Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi there,
I'm an American that is possibly considering living in the Toronto area because it seems like there's a lot of job opportunities there, it's a well maintained city with a lot of friendly people for as urban as it is, and it's also calm and clean and has a lot of diversity and cool cultures to indulge in, and since I am South Asian myself, I'd fit in Toronto perfectly. However, I am looking to live in a suburban area, whether it'd be in the city proper or in one of the regional municipalities. I was wondering what are Toronto's suburbs like and if they would fit me well. Here are the factors I would consider in a suburb (and if you guys have a good suburban-like neighborhood in Toronto such as Scarborough or Etobicoke, you could include that also):
-Cost of living to income ratio (I know that Toronto is expensive, but it's not insanely expensive to the point that it's insufferable. I would like to know where in the GTA I could live comfortably in as a computer science or mechanical engineering major since either of those two majors I may end up choosing to major in.)
-Taxes (I know that Canada has taxes in most areas and Toronto's one of the highest places when it comes to tax burden, but I'd like to know what places in Toronto do people not feel overtaxed in. And what kind of benefits to people get from Toronto's taxes, since I know that there's plenty of benefits that people get in Toronto both on a personal level and societal level so that they can maintain their city to be well-adjusted all around for the most part and also for them to have a high quality of life).
-Crime (I know Toronto is known as one of the safest major cities in the world, but I also know there are some bad areas in Regent Park and Jane And Finch. So I'd like to know where in the GTA I could find areas with a tolerable crime rate.)
-Amenities
-Commute time (depending on where the job is, whether it's in one of Toronto proper's 4 districts or in Mississauga or anywhere else in the metropolitan area I could get a job. And I know that Toronto's traffic is there, but it doesn't seem that bad, and I know they have some transit facilities such as electric streetcars or other things, so could you guys tell me how good it would be, because I would like to drive some days and use public transit other days.)
-Access to healthcare facilities (I know you guys got Medicare For All, but it would definitely be nice to have that quick access and whatnot so I would definitely like to be informed on that just in case.)
-Air quality (I know you guys have very great way of regulating air quality, but since Toronto is a little bit industrial, I would like to know where I could have some of the best air quality.)
-Walkability (I know Toronto is one of the most walkable cities in North America, so I'd definitely want to know about that.)
-Proximity to natural areas
-Natural disasters
-Parks
-Family friendliness (in general places that are family friendly, I know there's a lot of suburbs in the GTA that are family friendly but I'd like to know what's the best in Toronto in general.)
-Racial diversity (I know that Toronto is basically the capital of South Asians in North America, and as a South Asian myself, I can fit in many areas. But I'd like to know what place in the GTA would have the best mix of diversity.)
Also one more thing: I was born in raised in the US and I currently live in Houston, so I'd like to be informed on how immigration process would work when moving to Canada if I were to get a job there.
That's all. Please consider all these criteria for helping me decide where to live and consider all these regional municipalities for me: Halton, Peel, Durham, York. And for municipality districts: Scarborough and Etobicoke.
Last edited by thr0waway9087654322343546; 12-22-2020 at 05:47 PM..
The very first thing you need to do is......Take the self test on the Canada Immigration website, to find out if you CAN get enough points to qualify as a Immigrant. The system here is based on a points score, which is based on a number of factors. Never assume. The current minimum score is around 450 points. The higher your score, the more likely you are to be invited to come to Canada.
link. This is a Canadian Government website. The score you achieve is for your own information.
Honestly, the suburbs are the suburbs. They are like any other post-war suburb in North America. Some, like Mississauga, are fairly densely built, but the public transit is garbage and you need a car, while housing costs aren’t much different from Toronto itself.
You are asking for a lot of general information that is readily available with a little research and time on various Toronto boards and websites. Much of the information you’re looking for is here in this forum if you go back through the threads. I can’t write an essay for you on the ins and outs of the Toronto suburbs because it is both complicated and also pretty typical in terms of it’s built environment and offerings. The GTA suburbs generally consist of a central area dominated by high rises, some arterial roads filled with strip malls for mile after mile, and subdivisions as far as the eye can see. Some people like the suburban life, but it’s not really my thing. I left Toronto briefly and then couldn’t return because prices went up so fast. Got stuck in Mississauga and am pretty much trapped here now. IMO, the only thing good about the GTA burbs are their close proximity to Toronto.
My advice is to do some serious research to find all the information you’re looking for because it’s a big decision (if you can even make the immigration cut, as the previous poster pointed out.) If you’re going to make such a big decision, it’s best to get your information from a variety of primary and secondary sources. I would also visit for yourself when you have zeroed in on a couple areas of interest and see them in person before making the move so you know if they match your needs.
Best of luck!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
