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Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Old Sep 16th 2016, 3:39 pm
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Default Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Hi everyone,

I've read loads of the forum (you guys are great!) and done some research but still can't work it out so thought I'd ask.

My husband is negotiating a job offer from the University of Toronto - downtown campus - and we're coming over in October to take a look (we've never been to Canada before).

The most important thing for us to consider in a potential relocation is that our general standard of living will increase so I want to check out some neighbourhoods when we're there to get a feel of the place. However, with Toronto being so huge I'm really struggling where to start.

My question: what 3 or 4 neighbourhoods would you recommend to check out to see if we like the idea of living in Toronto?

Things you'd need to know:
- We don't know exact income yet but I'm expecting $7k - $8k a month after tax
- we have 2 kids (age 3 and 6)
- we're not looking for a City neighbourhood, more of a leafy suburb
- we currently commute an hour each way to work on foot and train so would consider a max of this. So happy to use transit system, preferably trains to buses.
- we've got family in Mississauga so will defo look there but want to look at other options not too far from them.
- we'll rent at first but would hope to buy within a year and I dream of a detached house... We currently live in a tiny 3 bed semi (side by side duplex) with no space for a dining table so Canadian houses look amazing to me.
- we currently live in South East England and commute into London so that's what we're comparing against

Interested to see what you recommend as I just can't decide where to look when we get there!

Thanks in advance

Last edited by ScotinCanada; Sep 16th 2016 at 3:48 pm. Reason: Hit post too quickly!
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 3:54 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

I think you're going to have to provide some additional detail about the type of lifestyle you're looking for in Toronto - is it one where you can walk to different upscale restaurants on a regular basis, or is it a quiet subdivision where kids can play baskeball / hockey on the streets etc
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 3:59 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Hi Ebonhawke

Definitely the latter. We live a pretty quiet life which centres a lot around the kids. We don't go out much.

Looking for somewhere with plenty of parks and outdoor life. (Yeah maybe moving to a big city isn't the best idea but hey, we figure we should check it out!)
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 4:30 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by ScotinCanada
Hi Ebonhawke

Definitely the latter. We live a pretty quiet life which centres a lot around the kids. We don't go out much.

Looking for somewhere with plenty of parks and outdoor life. (Yeah maybe moving to a big city isn't the best idea but hey, we figure we should check it out!)
Oakville, Burlington, Milton all come to mind as possibilities.

All three are close to Mississauga, so you're nearby family. All are very suburban. Burlington and Oakville often are rated as some of the best cities to live in. (source: Canada's Best Places to Live 2016: Full Ranking)

Burlington and Oakville also give you an easy commute into Toronto. Both are on the Lakeshore West GO Train line, which has all-day train service, and both will run you roughly an hour or so, depending on if you get an express vs a stopper train. Burlington is an extra 10-15 minutes, being the next city further from Toronto. (Going away from Toronto you hit Mississauga first, then Oakville, then Burlington.)

Both Oakville and Burlington vary in terms of the subdivisions within the cities, though. The newer ones are, well, not my personal cup of tea, but some like them. The older parts of the cities are larger lots, more mature trees, more space generally. The newer parts (late 90s onwards) are large houses on postage stamps.

Milton is also a possibility. It does have train service into Toronto, but it's not all-day service. Trains during rush hour (into Toronto in the morning, out of Toronto in the evening) and buses outside of that. Milton is a bit smaller, though, so some people like that.

As for how long your commute will be, it sort of depends where you end up working, obviously. If you end up with a job in downtown Toronto that's walking distance from Union Station, then your commute from Burlington/Oakville/Milton would be in and about the one-hour range. However if you're somewhere further north in Toronto and then have to take the TTC, that would add time. (EDIT: Just re-read and saw he's working on an offer from UofT. Not sure how much of UofT is walking distance from Union, but some parts might mean the TTC, so worth just checking what that commute from Union is like on transit vs on foot.)

(We live in Oakville. It takes my husband 8 minutes to drive from home to the train station. The train is about 35 or so minutes if he gets the express. He has a 10 minute walk to work on the other end. His door-to-desk time is about 55-60 minutes, assuming an express train.)

Hopefully that helps a bit.

Last edited by SchnookoLoly; Sep 16th 2016 at 4:41 pm.
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 4:40 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by ScotinCanada
Hi everyone,

I've read loads of the forum (you guys are great!) and done some research but still can't work it out so thought I'd ask.

My husband is negotiating a job offer from the University of Toronto - downtown campus - and we're coming over in October to take a look (we've never been to Canada before).

The most important thing for us to consider in a potential relocation is that our general standard of living will increase so I want to check out some neighbourhoods when we're there to get a feel of the place. However, with Toronto being so huge I'm really struggling where to start.

My question: what 3 or 4 neighbourhoods would you recommend to check out to see if we like the idea of living in Toronto?

Things you'd need to know:
- We don't know exact income yet but I'm expecting $7k - $8k a month after tax
- we have 2 kids (age 3 and 6)
- we're not looking for a City neighbourhood, more of a leafy suburb
- we currently commute an hour each way to work on foot and train so would consider a max of this. So happy to use transit system, preferably trains to buses.
- we've got family in Mississauga so will defo look there but want to look at other options not too far from them.
- we'll rent at first but would hope to buy within a year and I dream of a detached house... We currently live in a tiny 3 bed semi (side by side duplex) with no space for a dining table so Canadian houses look amazing to me.
- we currently live in South East England and commute into London so that's what we're comparing against

Interested to see what you recommend as I just can't decide where to look when we get there!

Thanks in advance
My father getting a job offer from U of T in my late teens was the reason we came. We initially lived in Don Mills (near York Mills/DVP) and then moved to Agincourt. Both are quite suburban with Agincourt now heavily dominated by asian families. Markham and parts of north Scarborough are quite asian and south asian (Sri Lankan/Indian) in nature. Not sure if that is an issue with you.

Oakville is more wonderbread than naan bread.

Don Mills and Agincourt aren't really geared for train travel (via GO train) to U of T area. Either way, from Union Station to U of T (St George Campus?), you have to get on the subway to the U of T. Is somewhere in Thornhill in your potential budget?

Don Mills, Agincourt, Markham, Oakville, Milton, Mississauga all offer the basketball net on the driveway, minivan parked in the garage, football (soccer) leagues becoming more popular than hockey lifestyle you are looking for.

Sorry, I can't provide more feet on the ground info..I'm in Ottawa now.

Good luck. When does the job start. You'll have to figure out schools as well.
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 4:41 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by SchnookoLoly
Oakville, Burlington, Milton all come to mind as possibilities.

All three are close to Mississauga, so you're nearby family. All are very suburban. Burlington and Oakville often are rated as some of the best cities to live in. (source: Canada's Best Places to Live 2016: Full Ranking)

Burlington and Oakville also give you an easy commute into Toronto. Both are on the Lakeshore West GO Train line, which has all-day train service, and both will run you roughly an hour or so, depending on if you get an express vs a stopper train. Burlington is an extra 10-15 minutes, being the next city further from Toronto. (Going away from Toronto you hit Mississauga first, then Oakville, then Burlington.)

Both Oakville and Burlington vary in terms of the subdivisions within the cities, though. The newer ones are, well, not my personal cup of tea, but some like them. The older parts of the cities are larger lots, more mature trees, more space generally. The newer parts (late 90s onwards) are large houses on postage stamps.

Milton is also a possibility. It does have train service into Toronto, but it's not all-day service. Trains during rush hour (into Toronto in the morning, out of Toronto in the evening) and buses outside of that. Milton is a bit smaller, though, so some people like that.

As for how long your commute will be, it sort of depends where you end up working, obviously. If you end up with a job in downtown Toronto that's walking distance from Union Station, then your commute from Burlington/Oakville/Milton would be in and about the one-hour range. However if you're somewhere further north in Toronto and then have to take the TTC, that would add time. (EDIT: Just re-read and saw he's working on an offer from UofT. Most of UofT I believe is walking distance from Union, but some parts might mean the TTC, so worth just checking what that commute from Union is like on transit vs on foot.)

(We live in Oakville. It takes my husband 8 minutes to drive from home to the train station. The train is about 35 or so minutes if he gets the express. He has a 10 minute walk to work on the other end. His door-to-desk time is about 55-60 minutes, assuming an express train.)

Hopefully that helps a bit.
Great post!

They already have a potential job at U of T, Downtown campus which is a bit of a hike from Union - or around 20 mins by transit ('U of T' is a link to map with transit).


Last edited by Siouxie; Sep 16th 2016 at 4:48 pm.
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 4:42 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by Siouxie
Great post!

They already have a potential job at U of T, Downtown campus which is a bit of a hike from Union - or around 20 mins by bus.

Edited my post to reflect that, missed it on the first read!
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 5:09 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Thank you for the edit to your original post, definitely helps in providing some feedback.

Since you're OK with renting initially, I'd advise against trying to find that 'perfect' location immediately. There's going to be a lot of chaos and things to adapt to, in those first few months that adding the pressure of trying to find that 'dream location' might just send you over the edge.

One potential idea is that, after your husband signs the offer, that he ask the university about housing options - the University of Toronto has thousands of international students and I'm sure more than a few visiting professors. They may have some options that have short term initial leases (Usually in Ontario, the initial lease on a property is for 12 months, with month to month afterwards), that will allow you to deal with all the initial chaos and get a better feel for the city.

The public transportation system in the GTA isn't as sophisticated as other cities in the world, and driving into/around the downtown core is best suited for those who enjoy stop-and-go traffic, while paying expensive parking fees for the privilege. There is a GO train/bus transit system that allows commuters from other cities to get downtown without having to drive. However, there isn't nearly enough parking at these GO stations, so it becomes a challenge to find a spot. The municipal transit systems that connect with these GO stations aren't necessarily optimized for their efficiency. As an example, (according to Google Maps) driving from Square One (the big mall) in Mississauga to the University of Toronto (at 7:00 am) will take 45 minutes (and I think that's really optimistic). By public transport, will be nearly 1.5h.

Therefore, you might best be served by simply taking the subway system, and checking out different neighbourhoods at different stops. A weekly pass is currently $42.25. Unfortunately, I can't comment too much on the individual neighbourhoods in the downtown area.

Oh, and since you're coming for a visit in October, have your family take you outside the city to get a glimpse of the non-city life (I recommend Forks of the Credit Provincial Park (about an hour from Mississauga) in the peak of fall colours.
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 5:23 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Port Credit. Lots of rental accommodation. In Mississauga so close to relatives. Not such a long commute as Oakville or, good grief, Burlington. Lots of leafy 1950s suburban bits if you don't mind commuting to and from the train station at both ends of the trip.

Cabbagetown. Big parks, leafy streets, walk to work. Not suburban.

I do wonder why anyone would take a job in Toronto and then live someone else but then the miserable drudgery of daily train travel really isn't my thing.
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 5:37 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by Partially discharged
Don Mills, Agincourt, Markham, Oakville, Milton, Mississauga all offer the basketball net on the driveway, minivan parked in the garage, football (soccer) leagues becoming more popular than hockey lifestyle you are looking for.
Totally the lifestyle we're looking for
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Old Sep 16th 2016, 5:42 pm
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by Ebonhawke

Since you're OK with renting initially, I'd advise against trying to find that 'perfect' location immediately. There's going to be a lot of chaos and things to adapt to, in those first few months that adding the pressure of trying to find that 'dream location' might just send you over the edge.
Yes we're far from making a final decision or looking at where we want to live really. I just want to make the most of our initial trip and look at the right kinds of things and be able to decide if it's where we want to be generally. I'm sure we'll make another more targeted trip in the future.

All really helpful, thank you so much
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Old Sep 17th 2016, 4:32 am
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by ScotinCanada

- we'll rent at first but would hope to buy within a year and I dream of a detached house... We currently live in a tiny 3 bed semi (side by side duplex) with no space for a dining table so Canadian houses look amazing to me.
- we currently live in South East England and commute into London so that's what we're comparing against
I hope you have tons of equity in your property in the UK as not sure if you have checked out detached house prices in Toronto/GTA.
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Old Sep 17th 2016, 7:28 am
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by evets
I hope you have tons of equity in your property in the UK as not sure if you have checked out detached house prices in Toronto/GTA.
Yes I've had a look on realtor.ca and think it would be manageable, depending on earnings. Our house has doubled in value in the last 5 years. It would cost us around $1.3m to get a basic, pretty small detached house here. House prices are scary!
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Old Sep 17th 2016, 7:37 am
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by ScotinCanada
Yes I've had a look on realtor.ca and think it would be manageable, depending on earnings. Our house has doubled in value in the last 5 years. It would cost us around $1.3m to get a basic, pretty small detached house here. House prices are scary!
Out of interest, where do you live? I'm guessing Bucks or Surrey from what you've said. We were in Bucks but house prices there were crazy so we've moved across the border to Berkshire, still easily commutable for hubby to get to London, but soooo much cheaper! For pretty much the same price as we sold our small (175sq m) detached house on a 1970's estate with a postage stamp garden in Bucks, we bought a 450sq m 6 bed Georgian farmhouse with 1.5 acres here!

Living in the GTA might be a bit of a shock if you are coming from a leafy part of the home counties (I did it myself), but hopefully a suburb won't be as 'concrete jungle' as some of the other parts of the GTA (shudder).

The good thing is that if you're in one of the very desirable areas, house prices are rising hugely so you'll have plenty of equity if you do decide to stay in Canada and get PR.

Best of luck with it.
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Old Sep 17th 2016, 8:01 am
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Default Re: Recommended areas in Toronto area (GTA) to check out on scouting trip

Originally Posted by christmasoompa
Out of interest, where do you live?
We live in Hertfordshire. This is my biggest concern about a potential relocation. It's a great job opportunity and Canada sounds like a great place, but I am used to living in a green suburb and I just don't know whether Toronto is the best place to move to.

Really looking forward to coming over next month and checking it all out!
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