With the budget you have, much of Toronto is your Oyster. Personally, I would avoid the rarified neighborhoods of Rosedale, Sumerhill, and Forest Hill, and consider a more family-friendly area with good schools and amenities for your kids. (*If you see my edit at the end, you’ll notice I just realized that this is an unearthed thread from six years ago and I put a lot of effort into recommending a neighborhood when you’ve prolly already made your move and found a place to live. Hope you like it in TO.)
Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would choose North Riverdale in a heartbeat. North Riverdale can be loosely defined as the area between Gerard in the South, Danforth in the North, Broadview in the west and Carlaw/Pape in the east. My brother has lived in the area with his family since about 2006 and LOVES it. There are lots of families, the houses come in all kinds of sizes and styles, from small Victorian-style cottages to the classic Victorian-style bay and gable brick semi, to larger fully detached options.
The neighborhood is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Danforth, Greektown, and the Bloor-Danforth subway, or a five-minute ride on the Broadview streetcar, which offers some of the best views in the city, as well as one of the best neighborhood coffee shops where you can sit and soak it in (the Rooster.)
The Riverdale and Danforth neighborhoods have great schools, is geared for young, professional families, is safe, walkable, and has tons of character. When you factor in the ride up to Broadview Station, you are only about a 15-minute commute from work.
Most importantly, instead of the stuffy, waspy, largely empty neighborhoods of Rosedale and Summerhill where you rarely see pedestrians or have the chance to make friends with the neighbors or get involved in the smobby, inward-looking community, Riverdale is brimming with community groups, great coffee shops and entertainment up on the Danforth, a more hip and trendy scene down on Queen East, and some gorgeous Victorian alcoves with one-of-a-kind homes. Besides that, the prices will be quite a bit cheaper than the other neighborhoods I mentioned, with access to one of the largest and best downtown parks - Riverdale Park East and West.
You are also steps away from downtown’s Chinatown East and the Gerard streetcar, which will bring you to the heart of the city in 15 minutes.
I can’t recommend North Riverdale enough for your budget and circumstances. South Riverdale is great too, especially west of the CN train tracks, where plenty of narrow streets lined with Victorian and Edwardian homes branch north off of Queen East. Still, Riverdale North is more family-oriented and my brother feels so lucky that he had the chance to buy there when prices weren’t yet $1-million plus and raise a family in a neighborhood that offers something for everyone.
I also lived in South Riverdale, Danforth and Broadview, and the Pocket when the area was affordable and I would recommend it 1000X to families with your budget. With what you’ve got to spend on houses...oh god, I’m so jealous! Some real gems there.
I’ll post a few Google Streetview links for you to get an idea of the area. As someone who lived all over Toronto during the 12 years I lived there (I’m in Mississauga now and wouldn’t recommend it) and has friends and family in neighborhoods from the Beaches to Little Italy to Trinity Bellwoods, I am really urging you to take a close look at North Riverdale and seriously consider it. If you PM me with specific questions, I’d be happy to help you out.
Here’s the view of Riverdale Park and the downtown from Broadview Ave.:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.67035...7i16384!8i8192
Bay and Gable Victorian row houses along with Edwardian “Porch and Gable” semis and detached are the predominant architectural style of the area:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.66826...7i16384!8i8192
I would kill to live in one of these gorgeous red-brick Victorian semis on the shaded streets of North Riverdale. Notice how the old-growth maples and oaks give this dense neighborhood a charm that isn’t often found so close to the city center:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.66798...7i16384!8i8192
The good-ole Rooster Cafe on Broadview. Often voted one of the best neighborhood coffee shops in the city:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.66908...7i16384!8i8192
You are just a short walk or streetcar ride away from the bustle of the Danforth, Greektown, and the Bloor-Danforth subway:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.67719...7i16384!8i8192
North Riverdale is also a stone’s throw away from the more Bohemian Queen St. East. While it has gentrified considerably since I lived there in the early aughts, it also is much more inviting to professionals, with a great selection of restaurants, bars, boutiques, bakeries, and specialty shops. Being able to hop on the 501 streetcar and head to the Beaches on a summer’s day is another great benefit. Conversely, you could go west to Trinity Bellwoods or Parkdale.
For some reason, Google maps keeps giving me the same coordinates no matter where I go, so check the nabe out for yourself and see all it has to offer. I don’t often make recommendations like this, but I think Riverdale North sounds perfect for you and your family.
Edit: LOL. Just realized the OP is from 2015. Probably found a neighborhood by now and I’ve wasted a lot of time here. Well, if anyone else comes along looking to relocate to Toronto and had the same profile, I’ll just cut and paste this. Still think it’s a good write-up for North Riverdale.
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