James
Senior Member
Come south of the 401!
The Yonge & St. Clair area that you mention is absolutely fabulous. One of my favourite mature neighborhoods that I would definitely consider downsizing to when we retire.
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- Thread starter NorthYorkEd
- Start date
Come south of the 401!
The Yonge & St. Clair area that you mention is absolutely fabulous. One of my favourite mature neighborhoods that I would definitely consider downsizing to when we retire.
NorthYorkEd
Active Member
Come south of the 401!
The Yonge & St. Clair area that you mention is absolutely fabulous. One of my favourite mature neighborhoods that I would definitely consider downsizing to when we retire.
I only see two major obstacles in my way:
1. Cost. It's an expensive area.
2. I'd have to change my username!
44 North
Senior Member
But how is cost a problem if your proclaimed ideal area to move to (Bathurst to Mt Pleasant, St Clair to Lawrence) is a highly expensive quadrant between two subway lines? Obviously a small area that includes Davisville and Forest Hill is going to be costly as all hell.
NorthYorkEd
Active Member
Not sure if I understand the question. Cost is a major consideration for those of us who are not fabulously wealthy. Not everyone has (or wants to pay) $2-3 million for a detached or $600K+ for an 800 sq/ft box. But now we are getting way off topic...
44 North
Senior Member
Exactly, cost is an issue. That's why I'm questioning why you're ideal location to move is in within the costliest area of the city.
It's odd, just as your intermittent desire to 'pull back from the pace' and question city life doesn't seem to fit with your additional desire to live within the geographic centre of the city, bounded and bisected by major arterial roads.
It's odd, just as your intermittent desire to 'pull back from the pace' and question city life doesn't seem to fit with your additional desire to live within the geographic centre of the city, bounded and bisected by major arterial roads.
NorthYorkEd
Active Member
But I am not actively looking to pull back from the city nor am I questioning city life (although everyone seeks solace or peace once in a while). Many seem to have interpreted my original post this way, but the opposite is true. My question was more of a concern that it would last, i.e. has anyone ever woken up one day and just not loved it any more. After moving from a much smaller city, I wonder sometimes if the first few years are just a honeymoon phase, or if the enjoyment is something real and tangible. As it stands, we have embraced this city and are intending on staying for the long-term. If things eventually change, so be it.
It's my ideal location for a variety of reasons. Aside from the obvious appeal of its overall aesthetics and geographical location, all of them would be considered direct benefits of urban life.
ryguy7787
Active Member
I'm in my twenties and have lives here for eight years now. Before that I was living in Barrie, then Coldwater. I was always finding reasons to come to Toronto because it was a treat and I would want to explore just for the fact that Toronto has so much more than anywhere else in Canada can offer. (Vancouver isn't that large, I found that out quickly) And Montreal while great is limited by lack of new construction, certain anti-anglo groups and a very intense winter.
Everytime I go back to visit after a day I become home sick for Toronto. You need a car to get anywhere, most things close around 6 o'clock and life doesn't seem to change all that often. This website is the definition why I cannot get tired of Toronto. New Restaraunts, more businesses and Business Towers every six months. The most diverse ethnicities all interwoven to make one successful city.
I find Toronto to be too safe, too delicious, too accepting, too quirky to live anywhere else. Something is always happening, you just need to find out where
Everytime I go back to visit after a day I become home sick for Toronto. You need a car to get anywhere, most things close around 6 o'clock and life doesn't seem to change all that often. This website is the definition why I cannot get tired of Toronto. New Restaraunts, more businesses and Business Towers every six months. The most diverse ethnicities all interwoven to make one successful city.
I find Toronto to be too safe, too delicious, too accepting, too quirky to live anywhere else. Something is always happening, you just need to find out where
James
Senior Member
But isn't it just economics that most desirable locations would also be some of the costliest locations in the city?
44 North
Senior Member
Short answer, yes. Longer answer (taking into account this individual's realistic point about avoiding high costs, as well as questioning most things pertaining to urban life) then no.
There are areas that are more affordable, more a mix of the desirability put forth by Ed, and which offer a blend of the quiet/calm and hustle/bustle. So it makes sense to question why someone would proclaim the costliest area of the city as "ideal".
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James
Senior Member
^ I gotcha. I guess NorthYorkEd, not to put words in his mouth, used the term "ideal" sort of in the context of "in a perfect world".
Long Island Mike
Senior Member
Gabe: I fully understand how you feel...When I was younger (teens-20s) NYC and Toronto were a lot of fun - The fast pace and plenty of
things to do were great BUT...When you get older and want to slow down some the "rat race" is not as much fun anymore...
The "dog eat dog" mentality to me can be troubling but as I remember Toronto from my stays and visits the pace was just a bit slower
and with plenty of things to do and see at any time Toronto became a favorite city of mine...That's one of the reasons I am a member
of the UT website...LI MIKE
doady
Senior Member
Even if you love the city, sometimes you should go out into the country. Go fishing, camping, hiking, etc. It's good to escape the city once in a while. As soon as you cross Ninth Line, it is a very different feeling. It is good to experience it once in a while.
44 North
Senior Member
Exactly. Because everyone gets fatigued of where they're at - whether it's city, country, or everything in between. Otherwise fatigue becomes soured hatred.
Lost In The Wilds
Banned
I am thankful to have parents that own a cottage. Going to Muskoka is such a replenishing experience; and something absolutely essential for me. I enjoy the city for many reasons, but I always love to go into the back country and find solitude. I feel the most alive when I'm surrounded by forests, lakes, rivers, wild animals -- and actually have fresh air to breathe, soft, pure water to immerse myself in and the chance to see the stars like our ancestors did. Its like getting back to our primal state. You feel like a savage cro-magnon. The vulnerability you feel when you're surrounded by forests for miles in each direction is both exciting and scary. When you're out hiking, you're at the mercy of the land. You can be staring at a serene river, unwittingly, with a potential black bear in your midst that could make pulled pork out of you.
ksun
Senior Member
That's exactly how I felt when I came to Toronto. So much quieter, no long lines at banks, you get a seat in subways/buses, and everything is much slower. I still never understand why people complain about "noise, crowdedness and pollution" in Toronto. I don't think Toronto has too much of any of this. Even the Eaton centre/Dundas Sq during its most crowded time is really not a big deal compared with what I used to see on major streets back home. I actually wish there are two or three Dundas sq kind of crowded public space downtown.
Three years ago an old friend visited me, and was a bit surprise to find "Toronto is a mid-sized city" because he thought it would be a much denser city. To me, Toronto is a good sized city, not too big, not too small. Downtown could bit a bit denser and it is quickly happening.
City fatigue? You will know it when you step into a bank to make a transaction, and have to take a ticket from a machine which tells you there are 85 customers ahead of you.