Why Should You Move To Toronto?
Toronto, the capital city of Ontario, is the most populated city in Canada, with a record of 2,731, 571 in 2016 and the 4th most populated in North America. Other than being infamous for one of the most prominent cities around the world, in many respects, this can only mean that Toronto is a city worth moving to and living. There are many aspects to the city that brings such a whopping number to enjoy its culture, diversities and strengths as opposed to other cities, worldwide. Toronto is a prominent feature in many areas such as education, transportation, travel, site seeing, food, sports, social life, diversity and inclusivity, family and single life, and industry.
1. Education
Education is one of the main reasons that people all around the world come to Toronto. Toronto is a major hub for many students and is well known as a prized community for international as well as domestic students. Like myself, I moved to Toronto for a tertiary educational experience at one of the downtown core locations at Ryerson University. Like Ryerson University, many others such as The University of Toronto, York University, George Brown College, Seneca College and Humber College, these universities are known to promote Toronto’s major and most popular theme of diversity and inclusivity. Students are taught hands on or practical experience as well as theoretical and classroom experience. Many universities and colleges have many in-plugged programs such as groups, memberships and sports that are promoted year round for an all academic and all rounded character. Students in Toronto have a valued quality education that promotes a student life, student living as well as a healthy balance of social life. As it is known, and that which I can personally speak for myself living in Trinidad and Tobago during my high school years, Toronto is at the peak of its game and offers students so much more with regards to classroom inclusivity, group work, individual work and lab work, and student events and sports and groups. There is more focus on the student as a being as opposed to just an academic character.
Some of the most well known tertiary education schools are as follows:
- University of Toronto
- York University
- George Brown College
- Seneca College
- Ryerson University
- Humber College
- Centennial College
- OCAD University
Toronto ranks one of the top cities for a tertiary education, worldwide.
2. Transportation
Like any other city, transportation is a very important factor in one’s daily life. In order to do grocery shopping to going to school to going out with some friends or attending work, public transportation is rated one of the highest specialties of Toronto. Our organized trains and buses have a strict schedule of when they shut off 1-1:30 in the morning, but they do offer students and seniors a great deal in using their transportation systems. The seniors get a deal of CA$2.30 per ticket ride, as opposed to the general public who pay CA$3.25. Instead of using cash or money to pay for a single ticket, the Toronto Transit Commission utilizes a PRESTO Card where money is loaded to the card and can be used fashionably on buses and when entering the train stations. For a PRESTO Card, the general public pays CA$3.20 and seniors, CA$2.25. With this token of freedom and our systematic and organized transportation scheme, a traveler who resides in Toronto as well as a newcomer who wishes to push the limitations of the city, both openness and liberation are the roots of our many destinations – from every train stop to every bus stop.
3. Travel
Toronto is one of the major hot spots to travel if one is looking to spice up some adventure while being in the city. The beautiful thing about Toronto, again, is its diversity, inclusivity and history! These are some of the reasons Toronto is booming as a major metropolitan city and here’s why:
- Quality of life – Though Toronto is a huge industrial city, there are many things the government does to make sure we as a city and as a people are highly satisfied with our living. One of this is shown through our parks, forests, beaches and other sources of nature that allows the busy body to slow things down and take it up a notch!
- Art – because of our deeply entrenched history, we have so many museums, art galleries and infrastructure to showcase this love for our nation and the city! Some of these are in main downtown Toronto such as the Royal Ontario Museum ROM, Art Gallery of Ontario and Hockey Hall of Fame!
- Science – The Ontario Science Centre is a great place for children, teens and adolescence to learn about the great nature of Science! Families can get away with the many fun activities while learning a lot about Science!
- TTC – The Toronto Transit Commission, our major transportation system in Toronto, make is so easy to get around from bus to bus, train to train and even streetcar to street car – all to our major destinations! We can take a trip to our business meetings, restaurants, bars and lounges and natural exhibits!
- Restaurants, Bars, Lounges and Social Life – through the downtown district and all about the city there are restaurants, bars and lounges of every type with top class meals and drinks, and where friends, socialites and work arrangements can get together to enjoy a night!
4. Site seeing
In such a well-organized, committed and loving people, we have so much to see and do in Toronto! Some of the additional things we can do are:
- City site seeing Toronto Hop on Hop off Bus Tour – personally having down this tour, I found it was amazing and the well informed city tour guides were of great help! They led us to the Distillery District where once a year many restaurants, bars and food places as well as shops and artists all come together to sell their produce. It is opened all year round but mostly has its glitz and glamour during Christmas time. This is such a fun and exciting festival as people from all over the city come to enjoy the Christmas lights, food and drink and spending time with family, of course
- Niagara Falls – though it may not be in Toronto, is many times associated with Torontonians and the beauty of Canada! Niagara Falls is a great place to go when looking for some getaway time and space with family and where many rides, games, food, drink and a long walk between the falls can be seen!
- Among others there is the Downtown Toronto Bike Tour, Kensington Market and Chinatown, Toronto Tall Ship Boat Cruise and The CN Tower!
- CN Tower – this, if not, is the most infamous representation of Toronto! The dazzling CN tower, which glows in all its glory all night, is the 2nd tallest tower in the world! The CN tower offers many great experiences, some of which are one of the best restaurants in Toronto, 360 Restaurant, heights escapade of the glass floor of the building, the night lighting and architecture!
5. Food
Another great topic that can be found at every inch of the beautiful city – Food. The most wonderful and admirable things about the city is that every aspect, including food, are embraced by every ethnicity, every race and every culture that the city holds – whether it be a natural born Torontonian or one of our international people that has set up shop to create a living through diversity and culture. Food, all different types of food including African, Greek, Persian, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Portuguese, Indian and many, many more. The greatest thing about having all these cultures within one nation is that there is a store, a restaurant or a shop at every corner of the city that gives one the most international experience. If not Toronto, where? Toronto is one of the most diversified cities for food, and if for food, one should definitely move to Toronto. There are businesses that are set up, if not only in restaurants, diners and stores, in food trucks and anywhere else one can find to make a living. Here is a full list of the different types of food available in Toronto:
- Caribbean food
- Polish
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
- Latin American
- Italian
- Indian
- Pakistani
- Korean
- Japanese
- Indian
- Sri Lankan
- Portuguese
- Greek
- Turkish
- Hungarian
- Iranian
…Some of the best foods you ought to try when you move to Toronto!
6. Sports
Toronto is well known for its sports – and its people are surely those who compliment and uphold these sports!
The 4 major sports played in Toronto and adored by Torontonians are:
- Football – Canadian Football League – The Canadian Football league is the highest paid sport in Canada and highest level of competition in Canadian football.
- Ice Hockey – Toronto Maple Leafs – Ice hockey is the #1 played sport in Toronto and is named the official national sport in Canada. The Canadian Ice Hockey League, the National Hockey League NHL is established both in Canada and the United States.
- Basketball – Toronto Raptors – Toronto is home to the Toronto Raptors who are part of the National Basketball Association NBA and have been founded in 1995 as the NBA’s expansion into Canada. The team normally uses the Scotiabank Arena as their home base but is currently located in Tampa, Florida, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Toronto Raptors are the only Canadian based team in the league.
- Baseball – Toronto Blue Jays – The Canadian Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team in Toronto. The team usually plays its games at Roger Centre and its name is officially from the bird, the blue jay, and blue is also the colour of Toronto’s collegiate and professional sports teams.
Sports are a major celebration in Canada and these major teams represent sport at its best in Canadian history!
7. Social Life
The social life of Torontonians matter where they are originally from, whether it be from the Caribbean, Lebanese or Greek but one thing in common with the social life that is laid out for Torontonians is that of which the sustainable and the socio-economic factors bring forth. For example, the average entry level Torontonian in the Business and IT field bring in around 25-30K per annum. With this, coupled with their background, can all lead to a certain type of lifestyle that which Toronto has to offer: this includes how often they are able to eat out and which types of food they may be interested in. However, there are many aspects to Toronto’s social life, that including the night life, with exotic bars, lounges, restaurants and eateries that many enjoy.
On the other hand, others enjoy a quieter cafeteria and kitchen style food place that sells exotic and exquisite beverages, with relaxing and calm music. Whatever the case may be, one thing for sure is Toronto has it offered. Because of its diverse array and a long line of historical events, Toronto has the best and the most varying styles and tastes along the border that can be offered, from night life, clubs, bars, restaurants, lounges, cafes, travel, museums, site seeing, art and relationships, all offer the same diversity, inclusivity, togetherness and unity under one culture.
8. Diversity and inclusivity
Toronto’s social anthem is known for inclusivity and diversity. What this means is that in every respect of the city, these words, “inclusivity and diversity” are part of the system. From being bannered on the walls of the TTC trains to the outreach programs, advocates and news related information sessions, everything in Toronto is about different people from different parts of the world uniting and being together as one in one nation: Canada. This is shown in all aspects of the city, from the laws and regulations proposed by the government to the people that live in the city! All are different but each of us has our own voice and our own part in the great nation! The LGTB community is one major standpoint that allows our people of the community to represent themselves as one people and to even have an event that celebrates us as being considered part of the LGBT club. This and many other ways, such as our mannerisms as people, from the fact that we each have to abide by the same system of laws and rules in society, but at the same time, we are all see each other different as the same, as one. This is what keeps our beloved city thriving and throbbing and the fact that we can all proudly consider ourselves Canadian!
9. Family life versus Single Life
Needless to say, Toronto is one of the best places to move to when you are either single, without a spouse, or with a family and children. The earning level or income levels are great and while the cost of living may be on the higher side compared to other cities worldwide, the quality of living is at its peak!
Toronto’s structural and managerial characteristic of the law and those in political power allow a manifested organized system and allow Toronto to be one of the best for family life. Because the law and its counterparts, its communities and its structure are so well managed and equipped for any obscurity, this allows for reassurance and security in the system and community-wise so that a low persecution or vulnerability rate leads to a higher quality of life for our spouses and for those to bring up children.
Likewise, those without spouses also live a healthy and well-balanced life as the single adults mostly focus on job achievement and are able to balance their social life as with their domestic lives and jobs.
That being said, there is no other like Toronto which is able to produce steady income earning singles as well as family-oriented individuals where the social life and natural aspects of the city can bring both together as one!
10. Industry
The 2019 Toronto Employment Survey counted 1,569,800 jobs, an increase of 46,920 jobs or 3.1% from 2018. Toronto, and Ontario as a whole, is widely known for industry and employment of individuals. (City of Toronto City Planning)
One of the main reasons people move to the great city and what make this city great are:
- The employment opportunities
- The level of industry that this city promotes
Because Toronto is a metropolitan city that thrives on its people, where the Greater Toronto Area had the highest participation rate at 62.5% (City of Toronto), this means that nearly ¾ of its people are employed in a certain industry and are sustaining their lives with a generation of income.
The industries that Toronto thrives on are:
- Aerospace
- Design
- Education
- Events
- Fashion Apparel
- Film
- Financial Services
- Food and Beverage
- Green
- Life Sciences
- Music
- Technology
- Tourism
- Business
I am sure there are many opportunities and reasons to come live in Toronto, and with these top 10 reasons and more, move right in to explore!
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