Toronto, ON

[Kaitri]

It depends. If you find an inexpensive room in a house, you may be able to live on $15k, but I sincerely doubt it. Rent for most one-bedroom apartments is around $1200, so $15k will only just cover rent and won't leave you anything to live on.

[MarcusPhcerius]

I will be going to U of T--Scarborough this summer to do research with a POI. Anyone know what that area's like?

The area around there is quite low density, mostly plazas as far as shopping goes. There are plenty of high-rises around, but I am not sure whether they are apartment units or condos. If you like forests, Rouge Park is right there, and offers lots of biking, hiking options, and a chance to explore the countryside just north of Rouge. Some of the waterfront relatively close to campus also has nice cliffs (Scarborough Bluffs). However, the TTC routes that far east in Scarborough are not very good. You're going to have to consider a trade-off between living near the university and having very little to do nearby in terms of nightlife (a couple of bars, pacific mall is still far, movie theatre is far) and living further west...even then, living on the eastern part of the subway line (main street, victoria park, warden, etc.) will still be a 30 min - 1 hr commute to Scarborough campus. I'm sorry I can't give you more information, I don't live in Scarborough, and rarely go into that part of the city.

[nakuu]

It depends. If you find an inexpensive room in a house, you may be able to live on $15k, but I sincerely doubt it. Rent for most one-bedroom apartments is around $1200, so $15k will only just cover rent and won't leave you anything to live on.

 

If you live by yourself, it'd be more economical to rent a studio which you can find for $1k and possibly less. There's no point of renting a one bedroom if you live alone imo. If you can find a roommate, you can get a 2bedroom for $700 which is a better deal than a studio and also split the costs of internet etc.

[Kaitri]

Yes, you can find studio basement apartments for less than $1k, but many of them are less than ideal residences. And even if you find an apartment/room for $700-$900/month, you'll be spending $8k-$11k on rent. You can't live in Toronto on $4k-$7k/year.

[Dedi]

The area around there is quite low density, mostly plazas as far as shopping goes. There are plenty of high-rises around, but I am not sure whether they are apartment units or condos. If you like forests, Rouge Park is right there, and offers lots of biking, hiking options, and a chance to explore the countryside just north of Rouge. Some of the waterfront relatively close to campus also has nice cliffs (Scarborough Bluffs). However, the TTC routes that far east in Scarborough are not very good. You're going to have to consider a trade-off between living near the university and having very little to do nearby in terms of nightlife (a couple of bars, pacific mall is still far, movie theatre is far) and living further west...even then, living on the eastern part of the subway line (main street, victoria park, warden, etc.) will still be a 30 min - 1 hr commute to Scarborough campus. I'm sorry I can't give you more information, I don't live in Scarborough, and rarely go into that part of the city.

 

Ahh. I'm not a bar person and will go to a movie every now and then. I'll probably end up spending most of my time at the University with going out farther west during the weekends. Thank you for the info.

[sorairo]

Is it possible to live on 15k in Toronto as a PhD student? Toronto PhD students could you please private message me? Thanks.

 

Not a PhD student (finishing up my undergrad), but I have friends who pay as little as $400/month for a room in a shared house far out west (Lansdowne/Bloor). They bike most of the time and take the subway in the winter, and the neighbourhood is obviously not great, but if you want cheap that's an option.

[Weltgeist]

Hi all, it looks like I may end up at U of T. I live in the states and I don't have a car, and it wouldn't really be feasible for me to try and take a plane to Toronto to look for places, and it sounds like trying to take a weekend to do so anyways is not a sure bet and no one will rent to you without meeting you. Does anyone know of a good rental real estate agent in Toronto that I could get in touch with who could mitigate this?

[RunnerGrad]

Hi all, it looks like I may end up at U of T. I live in the states and I don't have a car, and it wouldn't really be feasible for me to try and take a plane to Toronto to look for places, and it sounds like trying to take a weekend to do so anyways is not a sure bet and no one will rent to you without meeting you. Does anyone know of a good rental real estate agent in Toronto that I could get in touch with who could mitigate this?

 

Have you been in contact with housing services at UofT?  They have an off campus housing site:  http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/rentalHousing.htm  They also have "The Home Ranger" services available to help you with your housing search.  Good luck!

http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/rentalHousing.htm

[Weltgeist]

 

Have you been in contact with housing services at UofT?  They have an off campus housing site:  http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/rentalHousing.htm  They also have "The Home Ranger" services available to help you with your housing search.  Good luck!

http://www.housing.utoronto.ca/rentalHousing.htm

 

 

thanks a lot. i'd taken a look at the site but didn't notice the 'home ranger' you mentioned.

 

and as of today i definitely will be attending U of T in the fall. pretty thrilled, if not about the moving logistics!

[fobak]

I am currently on a full scholarship to study for both my masters and PhD in the Top 25 universities in the World, I had gone ahead to pick U of T, let me give my reasons

It is one of the top 25 universities in the World as approved by my country (Nigeria) University Commision.

My Relatives had lived there for more than 30 years

Apart from this aforementioned reasons, Does anyone think I am making mistakes? and Please I wish to enrol for Spring 2015, Can I get some application procedures to improve my chance of getting the admission by that time, Please I want sincere and workable steps. 

Thanks and God bless you in ADVANCE

[Weltgeist]

Does anyone from U of T have experience with Grad House? I start in the fall and live in southern Ohio and don't own a car, so going apartment hunting really isn't an option and I was counting on Grad House. As of the last time I checked I'm 245 on the waitlist, and a few weeks ago I was in the 400s. Can I count on that to pan out or is it a lost cause?

[Dedi]

Does anyone from U of T have experience with Grad House? I start in the fall and live in southern Ohio and don't own a car, so going apartment hunting really isn't an option and I was counting on Grad House. As of the last time I checked I'm 245 on the waitlist, and a few weeks ago I was in the 400s. Can I count on that to pan out or is it a lost cause?

I'm in the Toronto area right now. Their public transportation system is pretty good if you need to get anywhere (I've been using it for the past 2 1/2 months). I don't know much about Grad House, but I have a feeling that people in the waiting list are dropping out pretty quickly and not the people who have a spot.

[Weltgeist]

Yeah, it's not the transit IN Toronto that I'm worried about (which I know is pretty good), more the travel TO Toronto; I can't possibly afford a plane or a hotel since I'm without a source of income at the moment until I get there and get my stipend. Here's crossing my fingers.

[surefire]

Yeah, it's not the transit IN Toronto that I'm worried about (which I know is pretty good), more the travel TO Toronto; I can't possibly afford a plane or a hotel since I'm without a source of income at the moment until I get there and get my stipend. Here's crossing my fingers.

 

Hi there Weltgeist,

 

Congrats on your admit to U of T!

 

I'm not able to be super helpful, because I haven't accessed GradHouse myself. The location is optimal though, so I hope that you get in there!

 

This is a perfectly acceptable occasion in which you could contact the grad admin for your department and ask for the contact info of current international grad students (who might be able to tell you about their experience) or those in your incoming cohort (so maybe you can put a call out to ascertain what other people are doing).

 

Another option: Massey College actually rents rooms in the summer for reasonable-ish student rates (you can rent by the day or week). So, if it comes to it, you could book for the last week or so of August while doing some compressed apartment hunting. http://www.masseycollege.ca/facilities/summer-rentals/summer-rates/

I know that you said that you couldn't afford a hotel, but the residences would be a cheaper (but still private) option. Again, if it comes to it, maybe your credit card could take the hit for a few weeks until you get the stipend.

 

Feel free to PM me if I can be of any help on grad school life at U of T! Congrats again!

[lore]

Bumping this again as I've just been offered acceptance at my first choice (U of T).

 

I've applied for Grad House as of today, but I'm wondering if that is too late to get a spot? (Though, I put shared room as a preference because I'm cheap.) Also, I'm curious what nightlife is like in the area and whether anyone can give me any comparisons of what Toronto is like in comparison to Vancouver?

 

Also, are there any good sushi places? (I'm spoiled by growing up on the westcoast.)

[Kaitri]

I'm completely unfamiliar with Grad House, so I can't answer that question. Sorry!

 

The area has a decent nightlife. What are you looking for? You're within walking distance of a number of inexpensive bars, and there are lots of hotspots nearby as well (accessible by TTC or a longer walk).

 

There are TONS of sushi places near campus, but none of them rival the sushi you get on the west coast. Nearly all of the salmon served here is of the Atlantic variety, and very few places serve wild-caught or sustainable sushi. Sushi on Bloor or New Sushi Island are probably the best budget options nearby (google them for their locations), while the better quality places are further from campus. Jabistro is one of the best in the downtown core, IMO. 

[happy little pill]

Alright TO peeps! I'm making the move from MTL to TO and I am wondering what areas of town to check out when looking for apartments - my budget (unless I get SSHRC and then I can afford a cushier place), I have around 1000$ for rent a month including utilities. I'd PREFER to live alone.

[tingdeh]

Alright TO peeps! I'm making the move from MTL to TO and I am wondering what areas of town to check out when looking for apartments - my budget (unless I get SSHRC and then I can afford a cushier place), I have around 1000$ for rent a month including utilities. I'd PREFER to live alone.

 

Currently in Toronto. Which university/campus are you moving to? You might find it useful to live along a transit line to make life easier. Definitely possible (albeit a healthy dose of searching)--use the WalkScore app to look around the transit lines.

[tingdeh]

Bumping this again as I've just been offered acceptance at my first choice (U of T).

 

I've applied for Grad House as of today, but I'm wondering if that is too late to get a spot? (Though, I put shared room as a preference because I'm cheap.) Also, I'm curious what nightlife is like in the area and whether anyone can give me any comparisons of what Toronto is like in comparison to Vancouver?

 

Also, are there any good sushi places? (I'm spoiled by growing up on the westcoast.)

Welcome to Toronto!

 

I can speak on sushi spots (no idea about Grad House, I'm fortunate to be living with a friend from undergrad through the first part of grad school). Yasu (down the street from Graduate House) is really excellent, and their omakase is stellar. I agree with the JaBistro recommendation; you might enjoy Sushi Kaji as well. Not to mention that there's a Morimoto opening in Toronto soon...

[wednesday13]

Alright TO peeps! I'm making the move from MTL to TO and I am wondering what areas of town to check out when looking for apartments - my budget (unless I get SSHRC and then I can afford a cushier place), I have around 1000$ for rent a month including utilities. I'd PREFER to live alone.

for 1000 bucks you should be able to find something in bicycle distance to u of t  (I'm assuming that is where you were accepted)

if not, i still recommend living downtown cause its a nice lifestyle-- coffee shops, nightlife etc.

 

right now st. clair west is affordable ... ossington to dufferin are also up and coming.

the danforth is also affordable right now.

 

My philosophy is that as long as you are ten to 15 minutes to the subway, most things are a 45 minute commute in total.

toronto is pretty decent in terms of safety. there are no areas that i would say definitely do not move into. Artists have moved in if its cheap.

[MrBombastic]

for 1000 bucks you should be able to find something in bicycle distance to u of t  (I'm assuming that is where you were accepted)

if not, i still recommend living downtown cause its a nice lifestyle-- coffee shops, nightlife etc.

 

right now st. clair west is affordable ... ossington to dufferin are also up and coming.

the danforth is also affordable right now.

 

My philosophy is that as long as you are ten to 15 minutes to the subway, most things are a 45 minute commute in total.

toronto is pretty decent in terms of safety. there are no areas that i would say definitely do not move into. Artists have moved in if its cheap.

 

 

Thats not true. 

I would avoid Jane and Finch at all costs, Keele and Wilson, and surronding areas

 

Mind you its not nearly as bad as some places in US like Detroit, Gary, or Camden, but still

Edited March 31, 2015 by MrBombastic

[EnfantTerrible]

I've been told by a current Toronto grad that leases usually start on the first of the month. If I'm hoping to have a place for September, how early should I start looking? I'll be working in Europe until the second week of August so the timing is pretty tight but I could of course keep an eye out online (though my experience of flat hunting in European cities is that you really need to visit...).

 

What are the best ways to find fellow grads looking to flatshare (I found both of my last two flatshares through postings on university Facebook groups)?

 

Thanks!

[lore]

On 3/31/2015 at 1:45 PM, EnfantTerrible said:

I've been told by a current Toronto grad that leases usually start on the first of the month. If I'm hoping to have a place for September, how early should I start looking? I'll be working in Europe until the second week of August so the timing is pretty tight but I could of course keep an eye out online (though my experience of flat hunting in European cities is that you really need to visit...).

 

What are the best ways to find fellow grads looking to flatshare (I found both of my last two flatshares through postings on university Facebook groups)?

 

Thanks!

 Let me know if you figure something out for finding people. Grad house is my first choice, but I'm totally wary of likely needing a different plan.

[dr. t]

So I'm in Toronto for 6 weeks this summer, and I'm staying at the Graduate House. I bike a lot, and have a fairly expensive road bike I would like to bring with me, but the Graduate House forbids in-room storage, there's a limited amount of indoor storage, and they won't guarantee me an indoor spot before I get there. Does anyone have any advice on where I can keep the bike?

[torontonian27]

On 5/22/2016 at 11:34 AM, telkanuru said:

So I'm in Toronto for 6 weeks this summer, and I'm staying at the Graduate House. I bike a lot, and have a fairly expensive road bike I would like to bring with me, but the Graduate House forbids in-room storage, there's a limited amount of indoor storage, and they won't guarantee me an indoor spot before I get there. Does anyone have any advice on where I can keep the bike?

Hey! Bike storage is certainly an issue in Toronto. Graduate House is very close to 21 Sussex Ave where the campus police is located. If I have to leave my bike overnight, that's where I lock it (surveillance). I use a U-Lock for the rear wheel, the frame, and the post, and a padlock for the front wheel and the frame. Graduate House does have a Bike Room though so I really hope there's an open spot for when you get there!