Downtown Toronto without Car or Suburbs with Car

[GeekSync]

I will be staying in Downtown Toronto for a month in AirBNB. I will continue to work for my US employer remotely. I was considering to rent an apartment in the Downtown and not own a car.

Is it a better option than staying in suburbs with car ? I have a family with 1 kid that need to go to daycare.

I am looking at this decision based on cost of living and value you get out of it.

 

[navinball]

suburbs with a car. taking public transportation everywhere is not feasible.

 

[GeekSync]

Hmm... wondering if car ownership is an issue due to high insurance costs (like $150 per month)..was trying to avoid that...I understand you can't go everywhere with public transportation...
Do youhave a recommendation for a good suburb? Mississauga and Brampton areas are expensive.

 

[zardoz]

Hmm... wondering if car ownership is an issue due to high insurance costs (like $150 per month)..was trying to avoid that...I understand you can't go everywhere with public transportation...
Do youhave a recommendation for a good suburb? Mississauga and Brampton areas are expensive.

If you are working remotely, do you need to even be in the GTA? Quality of life may be much better outside the metropolis. For that however, a car is almost a necessity.

 

[scylla]

I will be staying in Downtown Toronto for a month in AirBNB. I will continue to work for my US employer remotely. I was considering to rent an apartment in the Downtown and not own a car.

Is it a better option than staying in suburbs with car ? I have a family with 1 kid that need to go to daycare.

I am looking at this decision based on cost of living and value you get out of it.

Do you have daycare arranged already? It can be very difficult to find a spot. That might make the decision about where you end up living if you need daycare as soon as you arrive.

I live downtown and have no car. I have zero issues getting where I need to on public transportation. Having said that, no kids.

 

[Hurlabrick]

Hmm... wondering if car ownership is an issue due to high insurance costs (like $150 per month)..was trying to avoid that...

I wish! Think more in terms of $CAD200 - 300 per month depending on where you live in GTA (Brampton reportedly the worst / highest premiums).

 

[steaky]

During my travels, I stayed in a Airbnb in midtown and parked car in the driveway or on the street. Having a car, quality of life was just as good as outside the metropolis.

Assume you only staying in Toronto for a month only, why don't you drive your car from the US and back?

 

[subodhp]

It really depends on where daycare and typical places you go to on regular basis are. If they are in downtown, you can easily manage using Uber for any occasional suburb trips.

If they are in suburb, then you probably need to rent a car

 

[canuck78]

Really comes down to what you want out of life. Do you want to live in, in general a condo, or do you want to live in a planned community. You have a much more pedestrian lifestyle when you live in the city but a car is a must in the suburbs if you can afford it. What is your wife doing: working or studying and where. That will certainly impact where you may want to list. Getting a daycare spot in the GTA is crazy with people putting their name down when they are pregnant so finding an open daycare spot in a place that you like may also have a huge influence on your choice. The costs of daycare options in the city vary greatly between Toronto and the suburbs and between the various difference options (for profit daycare, non-profit daycare, in home daycare, etc.). It seems like you are now a PR so the way you structure how you get paid is also going to have to change. There are a few ways you can work as basically a contractor while still being able to be paid in US dollars. Best option seems to be to be paid into a USD count in Canada. Not an expert but you will have to figure out the best option for you

 

[Copingwithlife]

I’d stay downtown , if you have access to daycare as mentioned . No offence to suburbanites, but some times the suburbs can be coma inducing . You can easily get around in the downtown area with the subway, streetcar , bus, Uber . If you want to experience the suburbs take the subway up too Finch and hop on the YRT
If you bring a car, you gotta see if the air bnb has parking , if not , then you gotta search to find secure parking and the cost . I live just over the DVP, just sold my condo and going to rent close by. Found a secure indoor place to park the car I rarely drive and that’s going to cost me $200/month plus tax

 

[keesio]

I live downtown and have no car. I have zero issues getting where I need to on public transportation. Having said that, no kids.

Same here. My wife and I live right downtown with no car. We both walk to work... pretty much walk or bike (bikeshare) everywhere. Occasionally we will use TTC when needed. But also we have no kids.

 

[canuck78]

Really will have to do with his wife and the space they can get for the money downtown. This has to be both a family condo and a work space. That can be tough in some 2 bed condos. Not sure I would pay to live downtown for a 2 bedroom and pay the high cost of downtown living and downtown big city daycare if I could live anywhere in Canada. I would live outside the GTA and have significantly more savings.

 

[mahi2020]

No car no life

 

[navinball]

No car no life

true, if you want to catch a movie, then lunch then do some shopping and then hit a club in different parts of town, you cant do all by bus. car gives you freedom

 

[canuck78]

true, if you want to catch a movie, then lunch then do some shopping and then hit a club in different parts of town, you cant do all by bus. car gives you freedom

Not in downtown. Car is a much bigger hassle and expense. You have tons of things shipped to you these days. Different lifestyle.