Welcome to BE.

We have a condo downtown by the lake...our daughter lives there. She is working in the financial district and loves the accessability to the office, shops, restaurants, theatre, stadium etc.

Hi, I'd recommend the High Park area - I find it less busy than other areas of Toronto that are similarly close to downtown financial centre. Also, the Beeches is a nice part of the city. If you want to have a bit more of a community feel than I would not recommend the waterfront - it's lovely but lacks character and you have the gardiner that physically cuts you off from the city. All depends on if you are happy to take Street Car / Subway to work or would rather live further out and take the Go Train. However, the Go Train is a commuter network and only really operates between morning and evening rush.

thanks for all your advice we do appreciate it, 34 days to go !

Not so along the Lakeshore, the last train is after midnight and the first shockingly early. They're frequent at commuting times and hourly at others. The other GO lines do have uselessly rare trains.

that's simply not true.

high park is a nice area but certainly not hamlet-like in any sense. Also, renting there is pretty competitive unless you have a really good agent who is "on it" - hard to come by since most agents aren't too interested in doing rentals. the older part of oakville is beautiful, and as YYZ says, port credit is nice too. good luck house hunting!

Just wondered where you found to stay for the 30+ days? Is it an apartment/long stay hotel?

Thanks

we have organised a serviced apartment

South of the gardiner is the only place Id recommend in the city - the rest of it is like a zoo!! You still have the feel of a city along Queens Quay are a ten buck cab ride from everything and can jump on the gardiner right there - that is assuming you can afford it, plus the lake is right there, at least a bit of nature amongst the concrete jungle!

Yorkville is also nice but again can you afford it and put up with the pretentiousness 24/7!! Yonge & Eg is not too bad either just not my cup of tea! But both not near the lake.

As DBD said Go lakeshore is pretty good for 16-18 hrs of the day and nights out as long as you dont want a major bender, Ive headed from oakville downtown many Fri/Sat eve's and come home after midnight in a drunken stupor. Depending on your budget Id go lakeshore west corridor Port Credit, Oakville and Burlington all south of the QEW all on the lake all varying property costs.

Another option if you like quieter is Barrie the GO now goes to mapleview (and I beleive downtown next year) its town of 150,000 with very cheap property compared to the GTA, its on lake Simcoe which is way more usable than Ontario, but can you tolerate the commute.