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I read every single one! And I'm just usually too lazy to reply!
I spend way too much time in here. We just got back from vacation so I had a C/D withdrawal. That said, if I don't take it easy in here the hubby might hit me over the head with my laptop. He takes the good with the bad though and says well at least you fighting with those online people you're not fighting with me
I spend way too much time in here. We just got back from vacation so I had a C/D withdrawal. That said, if I don't take it easy in here the hubby might hit me over the head with my laptop. He takes the good with the bad though and says well at least you fighting with those online people you're not fighting with me
Lol too funny and thanks for the laugh- sometimes he'll be talking to me and he'll say - let it go.. He knows my mind is just typing away.. That look Is all it takes to get me back to reality
How are things going with you? Please don't talk about transit woes
Lol too funny and thanks for the laugh- sometimes he'll be talking to me and he'll say - let it go.. He knows my mind is just typing away.. That look Is all it takes to get me back to reality
How are things going with you? Please don't talk about transit woes
I'm still in love with the city. Although sometimes it feels like I don't make much time to enjoy it. I commute to Mississauga by car from midtown. 10-7 shift. Not fun, but it isn't so bad.
I'm still in love with the city. Although sometimes it feels like I don't make much time to enjoy it. I commute to Mississauga by car from midtown. 10-7 shift. Not fun, but it isn't so bad.
Yeah that timeframe shouldn't be too bad but traffic is getting busier and busier even during 'off' peak times. Having a job is a necessary evil but hope you get out and enjoy the city any time you get the chance
Where are you getting this stuff from? Do you have any sources that Toronto doesn't have enough fundamentals for future generations to live in it and support it due to rising costs? Edmonton certainly has been a growth success and that is great but its growth is still quite a bit less than the Toronto CMA and i'm not convinced it will sustain the same growth rate it has has post oil collapse. Its certainly in a better position than Calgary but still not diverse enough to compete with Toronto in the CAD context.
Rent in Toronto btw is quite affordable for a large city. I pay 1300 CAD per month for a 1000 sq ft 2bdrm apartment in the city proper (not downtown but a 5 min walk to the subway). Even rent in DT Toronto isn't beyond the capability of young people to sustain if they work DT. Many get roommates until they can afford their own digs. DT Toronto is the job capital of Canada - young people live there now and will live there for a long time to come. When Edmonton becomes the economic power of Canada to the tune of 20 percent of the nations GDP than we'll talk. Until that time this sounds like a lot of nonsense. What is a 'second' tier millennial btw?
There are a few things to this. First, the cost of a home ie a detached home not a condo or not an apartment rental but a home is indeed very expensive in Toronto. That is something that can't be denied and most people are priced out of that these days. I think people need to assess their expectations in a city like Toronto where supply is very low when it comes to living in something really that is a land hog. If you want a home you're going to pay for it in Toronto.
There are cities in the world whereby most people don't live in such large dwellings. Barcelona comes to mind where most people actually live in mid-rise buildings. That is single people and families alike. So I think there increasingly has to be a shift in expectation among people who want to live in Toronto, including and particularly millennials that this is the reality living here. The house with the white picket fence and big backyard is just not the type of living that is easily supported here any more. That is the case with a lot of cities on a global scale. We need to sort of shift our mindset here in terms of dwelling expectations and needs. Do you really need to live in a house..
As for their sentiment, well its a 'sentiment' are they really going to move or is just a consideration. If your job is here and it pays well and its difficult to find that job in Edmonton or Regina or somewhere else with a small job market than you'll probably do one of three things - actually move and accept a big hit on your career, or the more likely options - you are going to simply move further away from your job and commute to live in that house (more likely for those millenials who reaaallly want to live in that type of dwelling), or you are going to move into an apartment or condo. Developers in Toronto are actually shifting away from the small condo boxes and building larger dwelling to support the increasing demand for larger condo's to support families. Toronto's housing market is a diverse one and it needs to have diverse options to meet the needs of as many people as possible.
Also, if these millennials what is it 45 percent in what is really a survey actually move and lets be realistic, they aren't all moving from the city - they are saying that in a survey but if that house means that much to them, most will move to smaller satellite cities outside Toronto or even the GTA for cheaper housing. I know a lot of people who commute to my workplace in Mississauga from Guelph, Milton, Pickering, Ajax, Hamilton because housing is cheaper. My employer even allows flex hours to employees so they can commute during less busy times.
I'm not a millennial but not too far above 34 and tbh - I live in an apartment and wouldn't even consider buying a home in Toronto. First, it doesn't suit the lifestyle of either my partner or I and second its too expensive. I'm perfectly happy to rent. To me its no muss no fuss living and very affordable. It represents about a sixth of our income so this means we can invest considerably and travel.
That all said, I really do think governments on all levels should and must take measures to deal with issues - ensuring there is adequate affordable housing, improving transit, changing policy to deal with housing issues. Of course they should and these are probably the biggest issues facing the city, but ultimately people including millennials also have to accept that there are certain advantages and disadvantages to living in Toronto. What I don't think is that any time soon, the economy or the growth of Toronto will be impacted to a great degree. When the city actually vents people and doesn't grow and when people aren't coming in and the GDP contracts and its relative importance to the CAD economy really starts to wane, than I think those would be the causes of greater concern than some frustrated millennials not being able to afford living in a land hog dwelling in the perfect location.
"I don't mean to offend anyone, but I despise the typical "I need to work my a$$ off to make a lot of money to buy a lot of expensive things to impress other people" kind of Anglo-Saxon mindset. Many people are slaves to their so-called "careers", and worse of all, all they can do with their hard earned money is to buy buy buy."
I agree, but Anglo-Saxon mindset? Really? If you were to walk through a subdivision, say in Richmond Hill, with its monster homes, expensive cars and narcissism I can pretty much guarantee you will find very few Anglo Saxons living there. It would be mostly Chinese, Persian and Russian. There is certainly an annoying parochial element to Scottish and British culture (see Nova Scotia as an example), but the careerist and status oriented people are found in greater abundance in those, and other, aforementioned cultures.
Last edited by Perspective71; 07-10-2016 at 02:07 PM..
"I don't mean to offend anyone, but I despise the typical "I need to work my a$$ off to make a lot of money to buy a lot of expensive things to impress other people" kind of Anglo-Saxon mindset. Many people are slaves to their so-called "careers", and worse of all, all they can do with their hard earned money is to buy buy buy."
I agree, but Anglo-Saxon mindset? Really? If you were to walk through a subdivision, say in Richmond Hill, with its monster homes, expensive cars and narcissism I can pretty much guarantee you will find very few Anglo Saxons living there. It would be mostly Chinese, Persian and Russian. There is certainly an annoying parochial element to Scottish and British culture (see Nova Scotia as an example), but the careerist and status oriented people are found in greater abundance in those, and other, aforementioned cultures.
The "old Europe" money hid behind walls, nobody knew who they were (except royalty). There was always a little more showiness in the UK and then spreading out from mainland Europe. Think about the manors/estates in the British countryside and how lavish they were. Suburbanism was inspired by a desire to be like the "lords" in the country, to have an estate like them. Even a 1/4 acre lot with a home was far better than living in a cramped apartment in the city center at the time.
Now, with vertical living, you can still have a pretty nice spacious apartment in the city and if there is parkland about, those needs can be met.
However, in places like Russia/China, there are very few individual family homes. Everything is a bit "communal". There are large blocks of apartments in the communism style and lack of individualism. So, the types of people that come to Canada want to escape that, and a giant house in the suburbs is wonderful to them. No cramped lifestyle, they can put their "stamp" on the house, etc...
As far as Persians and other Middle Easterners. They tend to have very large families with many generations living together and a large house is more suitable to the lifestyle. I believe I read that a 5 bedroom house is the average in Saudi Arabia for instance.
@bostonkid123, I was wondering where you disappeared to. I thought you might have gone back to Boston.
No I went to Berlin for 8 months working for our EMEA division, and now I am planning a move to Montreal because our company is permanently moving our Canadian corporate head offices from Toronto to Quebec along with 1500+ white collar positions. No offense to Toronto but you aren't the "center of universe" for all multinationals based in Canada. Some of our largest corporate clients like Bombardier, Air Canada, SNC Lavelin, and Canada's largest pension funds are based in Montreal so naturally we are moving there. A big part has to do with transport, cost of living, and livability - most of our U.S. and European-based expats simply prefer working and visiting Montreal over Toronto (the results part of an internal company wide survey on relocation preferences) because of lower housing cost / lower office leasing cost, much better access to rapid transit throughout Montreal island/Old Port/Downtown with attractive (and equally affordable) neighborhoods like Plateau, Mont Royal, and Quartier de Spectacles, as well as other intangibles like the rich culture/history, relaxing pace of life (aka work-life-balance in corporate speak), and French language, not to mention access to new bilingual talents from McGill, HEC Montreal, University of Montreal, and UQaM (we are planning a big recruiting campaign in these universities for new graduates starting in September)
So to answer fusion's question, yes I am actually moving to Montreal along with 820+ of my Toronto-based colleagues/European/U.S. expats and 700+ more local hires in Montreal.
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