I am gonna be relocating to toronto for work and was wondering if it's a nice place? By nice i mean the people and transport and all that. Oh and the cost of living.
Well not sure where your coming from ...but it is a nice place and a clean city ...this also includes all the surrounding areas . The people are nice ...as for the cost of living if your comparing it to Canada ...IN the major cities it is always higher than others. For example Ottawa has a lower cost of living and lower rental rates but on the same side the pay is lower than people working in ToronTO . I work for a large nations wide company located thorughout Canada I noticed that when other employees in smaller areas find out they are paid less than those in Toronto . Montreal ,or Vancouver they tend to get upset not thinking that it is also cheaper to live in Places like Bridge water Nova Scotia .
Don't worry you'll do fine
I find like the guy above most people who answer your question negatively have never been to Canada . I have many collegues at work from the States and they Love Canada for its cleanliness , people and way of life ...and friendlier people with less social issues
Canadian standard of living is also rated as among the highest in the world
Abd the TTC ( toronto transit commision ) is also rated as one of the best
Their are so many interestng areas to dine out ..
Danforth -Greek food
St -clair to woodbridge _italian
Downtown as many other sub communities like kensignton where you'll find great chinese,portugese and other ethnic restaurants for dining out . It is a great multicultural area
Jobs are a bit hard to find as there is a lot of competition, but you should be fine in culinary arts. As for how nice Toronto is, it depends on where. Stay clear of the rougher neighbourhoods (Regent Park, Rexdale, Jane&Finch, Malvern) and you should be fine. People are generally friendly here, but some can be quite self-absorbed, particularly the yuppies from the suburbs. Decent night life, lots of good theatre and concerts, many pro sports teams, and the diversity means great restaurants. As for the Asians, more than half are young 2nd generation and tend to cluster in certain neighbourhoods, just as the European immigrants do. There is lots of white, traditionally North American middle class-centred communities within an hour's drive/train ride of the city to balance out the diversity. Those are the positives, the negatives include a sometimes indifferent city council, smog and pollution (the city is a lot dirtier than it was 20 years ago), and the transit system and infrastructure are woefully inept for the amount of people who live here. Comparing Toronto to New York, we have less traffic congestion but the NY subway is 10 times superior to our TTC.
I can't speak for cost of living because it has been a while since I have lived there -
but for the rest, it was for me one of the best cities in the world. A very diverse population (so there are GREAT restaurants for virtually any kind of food you want), tremendous arts opportunities (symphony, opera, professional theatre, dance, night clubs), great stores, sports events, the whole waterfront area - wonderful public transport throughout the whole city.
I think Toronto is one of the three best cities in the world. People are friendly, Canada has great social services, like medical support - you are in for a real treat.
It depends on where you are coming from. If youre coming from the States than TO is a great place. If youre coming from elsewhere in Canada, TO is a big city so it's full of what big cities are full of, a bit more crime. The cost of living is high there. It's very friendly generally and there is a lot to do. I know 4 people who have moved there and love it and are all still there after 10-20 years so far.
Seven out of the past eight years, Canada has been ranked number one by the United Nations in their annual Human Development Index. By combining factors such as the cost of living, adult literacy, job opportunities, life expectancy and school enrollment, the UN determines the Canadian standard of living to be among the highest in the world.
Toronto is Canada's economic and business centre, offering all the academic, cultural and commercial opportunites that are available in many American cities. Being in Canada, however, the cost of living is much lower than American cities. When compared to New York City in the Worldwide 2001 Cost of Living Survey done by by global human resource consulting firm William M. Mercer, it is reported that the average cost (in US$) for a two bedroom apartment is $4,275 in NYC, while it is $1,658 in Toronto. An average cup of coffee is $3.35 in New York, and $1.85 in Toronto. The survey gives NYC a score of 100 for "quality of living" and rates Toronto a score of 103.5.
According to Runheimer International, Toronto is one of the least expensive cities to live in in the world. Their research shows a family of three making US$100,000/year would only need US$65,958 to live the same lifestyle in Toronto. A cost of living calculator shows that one making US$40,000 in Chicago would only need US$29,000 to live in Toronto. Similarly, one making US$35,000 in Los Angeles, whould need only US$26,000 in Toronto.
The quality of life in Toronto is not comparable to most American cities as well. Education standards are high, the Canadian Health Care system is available to anyone who has residency in Ontario for three months, and Crime rates are lower than almost all major U.S. cities.
One caution: If you have been living in a small rural community, you may find life pretty expensive in Toronto.
Comments
Well not sure where your coming from ...but it is a nice place and a clean city ...this also includes all the surrounding areas . The people are nice ...as for the cost of living if your comparing it to Canada ...IN the major cities it is always higher than others. For example Ottawa has a lower cost of living and lower rental rates but on the same side the pay is lower than people working in ToronTO . I work for a large nations wide company located thorughout Canada I noticed that when other employees in smaller areas find out they are paid less than those in Toronto . Montreal ,or Vancouver they tend to get upset not thinking that it is also cheaper to live in Places like Bridge water Nova Scotia .
Don't worry you'll do fine
I find like the guy above most people who answer your question negatively have never been to Canada . I have many collegues at work from the States and they Love Canada for its cleanliness , people and way of life ...and friendlier people with less social issues
Canadian standard of living is also rated as among the highest in the world
Abd the TTC ( toronto transit commision ) is also rated as one of the best
Their are so many interestng areas to dine out ..
Danforth -Greek food
St -clair to woodbridge _italian
Downtown as many other sub communities like kensignton where you'll find great chinese,portugese and other ethnic restaurants for dining out . It is a great multicultural area
Jobs are a bit hard to find as there is a lot of competition, but you should be fine in culinary arts. As for how nice Toronto is, it depends on where. Stay clear of the rougher neighbourhoods (Regent Park, Rexdale, Jane&Finch, Malvern) and you should be fine. People are generally friendly here, but some can be quite self-absorbed, particularly the yuppies from the suburbs. Decent night life, lots of good theatre and concerts, many pro sports teams, and the diversity means great restaurants. As for the Asians, more than half are young 2nd generation and tend to cluster in certain neighbourhoods, just as the European immigrants do. There is lots of white, traditionally North American middle class-centred communities within an hour's drive/train ride of the city to balance out the diversity. Those are the positives, the negatives include a sometimes indifferent city council, smog and pollution (the city is a lot dirtier than it was 20 years ago), and the transit system and infrastructure are woefully inept for the amount of people who live here. Comparing Toronto to New York, we have less traffic congestion but the NY subway is 10 times superior to our TTC.
I can't speak for cost of living because it has been a while since I have lived there -
but for the rest, it was for me one of the best cities in the world. A very diverse population (so there are GREAT restaurants for virtually any kind of food you want), tremendous arts opportunities (symphony, opera, professional theatre, dance, night clubs), great stores, sports events, the whole waterfront area - wonderful public transport throughout the whole city.
I think Toronto is one of the three best cities in the world. People are friendly, Canada has great social services, like medical support - you are in for a real treat.
It depends on where you are coming from. If youre coming from the States than TO is a great place. If youre coming from elsewhere in Canada, TO is a big city so it's full of what big cities are full of, a bit more crime. The cost of living is high there. It's very friendly generally and there is a lot to do. I know 4 people who have moved there and love it and are all still there after 10-20 years so far.
Seven out of the past eight years, Canada has been ranked number one by the United Nations in their annual Human Development Index. By combining factors such as the cost of living, adult literacy, job opportunities, life expectancy and school enrollment, the UN determines the Canadian standard of living to be among the highest in the world.
Toronto is Canada's economic and business centre, offering all the academic, cultural and commercial opportunites that are available in many American cities. Being in Canada, however, the cost of living is much lower than American cities. When compared to New York City in the Worldwide 2001 Cost of Living Survey done by by global human resource consulting firm William M. Mercer, it is reported that the average cost (in US$) for a two bedroom apartment is $4,275 in NYC, while it is $1,658 in Toronto. An average cup of coffee is $3.35 in New York, and $1.85 in Toronto. The survey gives NYC a score of 100 for "quality of living" and rates Toronto a score of 103.5.
According to Runheimer International, Toronto is one of the least expensive cities to live in in the world. Their research shows a family of three making US$100,000/year would only need US$65,958 to live the same lifestyle in Toronto. A cost of living calculator shows that one making US$40,000 in Chicago would only need US$29,000 to live in Toronto. Similarly, one making US$35,000 in Los Angeles, whould need only US$26,000 in Toronto.
The quality of life in Toronto is not comparable to most American cities as well. Education standards are high, the Canadian Health Care system is available to anyone who has residency in Ontario for three months, and Crime rates are lower than almost all major U.S. cities.
One caution: If you have been living in a small rural community, you may find life pretty expensive in Toronto.
People: cold and aloof
Transport: Commuter trains late 3 out of 5 days a week
Public transit is going downhill fast.
Weather: Warmer than you'd think.
Cost of living: Exorbitant but not as bad as New York, London.
Wilderness: Two hour drive.
Skiing: Two hour drive
Lakes, beaches, etc. 15 min. on streetcar from downtown.
Real lakes and beaches: 1.5 to 2 hour drive.
Niagara Falls: 1.5 hour drive.
America: 1.5 hour drive plus 15min. for car search.
The country within a country of Quebec: 5 hour drive
Montreal Quebec: 7 hour drive.
Cheapest way to get out of Toronto by plane: Buffalo
Restaurants: European style restaurants cheaper than in Europe.
Tipping: 10%-15% recommended.
Taxtips:
http://www.taxtips.ca/provincial_sales_tax.htm