Best place for a family to live in GTA, toronto and its area?

Show all answers

thatchick

i live in scarborugh. brorn and raised.. and i absolutely HATE markham, brampton, pickerig richmond hill. you really need to live INSIDE toronto. north york is amazing (but a little expensive for couplesn starting out. great shops nearby, great coindos...up and coming neighbourhood. if youre looking for a more urban area( in my opinion the real suburbans are right outside of toronto. you can still find great houses in quiet areas in scarborough. around scarborough town cetnre there are condos that go for about 1000. right next to the TTC/RT/BUS STATION plus theres a huge mall right there for your convience, theres also a great discount grocery store right at brilmley/ellesmere thats accesible to everything yoiu need, its also one of the better parts of scarborough. ive grown up in scarborough so imn never scared travelling. but as a first timer, i;d advoid malvern ande also the kingston/lawrence/galloway area, i work in that area and there are ALOT of shady people in the area.. lots of drug addictsand just shady people. i recmmend living in the northern part of scarborough...either east or west. theyre safe and have lots of shops and options. west scarborough has got access to other malls (than STC) like fairview and is a very nice area.

personally mu dream neighbourhood (im a single young female) is to end up around bayview in one of those condos. rheve got great shops withing walking distance of the condos...shops and restaurants and cinemans . it is also a quick train ride to the downtown
core.

as for elementary schools....just stay away from malvern. dont have yyour kids go to hilliard, high schools: pearson, Mother theresa or west hill. trust me i've been to these schools and you dont want your kids going there.

as for transit, try to stay near the RT or subway station, every time ive moved ive always made sure theres a main bus station within 5 minutes away. trust me it makes a huge difference.

youve gota talk to ppl from diffrenent areas. i can only give you this much info on scarb cuz ive been born and raised here. certain areashave different cultures. i.e. the area i live in has a lot of asians and some tamil people. im one of the few westindian people in the area,

do more research. talk to a real estate agent. hang aorund grocery stores etc. in the areas youre interested in and ask about the area,
good luck...maybe etobicoke would be best for you? safe enough and closer to your husbands work? i hope you do come to scarb even though its quite acommute. it s agreat place to lie and grow up. and there anre't many spoiled brats. i know alot of smart kids who are street smart (have common sense) but are also intelligent and go to shcoool (Uof T, Centiennial, Seneca etc)

Judy C

Your question is a little tough and here's why. the GTA is huge as you know, and you'll find most communities are safe, however they have pockets that are crime ridden. For example, the area I live in is really bad, but if you go up a block (yes just one block) it is very safe and family oriented. I know this as I have lived in both areas.

I'm assuming you want to live near where your spouse is working, if so there actually are nice areas in Brampton, but I know they are more north (like Hwy 7ish area). Mississauga, same story, there are nice areas and not so nice. You really have to drive around to check out the neighbourhood before you rent.

The rent you are seeking of 1000, you'll have trouble getting in TO itself, most places rent for 1000+, and of course, the more you pay the better your place will be. Outside of Toronto is cheaper like in Brampton or MIssissauga, so you'll have better luck there.

The city of Toronto will always have a better transit system than the cities on the outskirts, Markham, Brampton etc., so again you have to drive around in the neighbourhood to check for where the bus stops are located.

I can suggest some neighbourhoods which I think are nice and safe and have the amenities you are seeking:

area around Fairview mall (Don Mills and Sheppard), area around Etobicoke (The West Mall), Martingrove and Albion, High Park area, near Scarborough Town Centre (McCowan and Ellesmere).

As for mix of different communities, you'll find people of certain communities settle in certain areas as opposed to others generally speaking. I found the neighbourhoods I mentioned above are pretty blended, plus downtown TO, you'll find a mesh of all kinds of cultures.

Sorry for the long answer, hope it was of help, feel free to send me an email me if you have any questions and I'll be happy to help you!

Zoe Dot

With your limited budget, you will probably have to make some compromises. I can't imagine getting a 2 bedroom for $1000 a month. That's what I paid for a bachelor in Toronto and that wasn't including parking.
I am sure it's not all doom and gloom though. Get out into the suburbs and that might open up some options. It isn't so safe downtown or in lower income urban areas. Go for greener areas. That's my advice.

Andi

South Etobicoke and Missisauga is nice. Mississauga has a pretty diverse culture.
I agree with you about the even mix of races. I enjoy Canada's multiculturalism but it's not the same when it's all one culture staring at you.

Ashanza

You might want to move to Mississauga then. I'm not sure about Brampton, but I know that it's very convenient being in Mississauga, especially around Square One. There are many condos (old and new) and apartments you can search for.

You should also check the 24 Hours Newspaper online, and the Metro for their classifieds.

Cornflake

Alderwood, Etobicoke-- The main intersection is Browns Line/Evans Ave. It is within walking distance to Sherway Gardens (Mall). Has one catholic elementary school, one junior school (french immersion and english) and one school from JK-Grade 8. It is close to the Etobicoke Creek, its really pretty there, you can even buy houses that back onto it. The library is situated with the junior school as it is a community centre which includes that a daycare and a pool, with a skating rink nearby. The transit is pretty good, it has a few buses that connect to Kipling Station, Islington Stn and Royal York Stn. Also ones that go into Mississauga.

You could also try Mississauga.
1) Applewood- Bloor/Dixie
2) Southern Mississauga- Neighbourhoods near Dixie and Cawthra
3) Erindale Stn Road area, near The Woodlands High School
4) There alot a lot of areas in Mississauga.

Basically I would go for Mississauga or Etobicoke.

Dead Day Afternoon

Oakville or Burlington, down by Lake Ontario.
Go to a few open houses and you'll see what I am saying.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: