Toronto info. pls | ExpatWoman.com
 

Toronto info. pls

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shyzie
108
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 08:47
Hi there...we lived there for the past 7 yrs and now back in dxb...My son loved Toronto...lots of outdoor activities...esp in the summer....parks,biking,hiking etc... Well with regards to the school...usually it would have to be the public school that is in yr neighbour hood...unless u choose privite schools that can be very pricey...Yes agree downtown areas are expensive....we lived by Bayview and Finch...excellent area and great schools...bayview middle and earl haigh school zone... The yonge/sheppard and yonge/finch or yonge/eglington are great areas...lots of new condos...yes the mls.ca is a great place to search for properties....as for schools check out www.tdsb.on.ca...hope this helps and goodluck with yr move to Toronto:))
monatek
10
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 22:22
I agree with the other Toronto folks who have provided great advice. Just for one more perspective, my fam lives in the Rosedale area. It's a super nice neighborhood and the elementary school, Whitney, is REALLY good. I absolutely love that area - it's very close to downtown and has a wonderful energy. Pricey, but definitely worth it in my opinion.
eu-sweetheart23986
62
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 20:21
I am from Toronto :) How lucky are you to be moving there?! It is honestly one of the best cities in the world and once you get over the cold winters (not so bad as people know how to dress for winter there and the houses are very warm!) you will love the downtown areas and funky culture. It is a very multicultural city and there is something for everyone. I spend every summer there with my 3 kids and but have also lived abroad for many years and can compare. There is a fantastic standard of living there. Redleaf, you mentioned some fantastic areas but as an expat I would think that it would be far too expensive to live downtown. Plus it really isn't as nice for children as a bit farther out of the city East or West or even North. We own 2 properties there and have a pretty good handle on rental prices. Where will you or your husband be based for work? This makes a difference as the commute can be long! Nice large homes in Pickering, Ajax and Scarborough with a short Go Train Commute. Do you want a house or do you mind an apartment? Schools are plentiful and the system is similar to American system. So...my daughter who is in FS2 here would be in Kindergarten in Toronto. My son who is in Year 3 now is equivalent to GRADE 2. Schools for the most part are good and free! Restaurants- loads of family restaurants similar to the US and family friendly prices too. You will have a great time. Let me know if you need any more help...we are very close to the city and have done alot of research for ourselves too. <em>edited by eu-sweetheart on 22/11/2011</em>
marycatherine
1759
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 18:21
Does Year 1 UK mean he is now 6 or that he will be 6 in June? If the latter, I would think he would be placed in Grade 1 in the Canadian system which is basically "full time" - not sure about Ontario's school system, but he would go for full mornings and probably up until 2pm in the afternoon The last train was about midnight. The info is available online for all the GO transit system (busses and trains) Where will you or your DH be working? That may have a lot of bearing on where you live. If one/other is downtown, there is an excellent public tranport system from nice areas that are not so expensive as Toronto proper. I used to use the GO Train from the border of Etobicoke and Missisauga - less than 20 minutes and it ran at frequent intervals from 0600 to 1900 hrs. Once you know where you will be living you will have to contact the local school board to enroll your child - as I don't have kids I have no idea what the process is but it should be easy to find the info on the internet. Housing, I would imagine a townhouse with a yard is very doable in most areas of Toronto proper and the suburbs, Etobicoke, Missisauga, etc. etc. <em>edited by marycatherine on 22/11/2011</em>
sara656225
55
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 16:54
Thanks so much for all the info so far. Sorry, should have been clearer re. schools - yes he will be going to a public school but not sure how to go about enrolling him - would we have to wait until we have a rental contract and then apply to the school for that catchment area? Also, are kids of that age in full-time school or still in KG?
redleaf
169
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 13:36
Hi sara65 I am a Toronto girl ;) but haven't lived there in a while so am out of touch with rental costs etc. The best place to look is on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which compiles all of the rental properties in one place. http://www.mls.ca/splash.aspx You can search by area. If you are talking about the City of Toronto - my favourite residential areas are Cabbagetown, Riverdale, Leslieville, the Beaches, Young/ Lawrence or Eglinton area, Bathurst and St Clair etc. I have friends that all live in these neighbourhoods and love them. However, I am sure the rents are high, as they are popular. The city sprawls into the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and there are nice and cheaper suburbs to live in if you move away from the downtown areas. Really depends on commutes and where work will be. As for schools, only ever went to public school. Overall, the public school system is great. I don't know anyone who went to a private school. You shouldn't have a problem with school places. And yes, your school will be decided by where you live. As for stores. No Debenhams and no M&S. They used to be in Canada but pulled out some years ago. Plenty of other amazing shopping though!
Gummy45034
257
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 13:10
Toronto is huge so where you chose to live will likely depend on where you work. Similarly rents vary based on bedroom # and location and if you wanted a townhouse, detached... I would budget at least 2k CAD. I can't help with private schools as my kids went to public. If you are putting your children in the public system you can't choose schools - your child has to go to whatever school is closest. You can pick from a public school,' a French public school, a French catholic public school or an English public school. cost of items... Depends on where you shop, but I think groceries and clothes are cheaper. Eating out, again, depends on where you go... It is quite easy to find a family friendly place where you can feed 4 for less than 60$. I have never heard of those stores so if they have them they likely don't have lots of them and it may be a trek for you. I would just go to the website of whatever store you really like and check their store finder section. I didn't live in Toronto, I lived nearby, but I have lots of family there. <em>edited by Gummy on 22/11/2011</em>
Pinkleton47884
115
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 09:20
Never lived there myself but have visited a few times. I love the Missisaga/Oakville area, but it depends on how close you need to be. Applebee College which is a really good school and you could check out their website for more info. <em>edited by Pinkleton on 22/11/2011</em>
MomOfTwins
557
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 09:18
Are you going to be working IN Toronto??? If so, which area? We used to live in Orangeville, MUCH nicer area to live and within drive distance to work if you work on the west side of To.
sara656225
55
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 November 2011 - 09:13
It is looking quite likely we will be moving to Toronto in the next 6 months. Just wondering if some some Toronto-ites can give me some info on the following - 1) good areas to live in & approx. rental prices (would prefer a townhouse with garden rather than a 'condo') 2) good schools and how to go about finding a school place for a five-yr old who is in Year 1 in UK system (June birthday) 3) Cost of living (food, clothes, eating out,) 4) Shops - do they have M&S, Debenhams? Many thanks for any info/advice.
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