Any DUers know the Toronto area?

My husband will be doing some work out there and looking for a place to live. The place he is working is in Missisauga, but he is hoping to be able to get a place in a more fun area and commute a bit. Does anyone have any recommendations for good neighborhoods or good places to look for shared rentals and sublets? I would be realy greatful.

How much of a commute does he want? Personally if he's working in Missasuaga I would live in Hamilton, I love Hamilton but many say it's a shithole.

so tell me...what is it like around the University of Toronto area?

also-- is MacGill U. in Montreal French speaking only?

what parts of Toronto and Montreal are areas where people live who are involved in the arts, say...areas which are affordable, compared to the going rates.

what are other interesting areas and why?

where are the best places to go to hear music...clubs with blues or jazz and other things which are not Marilyn Manson-ish or estasy-ish?

The U of T is a big campus that is mainly downtown very business like area if memory serves. But the campus is spread out around T.O. Montreal is probably more english than french. But I'm not sure. I went a French universite in Quebec and it was a neat experience. If you are decidin between the two cities I'd go with Montreal.

I haven't been to Toronto as in BEEN to Toronto since I was 18 so I don't know the pubs. Or interesting areas

Montreal However........try ALL OF THEM!
St Catherines, old Montreal...do the trip north to Quebec Coty you will never regret that. Try the Peele Pub, or the Loft.

I think that's probably too far for hamilton. It's hard to tell just from looking at maps. I haven't been to Toronto for five years and it's hard to remember the areas. He's sort of leaning towards living in downtown toronto.

There are many small towns outside of toronto that are nice too.

and, I might add, a major centre for Skinhead/Neonazi activity.

I lived in toronto for a couple of years, when I was a teenager, and later, when stationed at CFB Downsview...

the Downtown of Toronto is bordered by Bloor Street to the north, and Front Street/Lake Ontario to the South. The City breaks down into East/West at Yonge Street. The further South you are in Toronto, the better off you are, as a rule of thumb. Areas like North York and Scarborough are basically suburbs, as are cities like Mississauga, Oakville, Ajax, etc.

Here's the basic breakdown: Queen Street runs East/West through the whole City. Queen West is kind of the artsy, fashionable area. Lots of nightclubs, goths, record shops, CITY-TV, the Provincial Legislature, many of the Consulates, Chinatown, and the CNE are all in the Queen West Area. Queen/Spadina is the beginning of the garment district, and if you go North a few blocks on Spadina, you'll end up in the U of T Downtown Campus area. Anywhere north of Queen, West of Spadina is Little Italy, Little Portugal. Great restaurants, clubs, and some nice, quiet neighbourhoods (if you've seen "Bowling for Columbine", the Toronto Neighbourhood featured is in Little Portugal). Just to the west of Queen West is "Parkville", which is NOT a good place to live.

Mississauga is west of the City proper, so the commute from Queen West is pretty convenient. Catch a "Go Train" from Union Station, and it'll take you right to Mississauga, Oakville, Hamilton and beyond. I believe the Toronto Subway goes almost all the way to the east side of Mississauga now, too, but I'm not sure about that.

Queen Street East is more up-and-coming, and is a vibrant neighbourhood. It also features the area known as "The Beaches", which is nice, but keep in mind they're talking about beaches on the North shore of Lake Ontario, so don't get your hopes up.

Yorkville is the neighbourhood just off Bay Street, where Neil Young, Rick James, and Joni Mitchell got their starts. It used to be THE counterculture neighbourhood in the 60's/70's, but now it's completely gentrified, and VERY expensive. If you're in the Yorkville area, you have GOT to go to Movenpick for dinner. Trust me on this!

Where you choose to live depends alot on not only how much you're willing to spend, but on what kind of person you are, and what kind of environment you want to enjoy on your free time.

I'm sure there are some Ontarian DUers who can comment further. If you want more info, PM me!

:-)

That is really useful information.

I was born and raised there ... my guess is that hard-core skinheads are more likely to be coming from the 'burbs and even outlying cities like Burlington. That is, unless they like living in the downtown areas with lots of Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Asian immigrants. I remember a bus ride in from Guelph, with a bunch of kids wearing skinhead gear. They were going to book a hotel room in town, and go out looking for people to fight ....

If I were relocating back home in the next few years -- a distinct possibility -- I would likely go for the North End. Or one of the older Mountain neighbourhoods near my folks (but not one of the new suburbs, which like most North American 'burbs don't have good transit). Or if I got a job at McMaster, maybe Dundas (less snobby than Westdale or Ancaster).

and I know the area.

Don't live in Toronto!!!!

Many people live in Missisauga and do the commute to Toronto just to avoid living there. If you've got a job there, it's probably a perfectly good place to live.

Hamilton is nice enough as long as you're up on the hill and not near the big steel foundries.

Burlington is really nice, but it's getting to be considered a tony area and prices have gone up.

is it just the expense?

We have spent most of our adult lives in San Francisco, so are used to paying huge rents. We have been living in a very rural desert area for a year, so are kind of looking forward to being in a city. It would be so cool to be able to walk to places & go to bars and restaurants and such without driving for hours.

I share it myself but for the sake of diplomacy I didn't want to start badmouthing it.

is rather nice. :)

I was stationed in London, too. That's a little too far for a daily commute to Mississauga, IMHO.

You have to rely upon the 400 series of highways (I think it's the 410 to the 427 Southbound, or one of the new ones through Dundas to the QEW), which is HELL in rush hour.

He's found a room in downtown Toronto to rent by the week & is very excited about being in a city again. If I end up living there with him eventually we will have a lot of time to look around and find some good areas.

This year, he has spent the summer in the desert and will be spending the winter in Toronto, worst of both worlds. I think that's kind of funny.

I don't know the cross street yet. At any rate, it's a hotel where he's renting by the week. This gives him time to find something good. Or stay there, if that place works out.

The area has good memories. It's near where he bought me a gift of an adult nature when we were on our honeymoon.

I'm going to go visit him in January and am really looking forward to it! Hopefully everything will work out and we will both end up moving there. It's funny to think of him among all those people when I'm out here in the rural desert a half mile away from the nearest neighbor.