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Hello, my husband just got a job in Markham (Toronto) and we are moving from the fraser valley (Langley) BC with our three year old son. We need some good advise on a Toronto suburb that would be good for us. We are looking to spend 1500-2000 on rent for a three bedroom house in a "good" family area with good amenities and good transportation to Markham. Good schools are also a consider as well as good access to recreational centers and shopping. We would like a trip into the city around 45 minutes.
My husband took a trip out to check it out and liked Pickering and Ajax. Any thoughts??
Would it be too simplistic to suggest that someone working in Markham (a pretty decent suburb of Toronto) might start their housing hunt in.........Markham?
I attended some professional training in Markham for a couple of months recently. I was on a 9-to-5 schedule, so I drove in what I would think was normal rush hour traffic back and forth from Toronto to Markham. It was around a 40 min. drive for me from Younge and Eglington to Warden and 407. The area of Markham I drove around did not look bad at all. I remember seeing a sign at Warden and Finch (or wherever Markham started) saying something like: "Welcome to Markham, the high-tech capital of Canada". Also, I noticed during the latest campaign that the signs and posters advertising candidates for their suburb showed names and pictures representing most cultural/racial groups, from south-east Asians, to Asians, Hispanics, Italians, African-Canadians, Portuguese, and Anglo-Saxons.
[quote=BMatthew;17872327]Hello, my husband just got a job in Markham (Toronto) and we are moving from the fraser valley (Langley) BC with our three year old son. We need some good advise on a Toronto suburb that would be good for us. We are looking to spend 1500-2000 on rent for a three bedroom house in a "good" family area with good amenities and good transportation to Markham. Good schools are also a consider as well as good access to recreational centers and shopping. We would like a trip into the city around 45 minutes.
My husband took a trip out to check it out and liked Pickering and Ajax. Any thoughts??
I have one daughter married with 2 kids that lives in Whitby. She loves it there. Pickering and Ajax are good ideas also. Forget about newmarket or Aurora, Barrie etc. Stay in the East because of the commute. Traffic around The GTA is horrible so it's a prime consideration when locating. You can waste years of your life sitting in your car in traffic, time that you could have spent with your kids, your wife or playing golf!! LOL
[quote=lucknow;17938425
I have one daughter married with 2 kids that lives in Whitby. She loves it there. Pickering and Ajax are good ideas also. Forget about newmarket or Aurora, Barrie etc. Stay in the East because of the commute. Traffic around The GTA is horrible so it's a prime consideration when locating. You can waste years of your life sitting in your car in traffic, time that you could have spent with your kids, your wife or playing golf!! LOL[/quote]
I don't see that the commute from the east is any better than from the north, I think it's all perspective. I'd much rather come down the 404 than come in on the 401.
I don't see that the commute from the east is any better than from the north, I think it's all perspective. I'd much rather come down the 404 than come in on the 401.
I suppose it depends on where in Markham one works.
As someone who spent several years in Barrie, I would have to agree that you'll spend a lot of time stuck in your car commuting. Plus, as you go north, you enter snowbelt country. Nasty winter driving conditions and winter lasts longer up in Barrie. Many people are drawn to Barrie for cheaper housing (not the bargain it once was though) and think they can handle the commute to Toronto (or area). Though there are some brave souls who stick it out for a while, most can't handle it and move closer to Toronto or just find a job in Barrie. I don't think many people can take that commute for more than 5 years. I personally know three Barrie people who have had high speed winter car accidents on Hwy 400 commuting to Toronto. One moved to British Columbia, another moved to Toronto (well, Brampton, but close enough) and the third one is going to retire next year and is doing her best to stick it out until then.
I'd say, pay more and live close to where you work. I really have no personal experience with Markham, but I'm sure there are nice areas there. Oshawa is supposed be OK, but it will be a bit of a commute, though easier than from Barrie.
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