Post: #1

Hey,

I'm planning to move to Toronto in about 2 weeks and I'd like some help with deciding on which neighborhood I should move to!!

I'm planning to search for a job and hopefully getting one before 3 months, so I'm willing to pay up to 500-550 for a room, I could move to my own place if I find a decent job later on. I'm looking to night game so the location should be close to downtown and at least have a few bars in the area for date/fuck occasions. Would also like to be near a public library, grocery, metro, etc... the essentials for a new guy in town.

I'm 26 btw if that makes any difference!

Thank you, and waiting for your recommendations.

Post: #2

500-550 a month for a room? Are you able to budget higher? That is going to be tough.

With that budget and to be near nightlife, your best bet is Parkdale (Queen Street West West). Also check out along the Danforth but far east, around Coxwell, Woodbine or Main stations.

With that budget, you may have to also look at the inner suburbs of North York, Etobicoke or Scarborough but its very ethnic and isolating. Although if you are near a subway station, you may be able to make it work.

But you are working with a very tight rental budget.

Post: #3

Since I will be unemployed and I didn't save up any Money coming from a third world city with low pay and shitty jobs (Montreal), I can only go up to 600 per month.

Post: #4

(04-30-2017 05:55 PM)Rekkd Wrote:  Since I will be unemployed and I didn't save up any Money coming from a third world city with low pay and shitty jobs (Montreal), I can only go up to 600 per month.

Yeah, your best bet then is Parkdale. Its affordable and also walkable/short streetcar ride to a ton of bars with people in their 20's like yourself.

Post: #5

(04-30-2017 06:12 PM)TorontoRocks Wrote:  

(04-30-2017 05:55 PM)Rekkd Wrote:  Since I will be unemployed and I didn't save up any Money coming from a third world city with low pay and shitty jobs (Montreal), I can only go up to 600 per month.

Yeah, your best bet then is Parkdale. Its affordable and also walkable/short streetcar ride to a ton of bars with people in their 20's like yourself.

Ok thanks, I'll check out the listings in that area

Post: #6

Some forum member recommended West of Bathurst, South of Bloor or East of Jarvis. What do you think?

Post: #7

(04-30-2017 08:06 PM)Rekkd Wrote:  Some forum member recommended West of Bathurst, South of Bloor or East of Jarvis. What do you think?

Well, west of Bathurst, south of Bloor includes Parkdale...but it also includes a number of neighbourhoods east of Parkdale as well (which are better). If you can find a decent room for $600, go for it. I just don't think you will be able to. Its all central, compact, easy to get around, all the amenities you need, lots of bars

Avoid the area east of Jarvis through the Don River, it can be pretty nasty....east of the Don River is fine if you can find a place for $600

Post: #8

(04-30-2017 08:06 PM)Rekkd Wrote:  Some forum member recommended West of Bathurst, South of Bloor or East of Jarvis. What do you think?

I recommend scrapping your idea of moving to Toronto in the first place.

Post: #9

Mufasa keep your off-topic opinions to yourself please. Once you've lived in Montreal for over a year and half then your opinion will be heard.

Post: #10

Thx TorontoRocks

Post: #11

(04-30-2017 08:53 PM)Rekkd Wrote:  Mufasa keep your off-topic opinions to yourself please. Once you've lived in Montreal for over a year and half then your opinion will be heard.

How tall are you? What's your ethnicity? Do you speak English with an accent?

Post: #12

6'3", Arab (Egyptian), Fluent in English (American accent) consider it my first language.

Post: #13

There is a big Egyptian population in Mississauga, there is a big Coptic church there.

Not sure if that appeals to you.

Parkdale is a little rough, but a nice location.

Your accent should get you some likes.

Post: #14

That doesn't appeal to me . I have a friend there recommended Casa Loma/Summerhill, she did tell me it's expensive but I could find reasonable prices if it's a shared apartment.

Post: #15

Man the Toronto job market is Ruthless my friend! Moving in this city without some coins in the bank appears like a bad move! Do you have a skill set that can set you apart right now? If not... forget about the gaming aspect... and what do you want your future to look like?

If you don't have an answer...I'd recommend you stay put. Nevermind the women here... this city is almost unbearable without having a clearly defined dream in place. The Toronto grind is very very real my friend. You absolutely need a collateral, which is your goal, to make it through this Goddamn grind!

Post: #16

My skill sets are not valuable anymore, I worked in the Oil fields as a field engineer (petroleum engineering bachelors) but since the industry has been hit hard with the low prices I'm trying to make a career change.

Staying in Montreal is an even worse move since I don't speak french and I've applied to so many companies, recruitment agencies, cold calls, cold emailing, even had an informational interview but french is like a brick wall for me here.

My plan is to settle in Toronto, get my Permanent Residency and then once thats obtained go back to school and do a Masters in Finance or Financial Economics.. Will decide when the time comes. I have a Graduate diploma in Economics but it's a useless degree, I just did it to come here.

I have a good amount of money but I don't want to be spending too much without a job, I'll do anything fir now, no problem. I do have a goal but it will take some time and I don't mind that at all.

Post: #17

I would strongly listen to CaptainGH.

You better have a hook-up in Toronto, if you are looking to get a job.

The job market here is more brutal than the women.

Post: #18

(05-01-2017 08:03 AM)Rekkd Wrote:  My skill sets are not valuable anymore, I worked in the Oil fields as a field engineer (petroleum engineering bachelors) but since the industry has been hit hard with the low prices I'm trying to make a career change.

Staying in Montreal is an even worse move since I don't speak french and I've applied to so many companies, recruitment agencies, cold calls, cold emailing, even had an informational interview but french is like a brick wall for me here.

My plan is to settle in Toronto, get my Permanent Residency and then once thats obtained go back to school and do a Masters in Finance or Financial Economics.. Will decide when the time comes. I have a Graduate diploma in Economics but it's a useless degree, I just did it to come here.

I have a good amount of money but I don't want to be spending too much without a job, I'll do anything fir now, no problem. I do have a goal but it will take some time and I don't mind that at all.

You can always get a job on Bay Street in finance/banking and get your degree at night. Entry level jobs won't pay that great but its a living wage and you will get your foot in the door.

Plus working on Bay Street is a good chance to day game, lots of opportunities in the Food Courts in the PATH system and outside during the summer at lunch.

Post: #19

If you are set on Toronto, get plugged into your Arab community there (as Rudebwoy said) and see if they can network you into better accomodation and a decent job. By and large, Toronto works on social circle for everything. Your lifestyle depends heavily on who you know there so maximise those options! Speaking here from personal experience..

Post: #20

I'm not Coptic Christian so they won't be helping me. I'll cold email, cold call companies and managers till I get something. I'll also drop off my resume everywhere, I can also take a survival job till my PR then go back to school quick or till I get a decent job.

Post: #21

Might be able to find a place in he Annex for that. Also on Dundas around Bathurst. Gonna be slim pickings at that budget though.

Post: #22

500-600 will get you a furnished room. Usually someone who is trying to subsidise their condo mortgage and Association fees will have that for you but will want references. If you have some in Toronto that can vouch for you, that will help. Many people will want to see you have a source of income to determine that you will be able to continue paying rent. The cheaper your rent, the more hood you will likely be immersed into. The hood areas for according to locals in Toronto were Flemingdon Park, Malvern, Regent Park, the entire road of Jane and Rexdale (and surrounding areas). Current locals can let one know if they have changed or other hood areas have cropped up.

However, regardless, you will still have to hit the ground running, you have to consider transport which is fairly costly in Toronto and food. You can pick up a sales position (they are always open, revolving door policy and they probably pay around 10 dollars an hour. If you speak French, you can bump up such positions to $15 an hour.

Post: #23

(05-01-2017 06:32 PM)Moma Wrote:  500-600 will get you a furnished room. Usually someone who is trying to subsidise their condo mortgage and Association fees will have that for you but will want references. If you have some in Toronto that can vouch for you, that will help. Many people will want to see you have a source of income to determine that you will be able to continue paying rent. The cheaper your rent, the more hood you will likely be immersed into. The hood areas for according to locals in Toronto were Flemingdon Park, Malvern, Regent Park, the entire road of Jane and Rexdale (and surrounding areas). Current locals can let one know if they have changed or other hood areas have cropped up.

However, regardless, you will still have to hit the ground running, you have to consider transport which is fairly costly in Toronto and food. You can pick up a sales position (they are always open, revolving door policy and they probably pay around 10 dollars an hour. If you speak French, you can bump up such positions to $15 an hour.

Thank for the info, I'm currently working a shitty sales job here in Montreal due to my lack of french. I will have some money in the bank to last me 5 months in Toronto without a job, I think if I show my bank balance that would be OK for landlords or anyone looking to rent out a room. I can cook well and I'm planning to that again once I move to save up on costs, haven't done that in a while tho since buying ready made food in Montreal can sometimes be pretty cheap if you the right places.

Not planning on living in Hood areas that's for sure, would rather go to the suburbs and take public transport. I can see that Toronto is pretty expensive when it comes to the essentials compared to Montreal but it's a price I'm willing to pay to get the hell out of this shit-hole. Many might think it's because of women I'm making this move but I have women lower on my priority list, I care more about career/finances/future. I'm an Arab with Muslim name and no french, getting a decent job in Montreal is like 0.1% chance... Hell I got calls for interviews in Toronto for jobs I'm not qualified to do with my Montreal number and address but in Montreal I haven't EVER got a call for an interview!! Even the job I have now, I had to cold call that damn company after I sent my resume and they are known to hire a lot of English speakers. I sent sooo many cold emails, only one guy met me because he loved bragging about his success since he was such a loser in school that played video games and masturbated to porn, in the end he asked for my resume to tell me we might having an opening soon for a SALES job in the next couple of weeks or months ... and he hasn't even called me back. I give up on Montreal, I came here with a dream that turned into a very stressful and painful experience.

Post: #24

(05-01-2017 07:19 PM)Rekkd Wrote:  

(05-01-2017 06:32 PM)Moma Wrote:  500-600 will get you a furnished room. Usually someone who is trying to subsidise their condo mortgage and Association fees will have that for you but will want references. If you have some in Toronto that can vouch for you, that will help. Many people will want to see you have a source of income to determine that you will be able to continue paying rent. The cheaper your rent, the more hood you will likely be immersed into. The hood areas for according to locals in Toronto were Flemingdon Park, Malvern, Regent Park, the entire road of Jane and Rexdale (and surrounding areas). Current locals can let one know if they have changed or other hood areas have cropped up.

However, regardless, you will still have to hit the ground running, you have to consider transport which is fairly costly in Toronto and food. You can pick up a sales position (they are always open, revolving door policy and they probably pay around 10 dollars an hour. If you speak French, you can bump up such positions to $15 an hour.

Thank for the info, I'm currently working a shitty sales job here in Montreal due to my lack of french. I will have some money in the bank to last me 5 months in Toronto without a job, I think if I show my bank balance that would be OK for landlords or anyone looking to rent out a room. I can cook well and I'm planning to that again once I move to save up on costs, haven't done that in a while tho since buying ready made food in Montreal can sometimes be pretty cheap if you the right places.

Not planning on living in Hood areas that's for sure, would rather go to the suburbs and take public transport. I can see that Toronto is pretty expensive when it comes to the essentials compared to Montreal but it's a price I'm willing to pay to get the hell out of this shit-hole. Many might think it's because of women I'm making this move but I have women lower on my priority list, I care more about career/finances/future. I'm an Arab with Muslim name and no french, getting a decent job in Montreal is like 0.1% chance... Hell I got calls for interviews in Toronto for jobs I'm not qualified to do with my Montreal number and address but in Montreal I haven't EVER got a call for an interview!! Even the job I have now, I had to cold call that damn company after I sent my resume and they are known to hire a lot of English speakers. I sent sooo many cold emails, only one guy met me because he loved bragging about his success since he was such a loser in school that played video games and masturbated to porn, in the end he asked for my resume to tell me we might having an opening soon for a SALES job in the next couple of weeks or months ... and he hasn't even called me back. I give up on Montreal, I came here with a dream that turned into a very stressful and painful experience.

You will need to show some sort of income flow, even if it is fake. Landlords like money but in Toronto, with every room having line-ups some people will always take the person with a legit job versus somebody with lots of savings.

Do the 5 months of savings include your First + Last on rent? Keep that in mind as they want 2 months upfront.

Also, 500-600 for a room is very low. You can find deals if you look, but good deals in good areas will have line-up down the block for them. Plus you have to factor in WHO you will be living with. You might find a perfect room in your budget in a good area close to some things but your roommates all have a cohesive rule that they don't want socializing or girls over. I find more than the price, that Toronto people are just weird in general, especially the downtown types. You will find weirdo Vegans and shit who have all these rules and hoops you have to jump through.

I am a fan of having a plan. I don't think your game plan is realistic. Very few just land in Toronto and start living in cheap room downtown at King and Bathurst going to the Tompson. What good is a prime location room if you have no job and no money to go out? The game plan accounts for all of this.

You might be wise to listen to the advice in here and tap into an Egyptian network here in Toronto. It may also be wise just to rent a dirt cheap room in the suburbs, on the GO-Lakeshore Line so you can get downtown quick. Or you can be more realistic and look for a short term rental in the area which most people who just find themselves in town flock to. These are areas such as Don Mills + Sheppard where you can find some cheaper rooms in the Apartment complexes and it isn't that far to get downtown from there as Transit is frequent. Another 'cheaper' area is St Clair West. This isn't downtown but it is close enough. Most younger people are living north in that area as downtown has become too pricey. High Park area has always been cheap for rooms as well, this is not downtown either and is a bit out of the way, but it is a typical "starter" area for people who just move here.

The only central areas which are always cheap is Parkdale, St James Town, and Dundas/Jarvis East. All those areas are hit or miss with lots of ghetto and run down apartments and you have to be here on the ground to see them for yourself. I would not advise you try to find apartments not being here in person. Landlords won't take you seriously and won't care to bend over for you when they can put up an AD and have people lined up with their chequebooks and Lease applications ready to go.

I would advise you get some cheap room, Hostel, AirBNB set up in the suburbs and use that as a base to try and find apartments in the city. Going back and forth will be a chore but you will set yourself up to land apartment and jobs all at once.

Back on the jobs front. You mention you have Oil Field training? Why have you been in Montreal which would have little work. You should be in Alberta where there was an abundance of work, where you there prior? Is this training and experience from abroad? ME/Egypt? If so, as you are not a Permanent Resident it will be hard to get good work if you don't have the dreaded "Canadian Experience". There are no Oil Fields here in Toronto anyhow so get ready for lots of strange jobs and maybe selling Fido phones in the mall. Toronto job market is messed up as you have far too many educated people here, with jobs that don't pay all that well in general. If creates an environment for exploitation big time where employers know they can pay people nothing as somebody will always take the job.

Post: #25

Hey Kosko thanks alot for all the info, you're very right about alot of things. I have enough for rent, I could even go up to 1000 a month but that's not what I want to do for now until I'm stable there.

You're right about the suburbs, I'll look more into it and try to find good deals. I was planning on staying in a hostel or something till I visted a few places and decided on what's good for me and my plan.

I worked in the oil fields in Egypt but for a Fortune 50 American company but anyways I'm over that. I did think about moving to Alberta but the Oil industry is terrible right now, I was thinking maybe sales engineer/technical sales/field engineer jobs but I don't have a Canadian engineering degree and the job market is not that great. I do have a connection that was supposed to help me get a job there but it didn't work out.

I made a decision to leave that industry behind and move into finance for a few years then maybe later open up a small business on the side or go for a PHD in economics but still I have so much I want to do. I usually always do many things in parallel and see what works out best.

I don't mind working a low paying jobs for a while, I'll get there soon 100% sure no doubt in my mind.

Thanks again