Toronto is one of the best destinations to move to in North America. It has a population of 2.8 million people, which makes Toronto Canada’s most populated city, and the area has a wonderful mix of ethnicities, ideas, cultures and activities. The city has appeal on some level for everybody. Toronto is a wonderful place to move to and call home. But there are a few things to know before seizing the adventure out here. Below is a quick, useful list to get you started.
Weather
One of Toronto’s pleasant and defining characteristics is its weather. You should be prepared for its large variety of weather conditions. Throughout the winter, like much of Canada, the temperatures plummet in most of the city. However, because of the urban heat sink phenomena, Toronto’s downtown area is a bit warmer than other parts of the city. Contrarily, the summer temperatures are quite different and it commonly gets up to forty degrees Celsius plus humidity, which many residents find great for the outdoors.
Transportation
Like its sister city, Vancouver, Toronto is well-known for its excellent public transportation. The city’s public transit is orchestrated by the Toronto Transit Commission and includes subways, streetcars and buses. Although these methods are certainly not the most affordable public transit in the world, it will get you where you need to go at a fairly quick and painless pace.
Cost
Unfortunately alongside great advantages comes a price tag to match. Toronto is an incredibly expensive place to live. In order to thrive here you need to be financially stable and prepared to spend money. The housing, rental and overall cost of living are generally higher than anywhere else in Canada. If you’re on the ropes of being able to afford Toronto, there isn’t much of a shoestring option here, so you might want to consider moving to a different Canadian city. However, if your heart is set on this area and you’re prepared to face the tough financial times ahead and obediently balance your budget, you’ll still discover this place is a wonderful option.
Besides the aforementioned, if you’ve recently moved to Toronto, it can be a bit tricky to find your place in the city and learn about its quirks. Here are five of the more surprising and interesting things about Toronto that will help you fit right in with long-time locals. Tips brought to you by BlogTo, Trip Advisor and HikeBikeTravel.
- Scattered throughout the metropolis are cute, quaint house with a high fence in the back and no mailbox, but they’re actually hidden power transformers instead of residential homes.
- The beginnings of a hidden subway station under Queen were constructed before the Bloor-Danforth subway was built. The original plan had been to build a Queen Street subway line, and prior to that project being shelved, the shell of a station was carved out near City Hall.
- The three white dots embedded in the pavement at an intersection detect the presence of a bicycle and tell the light to change at intersections where the signals are set to remain on green until a vehicle arrives at the cross street.
- There are miles of hidden underground waterways and rivers undreneath the city.
- More than 30 percent of Toronto residents speak a language besides English and French. Dual language street signs can be found in Little Italy, Little Portugal and Chinatown.
- Toronto is often seen as the most Multicultural City in the World with over fifty percent of its citizens born anywhere but Toronto. This leaves to the metropolis with an extraordinary culinary scene as foods from all over the world are available all within a relatively short drive!
If you are considering moving to Toronto or the surrounding GTA, get yourself a good real estate agent who can help you find the right place at a price that you can hopefully afford.