Delicious
Facebook
Last.Fm
Library Thing
LinkedIn
Twitter
YouTubeSince I’ve made the change to move to Toronto I’ve been trying to figure out the best area to live in. When I made my trip to Ottawa last summer, I found out where I would likely live, but that doesn’t help me now that I’ve changed to Toronto. I’ve posted on two of the message boards that I’m active on, contacted a few facebook friends in or near Toronto, and have contacted a number of ExpressionEngine developers based in the GTA and have gotten a lot of recommendations. Before I share the recommendations, one thing I know is that we’re not going to be living in the downtown core. We’re interested in the suburbs, but hopefully not too far from downtown though that isn’t too important.
Areas that have been recommended to me:
- Ajax
- Aurora (but also expensive)
- Bolton
- Brampton
- Durham
- Ebitoke
- High Park area
- King City
- Markham
- parts of Mississauga
- Richmond Hill
- Vaughan
The problem with this list is that there are still too many choices. Guess it’s time to learn a little more about each area including rental costs, commuting time, access to subway and transit, and schools. If any readers have thoughts on this, I’d appreciate it.
Needless to say this is my project of this week. Narrow things down to 2-3 neighborhoods so I know where to focus on when looking for housing on Kijiji and also arranging a short term rental for when I land.
Comments(5)
Michael Stout: Saturday Jan 22, 2011 at 10:04 PM
Hi Sean,
I grew up in Toronto, so perhaps I can help you narrow it down a little. However, I have to qualify everything by letting know I’ve been living in Tokyo almost as long as you’ve been living in Seoul. Things change. Nevertheless, I have considered moving back and I’ve done a little research myself.
First, I think #6 on your list is Etobicoke. That’s where I grew up. I grew up in a neighbourhood called the Kingsway, and I’d LOVE to live there again. but the house my grandfather built for $5000 now goes for a 500 grand. Frankly, I wouldn’t live in other parts of Etobicoke, except perhaps Mimico. Houses there are more affordable and there’s a street car that’ll get you straight downtown in no time. The Lake is right there too. Other places I checked out were Libertyville, and the Beaches.
I personally would NEVER live in Mississauga. I lived there for 6 years when I was a kid. At that time it was transitioning from a rural area to a suburban area. There were abandoned farms, new housing complexes, fields, and other great places for a little boy to get into mischief in, but by the time I left in ‘74 it was becoming what it is now, an uninteresting collection of cookie cutter houses, and strip malls. Not my bag, but maybe it’s what you want. Brampton is worse IMHO.
If Toronto doesn’t work out, why not consider Windsor. Very affordable housing, great arts and music scene. The Phog Lounge was selected as the best live house in canada by CBC. There’s an interesting web design company there too, Spry Agency (http://www.spryagency.com/)
Anyway, good luck with your repatriation. I’ll be following your progress.
Btw, you’re absolutely right about ESOL in Canada. I know only two people who’ve managed to get good gigs in ESOL.
Cheers!