Hello, I and my wife did our first landing together last year in Toronto.We do not have kids & pets. We are originaly from India, but lived worked and travelled in several countries and exposed to multicultures so not typical desi type, but we do follow moderate traditional values acceptable according to circumstances and situations. Initially during our first landing phase we stayed in Malton as well in Sqr1 area in Mississauga for a month and during the period we travelled in the GTA area and returned back with a good idea about Canada. This year mid we are planning to move permanently. As per our experience ,taste and requirements we felt we should be settling initially (atleast for a year or two) in downtown Toronto area as it has better transportation, more exposure to cosmopolitan/multicultural life and more urban and business enviornment.

We would prefer to be somewhat near or say easy access to the center area of down town so that commutation be easy (Public transport)and available, safe and not too silent area but nor very strong city atmosphere. We have identified few area based on the subway route map like High Park to Pape (West to East) and Eglinton West to Union and to Eglinton East.
Within this also we found some places interesting like bathurst, Spadina, Rosedale,Sherbourne etc.

Would like to get advice from those who knows these places better than us so that we can plan accordingly and short list 3 or 4 area in which we can concentrate more for searching a rental place.


Secondly would like to know how does a newcomer like me get an apartment or condo on rent. Many time have been told that landlord need you to be employed, how can it be possible for an immigrant who is just new to have a job in hand. Is there any other legal means by which one can convince the landlord or the leasing company that one can afford to pay the rents in time and will be a good tenant.


thanks
newincanada

check out the crossways complex at dundas west subway on the bloor line. lots of desis stay here. i have also lived here. its quite convenient. subway to downtown. street cars 24 hours to china town, eatons etc

http://www.thecrossways.com/" rel="nofollow">LINK

Appreciate if people on this forum give their two minutes to read my this thread and if they can share their knowledge on the queries I raised.

Thank you for your time

Sorry, by mistake made duplicate post. Administrator kindly delete the repeated one.

Hi,
We also stayed in Malton for initial couple of months but then we moved to Dufferin and St. Clair area in Toronto. We stayed there for about 2 1/2 years and we really liked there. Infact my parents, who visited us while our stay in the area, liked even more ........reason being: Though it is not 'desi' area but mandir (Fern avenue) and gurudwara (Old weston rd) were also not far. The area we used to live in is mostly Italian, Greek and Portugese area. St. Clair itself is a beautiful street.....24 hrs TTC service, street car, 5-7 minutes to Dufferin subway, direct bus to exhibition place (lake ontario-20 minutes), downtown is not far, direct street car to St. Clair subway.
So we really loved the area, its not downtown but still not far from downtown...., vibrant and well connected.

My 2 cents!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sanjeev Manocha, MBA
Real Estate Sales Representative
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)

Re/Max West Realty Inc, Brokerage
96, Rexdale Blvd., Toronto

Mobile: 416-843-7600
Office: 416-745-2300
http://www.manocharealty.com" rel="nofollow">LINK

It would help if you could tell us your budget.

Also, given the problem with your not having a job, are you ok with renting in someone's house? It is not necessarily the basement, perhaps the top floor of a house. Home owners may be more flexible on signing a lease.

Hi Sanjeev, what you have described of Dufferin and St. Clair is very much similar to what we are looking forward for a place to stay. Thanks for sharing; we would definitely short list this area.

Alexm: We are keeping a budget of 800-850 max per month for rents, wonder if this is too much? less? or just right!. We are just two of us and we are not keen on renting which is big for us to maintain and spend extra, we can manage in just what is required. Especially, in first two years while we get our self established. We are ok with Jr 1 BHK or 1 BHK. Parking is not mandatory in the start up time as we are not planning to buy a car initially, rather would prefer the public transport, so keen for public transport accessibility. Basements are not considered.

Regarding job; what I meant is, we are not expecting to have a job quickly as we are there considering the present economic situations, so wanted to know will it be difficult to get rental if one is unemployed and new immigrant? One thing as a tenant can assure is, wont be any defaults in rent payments or complains and can try get one or two people who can give recommendation.Will that work?

If anyone has any other suggestion regarding area to stay in downtown Toronto, please share. By now from the description of Sanjeev one can make out what neighbourhood type we would be prefering. However we are flexible and adaptive so no big fuss either.

Access to good Transport, safe&clean and not very expensive.. this is just what we are looking for.