Live in downtown Toronto, Work near Toronto Intl Airport

[Fred Derf]

Originally Posted by JIJ

I would like to thank all of you for your responses. So it looks like living in downtown may not be good idea w.r.to the commute to work.

I am currently located in NJ (a few miles away from Manhattan) and that's what lead me to looking at living in the downtown area just for the convenience factor.

I intend to do more research on High Park area, South Etobicoke and Bloor village. Are there any good online resources which can give me more information about these areas? How do these compare to Square One in Mississauga. What are the pros and cons of living in Toronto versus Mississauga?

It depends on how urban you want to be. Bloor West/High Park will still make you feel like you are living in a city. Sure, there aren't too many tall office towers around you but there is density from condos and things. You can walk to shops along Bloor Street and relax at a local café. You feel like you are in a city. Perhaps it will feel slightly european (or west-coastish).

Square One in Missauga has a distinct suburban feel to it. You'll need your car to go get a bag of milk (yes, "bag" ). You will end up shopping at big box stores and spending time in malls. It will still be fairly multicultural but you will not be able to claim to be an urbanist and instead you will be a slave to your car.

South Etobicoke is located between Square One in Mississauga and Bloor West/High Park. It also will conceptually feel somewhat in between the two. Many streets don't have sidewalks and there are a lot of bigger properties. You will still need a car here but the "feel" will be different. You'll feel like you are living in an uptown community rather than a suburban wasteland.

p.s. I'm likely biased since I am an urbanist that likes to have things in walking (or at least transit) distance.

[chicken.or.the.nugget]

Etobicoke and Port Credit mississauga are best i say. Mississauga around square one sucks!!! all condos but the only thing there is a huge/ugly mall and smaller strip malls. South mississauga or west toronto is best for you!!!

[Torano89]

Hardly any traffic in etobicoke n it's closer to the airport

[minibrings]

Originally Posted by Fred Derf

I have always felt it is easier to travel North/South in Toronto than it is to deal with East/West traffic. I live near Yonge/Eglinton but I wouldn't want to scamper to the airport every day from here.

I was thinking that I'd hate to commute from the city to the airport everyday and realized you just said it! The 401 is unpredictable. Sometimes when I had an early flight out of YYZ I'd stay by the airport (and I was living in North York (close tot he Scarborough line on Sheppard).

I think people suggesting South Etobicoke or the lakefront area of Mississauga are correct. Not sure what a commute from Oakville would be like but I have always loved the atmosphere of downtown Oakville.

[JIJ]

What are the public transport options and how's the connectivity from Port Credit or Lakefront area in Mississauga to the Airport as well as downtown Toronto?

[Cornerguy1]

Public transport from the downtown area is a choice of the TTC to Kipling and then the airport bus, or taking the dedicated airport shuttle bus that serves the major downtown hotels. The latter option is quite convenient but about $20 each way.

[JIJ]

Update : I am in Toronto and have taken a apartment in the Lakeshore area near Humber Park. It takes me around 20 minutes to commute to work.

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by titan5576

I will advice that you live around the West end of Toronto specifically Bloor Village. It has the best that downtown Toronto has to offer without the crime and traffic. From Bloor Village to the Airport will take you about 30min in the morning but the same trip from downtown is about one hour due to heavier traffic immediately around downtown. Look up Bloor west on google, it has some great restaurant, high park is right there, bike trails and a neighorhood feel. Most of the Condo areas of downtown are not fun, just mass with no sass. The best are west of university (China town, Annex, little Itally but they are $$$$$ and very few condos)

I agree!

[benii]

I'd live in Mississauga. The traffic between downtown and the airport is horrible at rush hours.

[lucknow]

Originally Posted by JIJ

Update : I am in Toronto and have taken a apartment in the Lakeshore area near Humber Park. It takes me around 20 minutes to commute to work.

That's a nice area, Congratulations on the move and all the best to you while you are here in the GTA.