Thorncliffe Park Drive - is it a good choice for new immigrants !

[Hasni]

Can someone share his experience of living in this area. Does this neighbourhood has good ranking public schools. Would it be a good choice for new immigrant to live in the appartments of this area rather than living in basements ! pls suggest.

 

[steaky]

Here is a review of this neighborhood:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t138626.0.html

For school rankings, you can check the fraser institute website.

 

[torontosm]

Can someone share his experience of living in this area. Does this neighbourhood has good ranking public schools. Would it be a good choice for new immigrant to live in the appartments of this area rather than living in basements ! pls suggest.

Thorncliffe is primarily an immigrant neighborhood. It is quiet centrally located in it's proximity to downtown, and has a lot of ethnic retail options within walking distance. Because of the demographics, the schools are not very well ranked and many of the students are new to Canada and have varying levels of aptitude of the English language. Most of the apartment buildings are in poor condition, and the apartments are generally overcrowded (i.e., families of four - six sharing a single unit).

Whether it is better or worse than basement apartments is a decision you have to make. However, I would encourage you to explore other areas before committing to Thorncliffe, as the prices won't be materially different.

 

[Hasni]

Thorncliffe is primarily an immigrant neighborhood. It is quiet centrally located in it's proximity to downtown, and has a lot of ethnic retail options within walking distance. Because of the demographics, the schools are not very well ranked and many of the students are new to Canada and have varying levels of aptitude of the English language. Most of the apartment buildings are in poor condition, and the apartments are generally overcrowded (i.e., families of four - six sharing a single unit).

Whether it is better or worse than basement apartments is a decision you have to make. However, I would encourage you to explore other areas before committing to Thorncliffe, as the prices won't be materially different.

So they don't seem to be a good option. Actually why I am exploring this option cuz in some buildings, the rent for a 2 bed condo is almost the same as that of a decent basement or sometime a little lesser. Thus unlike basement one can enjoy above ground life in the same price which makes a lot of difference. i have also noticed some apartment buildings in Mississauga in good locations. How good are they, if someone could share.
Torontosm, what are other areas and options, can you suggest few.
@steaky - thanks for sharing reviews, must say they are so scary !!

 

[torontosm]

So they don't seem to be a good option. Actually why I am exploring this option cuz in some buildings, the rent for a 2 bed condo is almost the same as that of a decent basement or sometime a little lesser. Thus unlike basement one can enjoy above ground life in the same price which makes a lot of difference. i have also noticed some apartment buildings in Mississauga in good locations. How good are they, if someone could share.
Torontosm, what are other areas and options, can you suggest few.
@ steaky - thanks for sharing reviews, must say they are so scary !!

Mississauga is generally a much more upscale area than Thorncliffe. That said, a lot will depend on where you will be working, as the commute from Mississauga to downtown, for example, will take much longer and will be more expensive.

Other areas you could consider are Scarborough or even parts of North York.

 

[Hasni]

Mississauga is generally a much more upscale area than Thorncliffe. That said, a lot will depend on where you will be working, as the commute from Mississauga to downtown, for example, will take much longer and will be more expensive.

Other areas you could consider are Scarborough or even parts of North York.

you are right, but my search right now is for initial landing and putting my kids in some good ranking schools. You never know where and how far you need to travel unless you get a job. So Mississauga is going to be sort of a base camp initially.

 

[Hasni]

Quote from a resident,... should I revist my decision of putting a cross to Thorncliff Park Dr !

"I lived in Toronto for one year (2010-2011) and rented an apartment in Thorncliffe Park. I couldn't afford to rent an apartment downtown and didn't want to lease a car, and so I was looking for an area that was well served by public transit and was fairly close to downtown. A couple of people suggested that area and said that it wasn't as bad as some people made it out to be, and that most of the apartments were some of the most spacious in the city. I wound up renting a one bedroom it one of the 20-story buildings.

The apartment was very big and had great views. The lobby and the hallways were passable, but obviously nothing fancy. What I liked about the neighborhood:

- a huge park with walking and cycling trails
- a baseball field and adjacent tennis club and pool
- an O.K. mall
- 15-20-minute walk to either upscale Bayview avenue restaurants and shops or stores on Laird


Now, shortly after I moved in, I found a lot of articles online about how the area is "not so good" mainly because it has a high population density. Yes, it does have a lot of people living in one street. However, this is what you find in most major cities around the world. It seemed safe. While I was there, I didn't hear of major crimes taking place, like sometimes in Scarborough or parts of West End.

So, why is this area considered one of the worst in the city? It's certainly a notch above the adjacent areas like Flemingdon Park or Pape/Cosburn across the highway bridge, and some of the other high-rise areas. I hope this doesn't sound like I'm advertising that area. It's just that I don't understand how it can be considered a "rough area".

P.S. I'm from Maryland."