Moving to Toronto

Toronto, Canada’s largest city, is impressive on many different levels. People moving to Toronto discover a prime location for business and recreation. Many relocate to Toronto because it is a city widely known to embrace diversity, the arts and an active lifestyle.

Getting around the city

Toronto is the quintessential city for those committed to a reduced carbon footprint. With one of the largest mass transit systems in North America, hybrid-electric buses, a high walk score and an expanding bike network, relocating to Toronto presents the perfect opportunity to reduce daily dependence on a car. If a car is needed on occasion, options include Car2Go, Zip Car, and AutoShare. Toronto residents are environmentally conscious. In addition to public transportation and walking, proper garbage disposal and recycling are the norms. Moving to Toronto, Canada, may well be a move toward improving quality of life.

Ranked as the second most walkable large city in Canada, Toronto offers a choice of restaurants, bars and coffee shops typically reached on foot in five minutes. The PATH encompasses 30 kilometres of linked routes underground, ideal when seasonal weather hits extreme temperatures. Lining the subterranean walkway are restaurants, shops, banks, medical facilities and entertainment. The greater Toronto metropolitan area is comprised of buses, streetcars and subway lines. Bus and commuter rail operates under the GO (Government of Ontario) Transit system. Bikers who move to Toronto are accommodated by flat terrain. Bike lockers are situated in main transit hubs, and there are bike-share programs with over 80 stations.

Neighbourhoods

The most walkable neighbourhoods are Bay Street Corridor, Church-Yonge Corridor, Kensington-Chinatown, University and Palmerston-Little Italy. Chinatown wakens the senses with savoury food, herbal aromas, colourful signage, lively festivities, relaxing spas and charming shops. Kensington Market, designated as the National Historic Site of Canada, is an inviting setting with patio dining, coffee shops, independent bookstores and cannabis cafes. Yonge-Dundas Square is an open public space constructed in stone and concrete that serves as a venue for live events, community functions, street performers and trendy boutiques.

Housing

The various area neighbourhoods offer something for everyone. Before moving to Toronto, consider the type of housing you need. The downtown area embraces a wide range of socioeconomic diversity both in its residents and housing styles. Here you can find many co-ops, townhouses, semi-detached homes and bungalows. The central part of the city is considered high-end, filled with tree-lined streets, parks and prestigious homes. The northern section draws singles and young families. First-time home buyers tend to gravitate toward the east, where home purchase tends to be more affordable. The western locale is popular with working families. Schools and shops are within close proximity, and there are neighbourhoods built around High Park, which borders Lake Ontario.

Education

Young families moving to Toronto have the option of enrolling their children in nondenominational public schools or Catholic schools, both of which are covered through tax dollars. The location of the child’s residence dictates the public school where the child is eligible for enrollment.

Tuition is required at private schools, which include Branksome Hall, Bayview Glen School, Cedar Grove School, Fern Hill School and Somerset Academy. Toronto is home to more than a dozen colleges, including University of Toronto, proudly Canada’s largest institute of higher learning, and Toronto School of Art.

There are also several highly rated language schools, including GEOS Languages Plus, Hansa Language Centre-Yonge Campus and Language Studies International (LSI). The Greater Toronto Area is a robust area of ethnic and cultural diversity where multitudinous languages can be heard.

Main attractions

The renowned CN Tower is over 553 meters, winning accolades as the tallest free-standing structure worldwide. A restaurant sitting at the top provides diners with a striking vantage point for viewing the city as it revolves more than 351 meters. The tower’s programmable architectural lighting enables a variety of luminary effects to raise awareness for many charities and special causes.

Royal Ontario Museum welcomes visitors to its galleries of natural history and world cultures. Children explore the hands-on discovery area and dedicated kids’ learning zone. This is one of Canada’s largest museums, showcasing extensive collections and curatorial expertise.

The celebrated Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) performs several concerts over the course of the year in the best performance venues in the city. TSO also conducts musician workshops.

Sports venues

Air Canada Centre (ACC) is a bustling multipurpose indoor sports arena that welcomes hockey, basketball and lacrosse players from national leagues. The Royal Canadian Yacht Club, established in 1852, functions today as a year-round sailing and social club. They also hold summer tennis camps as well as sports camps for basketball, soccer, floor hockey, dodge ball, European handball and more. The Hockey Hall of Fame honours hockey players of notoriety with exhibits reflective of the sport’s history, hockey films, including 3D, shown in two theatres, and a museum displaying an array of collectibles.

Toronto is a lodestone that attracts a divergent population of families and singles, musicians and athletes, and students and professionals. As a city conducive to both work and play, moving to Toronto is an opportunity to find the balance to which many aspire.