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We have just landed as PR. We would like to rent the first year and then buy a house afterwards.
We have looked at available rented accomodation both in Oakville and Midtown. Our rent budget is around 2500-2750 CAD/month. For this budget we were able to find clean and new semi detached or detached houses in many areas of Oakville where good schools are available. In good-school areas of midtown, we were only able find only 2 bedroom condos and/or smallish duplexes in questionable conditions.
We have not been able to make a decision whether to rent in Oakville or in Midtown. Work location is not a factor in both cases.
On one hand living in quiet, crime free areas of city with many amenities is enticing but quality and size of houses are holding us back. On the other hand Oakville seems nice and tidy but all those cookie cutter home development where we might feel a little isolated an lonely as new immigrants to community worries us. We have always lived in the city center and never lived in the suburbs before.
I appreciate your views on the subject.
PS. Married couple with two elementary school age kids.
Why not look at Mississauga? Closer to Toronto, more shopping and dining options, and more affordable than Oakville but also with good schools. Also a larger immigrant community. Oakville is overrated if you ask me, way too suburban and cookie cutter.
We have also looked at Missisuaga. There are only two or three good public schools. Kenole, Lorne Park school and one other I can not recall. (My wife is in charge of evaluating school quality.) Then we looked at the housing within the boundaries of these good schools and found out that housing options are very very limited there.
Hello BIG CG
We are moving to Mississauga in August and am looking for schools. May I ask you how did you filter the good schools you mentioned . I don't know anyone who knows about schools in Mississauga and I am desperate for some tips.
Thanks in advance and good luck with ur move.
Actually, I have also read through Fraser Institute reports as well as checked EAQO results and subsequently have gone through every school in the neighborhood that I was looking at. I am not sure whether there is any other way probably other than talking to someone who has lived in the neighborhood and also has sent children to the school within the boundaries of that specific area. The process definetely is a head scratcher though.
People on this forum gave advice about not giving too much importance to some numbers in the charts. Probably they are right. My suggestion would be to arrange a visit to schools in the area beforehand and try to get a first hand feel about them.
We have also looked at Missisuaga. There are only two or three good public schools. Kenole, Lorne Park school and one other I can not recall. (My wife is in charge of evaluating school quality.) Then we looked at the housing within the boundaries of these good schools and found out that housing options are very very limited there.
Trust me, there are more than three good public elementary schools in Mississauga. Look again.
Hello GG, we are in a similar boat as you. Both wife and I have lived in urban centers mainly and then decided to take the plunge into a suburban location based on too many factors not pertinent to this conversation. What is pertinent is how we felt after the move. That energy, that sense of excitement that underlies the cities was sorely missed. It's to the point now that the word 'surburb' has become the antithesis of how we want to lead our lives. We are fairly confident in declaring that because we have now experienced it first hand. The tension in the system is that we are not carefree 20-somethings with no kids, but 30-somethings with 2 kids.
So we are re-defining 'city' to not mean high rises in the middle of everything but places such as W. Bloor, High Park, Roncesvalles ...areas where the walkability quotient is high and seems to be a good compromise between wanting that city energy and wanting a decent place to raise kids.
Probably you guys are right and there are many good schools in Mississauga.
For someone who knows not much about the system and just landed to a different country, I feel comfortable when I see average school scores meeting provincial standards at least. Maybe those who do not meet the provincial standards for variety of reasons are also good but I would not know just by going through the reports.
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