Toronto 'burbs
 

Hi,

My wife's got a job sorted in Vaughan, whereas I'll be based in a hospital downtown. We've both got our hearts set on a detached (or semi connected by garage) in the suburbs. My job will be as a post doctoral researcher so I can work on the train in and out (space permitting).

The original plan was to buy a place near Rutherford GO Train station but some friends of my wife at work (she started last week) have said that that area has a strong Italian contingent who don't like ex brits.

I'm just after thoughts and suggestions really, :confused:

Cheers

Welshchem

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Anything to do with pain ? (The job I mean)

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

No, I'll be doing biochemistry research at Mt Sinai. Cell signalling.

Welshchem

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Ah. The reseachers I know are across the road; at Sick Kids.

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Have you got any ideas on the suburbs dbd33?

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There certainly are a lot of Italians up there. I don't know whether or not they have any particular view on Brits.

I'm afraid I'm utterly confounded by the idea of someone willingly going to live in Vaughan. That's really knocked me for six.

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If you've got any insights feel free...

The basics are:

Her job Vaughan 7am-5pm
My job Downtown 9am-5pm

She'll drive, I'll use public transport

We'd like a detached or semi detached house coming in under the $400,000 mark

Nice neighbourhood, parks, shops etc...

Where should we live?
(we've been looking around Rutherford GOTrain station)

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Okay time to get really specific;

The real estate agent has lined up houses pretty much penned (sp?) in by Rutherford Rd, Keele St, Major Mackenzie Dr and Jane St.

Any thoughts on this area?

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I think you're having us on.

I drive up the 400 early on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I look over at the projects mentioned and the newer one on the other side of the highway "Heritage Hill" (it's flat now but I expect they'll build a hill out of compacted trash) and think "at least we don't have to live there".

Sometimes I hum, the tune, not the words:

"I guess its healthy, I guess the air is clean.
I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends.
Look at that kitchen and all of that food.
Look at them eat it guess it tastes real good....."

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Come on man you're going to have to give me more than that!

What's the score? Is it a nice place to live or not. I can understand if it's going to be a bit quiet for some tastes, but why don't you fancy it?

Welshchem

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

I can't say whether or not it's quiet as there's no way I would leave the highway anywhere near there, I check the gas gauge when I get to the warehouse belt and sigh with relief when I reach Canada's Wonderland.
There's no need to actually go there to experience the place; I'm sure you can find a pub, tree and shop free estate somewhere near you. Anywhere that was once a farmers field and is now covered in identical box houses; Milton Keynes for example. Even someone moving from Slough or Luton to that subdivision would miss the charm and character of home.

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Drove along Major Mac between Jane and Keele yesterday as it happens, on my way to Kleinburg (which is very pretty). Vaughan generally feels like an endless expanse of subdivisions on flat wasteland as you drive through, (sorry, but that's my opinion, but a lot of the GTA is like that, including areas near me:( !), though I am sure than individually some of the subdivisions are fine once you are in them and I am sure tha the houses themselves are fine too. It's just that there are so many of them! The area you mention however is, I think, technically Maple, which does have a nicer village centre, so there is at least something to 'hang' the houses around. Plenty of shops etc and I noticed that some houses were really very nice. It has a couple of 'olde worlde' buildings in the centre which at least give it a bit of character so sadly lacking in so many other parts!

If the location is good for you re public transit/work etc then go and take a look at it. You do need to go and see the area for yourself though and get a general feel for the place. However, just because your wife works in Vaughan, doesn't mean you have to live there - I would drive around a number of places within a radius if I were you to see what you like best. The thing I find the biggest culture shock here (due to the amount of space) is the way that the housing estates sprawl over the land, eating up the countryside. It's acutally quite depressing!

Anyway I hope that helps a bit. I don't want to appear negative, but honest. I know how hard it is to visualise the areas when you are not there and if you need a place to live, well you need a place to live, so you have to be pragmatic! It is so random really, where we end up, and it can feel a bit scary, but I am sure you will find a great community wherever you chose.

Good luck
Snowqueen

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Well as you know the Rutherford GO station is actually a little outside this "box", on the east of Keele at Rutherford. That is an area which is currrently under "develpoment".

I'm afraid dbd33 is right, although over the top as is his style. The new stuff is the worst sort of cookie-cutter sameness, with the typical burb housing crammed side to side and with no amenities at all.

If I were you, I'd be looking in the older parts of Richmond Hill (see location on my ID :rolleyes: ). To my mind this is a fine place with a real sense of community, lots of parks and other amenties, a theatre under construction, etc etc. It's only a 10 min drive to Vaughn and you can use the RH GO station to get to your work.

For some reason, there are a lot of chemists here too.

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I don't even like Kleinburg. To me it's the same as Vaughan but with bigger houses; McMansions. One can see the same at Bloomington and the 404 and in Caledon.

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Oh. On the ethnicity thing. Maple (where you're looking) is predominantly Italian as you've been told (although not as much so as Woodbridge). However that is to me, neither here nor there. Chances are your neighbour will make grade A homebrew vino and Ive never heard of or experienced anti-Brit sentiment from Italians here. Lots of pro-paysan sentiment however.

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

thanks to you all for your comments. It sounds like I might need a re-think, perhaps I'll trawl www.mls.ca for a bit and see if there's anything in our price range Richmond hill way.

I suppose if emigration was easy everyone would do it!

On a side note Novocastrian, if I do end up in Richmond Hill you can chalk up another chemist

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Yes, I read your earlier post.

$400K won't get you quite as many square feet of living space in RH as in a new build in Maple, but as I understand it, there's just the two of you, so why would you want a mega-house anyway? Much better to go for a real community rather than a totally anonymous sub division IMHO.

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Yeah, we don't come anywhere near filling the little terrace we have in the UK. The only reason we were getting a big place is that estate agent fees for selling houses seem massive. So we thought we'd buy a big place first as last.

Is the area close to the Go Train in RH okay or are the any parts I should avoid? (I realise I sound all doom and gloom trying to talk about the worst of areas but I want to be sure)

thanks for all your help with this

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Well you don't want to be too close to the tracks 'cos of the noise, and there is a light industrial estate around the station itself. There's a large carpark at the station and a good local bus service in RH... you probalby wouldn't be walking from your house, especially in winter. Bike would be possible much of the year.

The best area of RH (where of course the Castrian Clan have their domicile) is on the west side of Yonge between Major Mack and Elgin Mills, but there are very nice places elsewhere in town. Don't go too far north (e.g. Bernard and up), 'cos you might as well go to Maple...all new development up there.

Note also that we have a new rapid bus service in the area (Viva) which means that, other than the GO train, bus to Finch TTC station and subway to downtown is a perfectly good alternative.

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Hi - I've not posted on this site for a long time but having lived here ( Newmarket, On) for over a year - feel in a position to reply.

Vaughan is in the middle of many major road intersections, just above min town. Highway 7, 400 and 407 (toll). You could live anywhere from downtown to Barrie - Money and time are the key! We live in Newmarket and my husband works in Vaughan. He leaves every day at 6.30am and travels between 40mins and 1.30 hrs each way. Weather, traffic etc.

I travelled downtown on the GO train to work - up at 5.30am to get the 6.24 train. ( there are only 5 trains, downtown and back each day from Bradford North of the city).

The question you need to ask yourself is :- what are your motives? Does travelling cause problems - add 2/4 hours onto your day.

You need to check out areas very carefully - Maple is lovely but very Italian. Honestly, rent before you buy and live in the country first. Then you have time to find the right location.

I wish we had!

Bombards

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Hey, Bombards, I was in Newmarket on the weekend and wondered how you were getting on; what's wrong with where you are?

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Actually, the bus-TTC combo is preferable now I think about it. You can get off at the College TTC station on Yonge and just walk 1 block to Mt. Sinai on University. If you use the GO train you'll have to get from Union Station to the hospital, which is a bit too far to walk in winter.

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

P.S.... and you'd walk right past a decent Oirish pub called Eirann fail (or something, excuse my Gaelic) which does a very decent pint of Guiness for you to relax with after work.


P.P.S If you want me to choose the colour of your carpet, just give me a shout. ;)

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

thanks, I think I've learned more from this thread than the countless hours I've spent trawling the net :)

The wife is renting in Vaughan at the minute and doesn't seem to mind it to much although she has noticed that there's not much about (ie anything).

The only reason I have been thinking train rather than bus was that I'd be able to use my laptop on the train but if it's truelly easier by bus I'll have to rethink.

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If you can help me out with this you can name my first born :p

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On College or in Richmond Hill?

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On College. Between Yonge and MaRS (south side).

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Taffy?

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Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Pogue Mahone's. Used to be a burger joint with a barber pole motif, a Pickle Barrel, maybe. It's opposite the former Hop and Grape where we were regulars which, I suppose, is why I couldn't place it. Now we go to the Elephant and Castle (one block down on Yonge) because, for reasons unknown, cruikshank likes it.

I just went over to University and College from east of Yonge to look for the bar and to drop something off so, welshchem, you can see that it's not far from the subway to the hospital.

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Poque Mahone's is just around the corner of Bay and College, shirley? That's good too, but the one I was thinking of is right on College nearer to Yonge. I can't remember the exact name, which makes googling hard, but you must have just walked right past it.

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Along College from Yonge, there's a Winners on the corner then the entrance to the College Park mall, the west side of the entrance is Pogue Mahone's. After that I don't remember there being any other bars until the one at College and Bay, I don't think I ever knew the name but it had a pool table, that table led me into a world of trouble. Maybe I'll look again a bit later.

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

That sounds like the right location. Probably my mistake with the name. I've only been in there once after a meeting at MaRS last spring sometime.

Hang on, I just googled Pogue Mahone and it is at 777 Bay at College. That's what I thought.

No matter our welsh friend can go to both on his way home.

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But it isn't! They don't know where they're at, these Oirish.

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Ahem. I guess you can't believe everything you read on the web then? Who knew?

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Perhaps Mahones was the bar at College and Bay and they moved into the premises of the bar you were thinking of ? We could determine this by asking the staff. Of course, that would mean standing at the bar for a while; I reckon I could do that.

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Put it down as research then it would be a tax write off too.

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Just another thought, any ideas where I can get a cheap TV from. Nothing fancy just something small for the missus to watch in her basement for now?

It's annoying I know plenty of websites for the UK but not for your side of the pond.

Cheers

Re: Toronto 'burbs
 

Loblaws. (Believe it or not).