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February 12 2019 | City

Best Toronto Neighbourhoods for Young Professionals

Depending on our stage of life, it’s only natural to look for different things in the areas in which we choose to live. For example, students usually work on tight budgets and tend to gravitate towards neighbourhoods where rent is “cheaper” (but let’s be real, we’re talking about Toronto here, and there’s no such thing as cheap). On the other hand, families with children will prefer somewhere Uptown or East-end and quieter.

And then there are the young professionals of Toronto. Now that they’ve finished school and are starting their careers, they have a bit of money to spend. They want to have more fun before settling down and starting a family of their own. It’s a great time in their lives and the neighbourhood in which they live in should reflect this.

The cornerstones of a great neighbourhood for young professionals are easy access to public transportation to get to and from work, an abundance of nightlife options, and lots of things to see and do. With this being said, here are my top Toronto neighbourhood picks for young professionals to live their best lives in the six. My new favourite hangout is Councillor at 1188 Queen St W.

 


West Queen West

West Queen West is one of the places to be as a young urban professional living in Toronto. Stretching along Queen St west of Bathurst and east of Dufferin, this neighbourhood is home to an eclectic mix of hip cafes, restaurants, and locally owned stores.

West Queen West is home to the young, artsy type (aka hipsters, whether they admit it or not) and many young professionals. And it’s easy to see why! This area is packed with tons of trendy streets, a lively nightlife, great things to see and do, and cool architecture. Voted by Vogue as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, it’s a great place to live and is definitely one of Toronto’s hot spots.

Rent is generally around $1900/one bedroom and $850 sqft to purchase.

 


Dundas West

Also known as The Junction, Dundas West offers some of the best rental prices in downtown Toronto. Located where Dundas curves up and meets Keele, this neighbourhood stretches east and west along Dundas West.

Dundas West offers everything that a young professional working in Toronto would need– easy access to the TTC as well as tons of things to do and see within the neighbourhood. You’ll find lots of indie-stores and restaurants that line the streets as well as cool, interesting architecture.

The best thing about Dundas West is that it’s just far enough away from the downtown core that you won’t need to worry about the weekend crowd that flood the neighbourhood, which makes it perfect for those who have kids. This makes for a more relaxed neighbourhood when compared to other areas of Toronto such as King and Queen West.

 

King West

King West, also known as Toronto’s Entertainment District, is another area of the city that continues to expand year after year with condo developments left and right. Bounded loosely by Spadina in the east and Bathurst on the west, it continues to extend north towards Queen and south down to Front.

This area of King Street is home to many of Toronto’s trendiest bars, clubs, and restaurants and is thriving on evenings and weekends. As you’re walking down the streets at night, you can hear the pounding music pouring out to the streets where tons of people are lined up to gain entry to the most exclusive bars and clubs, My current favourite after work hangout is Marble. At the same time, King West is located right next door to Toronto’s financial district and it’s pretty apparent that this neighbourhood is full of people who definitely have their life together. With this being said, it blends just north and west enough to absorb some of the west side cool.

King West combines some of Toronto’s oldest historical buildings with low to medium rise condos and converted factory lofts to make, essentially, a perfect neighbourhood. It does, however, carry a hefty price tag at ($1000 sqft for purchase) and ($2200/one bedroom in rent) that can be pricey if you’re moving into the city for the first time.

There you have it– my top 3 Toronto neighbourhood picks for young professionals! When you’re ready to make the move to one of the best cities in North America, feel free to reach out so I can help you find your new forever home!