Tips for Toronto

Hey everyone. I got helpful information from contributors on Boards when I came to Canada so I thought I'd try to give something back. I've been in Toronto for 3 years after initially coming here on a 1 year visa. So here are some pieces of advice that I thought would be helpful.

1. Hostels: When I came over I stayed at the Canadiana Hostel. It's a really high quality place (I'll add a caveat here that it was 3 years ago when I arrived so some things may have changed). It's clean, the staff are friendly however there was no bar at the time but people did drink in a common area (Once again, it was 3 years ago). People were friendly and the location was great. It's in the heart of the Entertainment district where most of the clubs are and there are some nice, but very expensive bars around.
I also stayed at the Global Village Backpackers. The bar here is very good and there's always something going on. The building is older and some of the facilities are dated but it really is a great place to meet people and the staff and in particular the manager at the time Sally was great. Like any other hostel be careful to lock your valuables in the lockers that are available downstairs. They are worth using. The location is probably even better than Canadiana and you have an LCBO (Off-Licence) right across the street.
There are other hostels but I haven't stayed in any of them. I think there's one other major one called the Hi-Lo that is a little but quieter in terms of its location. From speaking with other backpackers it was a nice place with a rooftop patio where you could have a few drinks that you bought yourself.

Don't be afraid to stay in a hostel for a few weeks. You may think it's expensive but it's one of the best ways to meet people. I met my housemate for the first year just after arriving and immediately started looking for a place with him, big mistake. Once I got to know him I realised we had nothing in common and it made the last 6 months awkward because we had stopped pretending to get along with each other.

Book your hostel up to the end of the month you arrive because unless you get lucky most apartment rentals start on the first of the month. Realtors and owners are quite rigid and won't bend the rules for the most part.

2. Apartment Hunting: The number of Condo's being built right now in Toronto is the highest in any city in North America. The unfortunate thing is that the vacancy rate on condo's in Toronto is still only 1.5% as immigrants flood into Toronto. When I arrived a friend from Toronto told me to look outside the downtown core but I thought it would be cool to live in a high rise condo close to downtown. That was a big mistake. The transport system in Toronto is very good compared to Ireland. A train stops at every subway stop every 5 minutes or so, so you're never waiting long. The bus service and street cars are okay but not amazing. So look at the subway line and pick somewhere outside the core. Don't focus only on condos because you can get really good deals on renting in older houses (and the older houses in Toronto are huge).

When looking to rent most condo owners are also very strict and want credit reports and employment history or letters of employment because they want to protect their shiny new investments. I've found people renting places outside the downtown core aren't as picky so you'll get less hassle and a lot more for your rent.

3. Employment: There's no easy answers here I'm afraid. I've been here 3 years and it's only in the last year that I got a good job. Employers don't give a **** about your money situation so don't expect them to start you quick. I was told I had a job in retail then started over a month later.

If you want office work then you need to go through a job agency and it usually takes a long time and being offered minimum wage jobs. I got my Canadian accounting designation and one place called me and offered me a week of minimum wage work lifting computers. When I pointed out my designation she just said, yeah, so? A lot of the agencies really couldn't care less. They're more focused on the demand side than the supply side and see you as a way to make money.

I also worked in retail. There's usually lots of work in this coming up to Christmas. Once again, minimum wage and your experience doesn't matter unless it's Canadian.

Bar work/ serving work pays the best. The hours can be late but no other job pays anywhere near the amount you get from tips, provided of course you're in a busy place. Be prepared to be ripped off by cut throat co-workers who give you less than you're due while you're "Training" or just give you**** tables. In the end its a great way to meet people and earn lots of cash. It's a tipping culture and you're expected to tip when you go out.

The best way to get construction work is through friends. Construction is slowing down but there's still a lot of money in property. The other alternative is to call every single ad in the papers and just be persistent. Follow up calls are necessary. A friend of mine did it this way and he got a great job.

4. Miscellaneous: When you arrive buy a bill phone. With pre-paid you are charged for every single thing. Rogers and Bell are the big two but the most expensive. They also own Koodo and Fido too. Wind is a good company but you should really shop around.

Alcohol is only sold in two places: the LCBO and the Beer Store. They close at 9 most nights except Sunday when they close at 5. Be prepared.

There are lots of supermarkets but not many in the downtown core. The most expensive are Metro and Sobey's. No Frills has good prices but are generally a bit further out. If you have a car then find a WalMart and do a big shop, huge price differences. If there's a big group then someone should get a CostCo membership and shop there for the group. It's a wholesaler.

If you arrive at the start of the month get a monthly TTC pass. If you arrive later in the month get a weekly pass. It's a bigger initial outlay than getting tokens all the time but the ability to get around the city and get the lay of the land is worth it and you save in the long run.

I'm sure there's stuff I missed, if I remember it later I'll put it up. Feel free to message me with questions, I can't guarantee I'll get back to you quickly because I've got a young family and busy job but I'll try my best.

Toronto's an expensive city but it's a great place with so much to do. Best of luck.