# Where would you live in Toronto if...



## HJen (Mar 17, 2014)

...you had two toddlers,
-were wanting to rent with a budget of approx $2000 for something 3 bedroom or bigger, and
-your husband had to commute to work (close to Union station) by public transport but definitely no more than an hour commute each way. (He'd like to see his kids every now & then!)

The rental budget for us is the most flexible thing. We're moving in early July for at least 3 years, so our oldest child will begin school in Toronto. I'm sure these kind of questions are asked all the time on here, but I was finding it hard to navigate through previous posts. Many thanks to anyone who can give some advice, it's very much appreciated!


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Personally, I like The Beaches (aka The Beach) and High Park/Roncesvalles. Beaches has a very high level of owner occupation, so, availability might be an issue as will rent on all of those locations, but otherwise they suit your criteria and are great areas.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

I agree with Liam but I have reservations that your rental budget is sufficient for these areas.


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## colchar (Oct 25, 2011)

Look out towards the suburbs and the towns/cities that surround Toronto in the GTA. With Go Transit you can live in one of those and be at Union in less than an hour.


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## HJen (Mar 17, 2014)

That's great, thanks for all the tips. Is there anywhere in the GTA you would recommend looking at? (Or steering clear of?)


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Burlington can offer 3 bedrooms for $2,000. Oakville also maybe you need to raise the budget a little bit. Your timing is 'bad' in such way that lots of people are arriving July/August so there's lots of competition for rental units.


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

I prefer central Toronto but because of the budget you might try Markham, Richmond Hill or Vaughan north of Toronto. You can look for houses using Kijiji(dot)ca or the website for the real estate board, MLS(dot)ca.

For the MLS site just choose your pararmeters and use the map to search different areas. Check for building options try house or townhouse. 

We moved from Toronto to the north end of Richmond Hill a couple of years ago and it takes my wife about 60 minutes to get downtown taking a bus and the subway. If you are near one of the commuter train stations it will take even less time.

Good luck.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Markham has more limits on its Go transportation (only trains during rush hours, rest are busses). Ditto for Richmond Hill and Vaughan.
Oakville and Burlington are on Lakeshore West:
Bus to Toronto at 5am, trains start at 5:30AM. There are 11 trains to Union station (downtown Toronto) between 5:30 and 8AM.
Than every 30 minutes a train to Union until 23.28u.
Train from Union to Oakville runs until after midnight (even on weekdays!) with 3 busses between 1:30 and 2:30am for those who are going out in Toronto.

Bus from Richmond Hill to Toronto = 40 minutes.
Bus from Oakville to Toronto = 20 minutes.


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## HJen (Mar 17, 2014)

Thanks so much, the replies have been really helpful! I'm checking out all these areas now.

Just one question I hope someone will be able to answer - what's the deal with Scarborough? Comparably it seems a fair bit cheaper (especially for an area within such close striking distance to the city) I'm assuming there is a reason for this? Would you consider the whole area a no-go zone, or are parts of Scarborough ok to consider?

For some background- we currently live in an area of Melbourne that traditionally has a no-go reputation, but have found it in reality to be a great place to live (even with kids). So if it's just a matter of an area having a 'bad' reputation carried over from the past, we don't necessarily mind. Is this the case for Scarborough?


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Firstly Scarborough covers a large area. There are some very nice parts of the area. It does have a reputation for crimes/gangs in some parts and it has a very mixed ethnic population. As with other such areas if you select properly you will be quite safe and comfortable. It has reasonably good transit connections.


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

There are lots of neighbourhoods in Toronto with many different opinions about what is a good and bad area. Most people consider the best areas of Scarborough are those closer to lake Ontario, but opinions vary. The following link is to an article from the CBC giving crime stats for the city. It is a few years out of date but crime rates don't usually change much in that time frame.

Crime Maps | CBC Toronto


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

benjam said:


> What's are you talking here brother? Is this website is better than Navut website? I think it is not. You can check it again from here Navut - Find Your Next Neighborhood, Easily . I think it is better than from your link..


I am not your brother. I have examined the website Navut several times and it is very lacking in functionality and, as a result, provides in accurate and misleading information. Stop spamming.


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