Best Toronto neighborhoods for millennials
Since it is very diverse and modern, Toronto is one of the best cities for millennials to live in. It’s a big city with 140 official and even 239 unofficial neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its benefits and drawback, perfect for each type of people. There are neighborhoods best suitable for seniors, family neighborhoods and hip, active Toronto neighborhoods ideal for millennials. You just need to know which of them is best for you, and this guide can help you with that.
Why Toronto?
Toronto is one of the best places to live in Canada, especially if you are millennial or a young professional. It is constantly ranked among the best cities in the world, and here are just some of the reasons why millennials are moving to Toronto:
- It’s Canada’s biggest city
- Toronto’s cost of living remains relatively low
- It’s a global business and finance center
- Toronto has perfect scores in for health, education, and stability
- Locals are very friendly
- It’s multicultural and diverse town
- Toronto is North America’s safest city– according to The Economist index report.
- It has beautiful parks and plazas
- There’s so much to do and see
Toronto is modern, entertaining and diverse, and it is surrounded with gorgeous nature, ideal for outdoor activities.
What type of neighborhoods millennials are looking for?
Recently, the millennial generation has become a force on the real estate market. For renting, but also for buying properties.
There are a lot of prejudices when it comes to millennials preferences. Like that, all that they need is a great nightlife and a good wi-fi connection. While those are important features when it comes to housing, it turns out that millennials are actually more practical than that:
This generation seeks from the Toronto neighborhoods following features:
- Diversity
- Low cost of living
- Decent job market
- Access to public transportation
- Health food hot spots
- Great entertainment options
- Abundance of activities
The best Toronto neighborhoods for millennials
Millennials tend to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle, have more awareness of environmental preservation. They also love to spend their money on travel and enjoying their hobbies. That is why they often prefer the smaller apartments than big houses with a yard. The ideal Toronto neighborhoods for millennials should be modern, with great nightlife, a vast open space and plenty of activities. Millennials will often choose a more humble home with lower living expenses, so they can have more funds for their leisure. Choosing a new home is never easy, so take a look at these five popular Toronto neighborhoods, perfectly designed for millennials.
Beaconsfield Village (Dundas West/Little Portugal)
On Queen West area, which was home to first-generation Portuguese and Italian immigrants after World War Two, lays a Beaconsfield Village – one of the most popular Toronto neighborhoods for millennials. Beaconsfield Village offers an interesting fusion of the old world charm with Victorian homes and a mix of condo/apartment developments. It is a modern part of the city that contains a lot of food markets, cafés, galleries, night-life, and retail shops of every description. This century-old enclave was transformed into a sizzling urban destination. This neighborhood includes the Trinity Bellwoods Park – one of the largest and oldest green spaces right in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Church Wellesley Village
Church Wellesley Village is very popular with the millennials since it’s the home of Toronto’s original LGBTQ community. That makes it one of the most diverse of the Toronto neighborhoods, with a comfortable and supportive community that offers a town-like atmosphere in the city’s heart.
It’s a mix of alternative lifestyles, restaurants, and lively nightlife, cafés, food-markets and clothing stores, which is making it the first choice of millennials that are moving to Toronto.
The Village is a location for annual Pride parade – one of Toronto’s biggest summer festivals and one of the largest Pride in the world.
Leslieville
It is surprising how the history of one town can change over the years. 20 years ago, Leslieville was one of the worst Toronto neighborhoods to live in. It was an industrial zone with tanning factories and metal processing plants, with a reputation as contaminated and „seedy“ part of Toronto.
Over the two decades, things changed drastically with cleaning, remodeling and repurposing this area into the unique neighborhood, perfect for young families that wants to have a backyard close to the city core.
Cheaper living expenses, many unique cafés, chic fashion and design shops, great restaurant and interesting galleries, are just some of the reasons why millennials prefer Leslieville than other Toronto neighborhoods.
Leslieville is now the preferred location for the artists, that are inspired with the history that this neighborhood is telling
Liberty Village
Liberty Village is another great example of how one part of the town can drastically change. In the past, it was a home to a working class and older citizens, not suitable at all for young professionals.
Nowadays, the Liberty Village blossom into the modern neighborhood and numerous millennials are flocking to the new luxury-condo developments. It has become one of the best Toronto neighborhoods to „work, play and live“.
It represents the great fusion of the old and new architectural trends. The old factories were repurposed into interesting, hip restaurants, and the area has abundant galleries, design, retail and commercial businesses.
Still, this is one of the more expensive Toronto neighborhoods, that require a double-figure income.
The Beach
The Beach is a desirable neighborhood for millennials and young professionals. It beautiful Victorian homes have many rental opportunities at fantastic prices, in comparison to other city parts. It is well worth the hour it may take you to get to the core or bike it in 45 minutes.
A gorgeous lake Ontario is just at your fingertips, as well as the several vast parks and amazing historic boardwalk that are a part of this neighborhood. This is an ideal place for those who like an active lifestyle, and a refuge from a busy downtown.
The Beach is one of the more diverse Toronto neighborhoods, with a hip and eclectic vibe and a mix of cultures and economies.
It is a perfect choice for millennials that love a calmer environment, but it is also a good Toronto neighborhood for the families since it has one of the city’s strongest school zones.
The Beach is an ideal neighborhood for those who like the beach, fine dining, and cool coffee houses, and recreational activities are year-round.