I grew up in Toronto and have lived in a lot of different parts of the city over the years. St. Clair West, Parkdale, Riverdale, Cabbagetown, Leslieville… let’s just say it’s been a jam-packed couple of decades of moving around, exploring and figuring out what I do and don’t like.
When it comes to the Toronto neighbourhoods I’d never personally live in, my reasons mostly boil down to my own experiences. Perhaps an area that has always been a nightmare for me to get to, somewhere that’s too noisy, or a place I’d rather keep some distance from so that when I do visit, some of the magic remains.
So please, don’t get me wrong. Some of these Toronto spots are great, and I genuinely love visiting a few. But as a full-time living situation? They’re just not for me. And maybe they’re not for you either — hear me out.
#8. King Street West
I’ve spent more nights out on King West than I’d like to admit, and I totally understand the appeal. It’s right in Toronto’s downtown, with tons of trendy restaurants and bars, and the King streetcar makes getting around easy enough. But living there is a different story.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the neighbourhood basically turns into one giant lineup. There are crowds everywhere, drunk people yelling across the street and a general sense of chaos that I’d prefer to live without. I can still appreciate King West for a night out, but I think I’d get tired of living in the thick of it pretty quickly.
#7. Liberty Village
Liberty Village is a hard one to hate on because it has everything you could ever want (on paper). There are grocery stores, gyms, restaurants, cute cafes, a decent enough transit situation, you know, the works.
I could probably do most of my daily errands without leaving the neighbourhood, now that I think about it. But that’s also kind of what I don’t like about it. It feels sort of cut off from the rest of Toronto, despite being so close to downtown. Getting in and out can be annoying, too, and the whole neighbourhood has a very specific condo-and-office vibe that I don’t love.
I don’t mind passing through Liberty Village, but living there simply isn’t for me. And if it’s for you? Love that for you. This is just my opinion.
#6. Kensington/Chinatown
Okay, Kensington and Chinatown are truthfully some of my favourite neighbourhoods in Toronto, so this is kind of hard to admit. While I love the vintage shops, fruit markets, amazing restaurants, patios and energy of it all… I wouldn’t be able to handle all of that chaos directly outside my front door.
Transit is also slightly less convenient than I’d want for everyday life. There’s no subway station right in Kensington Market, so I’d be relying a lot on the College and Spadina streetcars or walking over to the subway. And on the weekend, I know very well that the festivals and crowds would send me over the edge. So, sorry, but I think I’d rather keep Kensington as somewhere I actively choose to go, rather than ever feeling like I’m trapped inside of it.
#5. Leaside
Leaside is lovely. It’s green, quiet, full of nice houses, has plenty of shops along Bayview and feels pretty comfortable. But for me, it’s all a little too comfortable.
It has always felt more suburban than I’d want my everyday experience of Toronto to feel. Transit has improved massively with the Eglinton Crosstown (apparently), but depending on where I lived, I’d still be dealing with buses and longer walks rather than popping onto Line 1 or Line 2. It’s also pretty spread out compared to the neighbourhoods I gravitate toward. I completely understand why someone would want to raise a family there, but at this point in my life, I’d be bored.
#4. Yonge and Eglinton
Yonge and Eglinton has basically everything I could need.
Line 1, the Crosstown, grocery stores, restaurants, gyms, shops. Objectively, it’s incredibly convenient. And yet every time I’m there, I feel like I’ve accidentally wandered into Toronto’s official headquarters for condo construction. There are towers everywhere, huge intersections, traffic and a lot of bleh. It has all the density of downtown without quite having the same quirky downtown energy that makes the chaos worth it to me. If I’m going to live somewhere this busy, I’d rather just commit and live farther south.
#3. The Beaches
Alright, the Beaches is objectively beautiful, I know. The boardwalk, the lake, the trees, that cute little stretch of Queen Street East. I completely understand why people love living there. It’s just so far.
There’s no subway station in the neighbourhood, so getting downtown means relying on the Queen streetcar, a bus-and-subway combination, or (gasp!) driving. It’s also very self-contained, which is both its greatest strength but also why I wouldn’t want to live there. I love spending a summer afternoon in the Beaches. I just also like being able to leave the Beaches.
#2. Distillery District
The Distillery District might be one of the prettiest places in Toronto, but I’ve never really understood the appeal of actually living inside it.
The cobblestones, old brick buildings, restaurants and galleries are gorgeous, but it feels more like a destination than somewhere I’d build my everyday routine. Getting there is a bit of a nightmare, and there isn’t much else nearby. And come November and December, people descend to drink mulled wine and take Christmas photos. I love doing that myself, but I wouldn’t love dealing with it as someone who lived there.
#1. The Garden District
Alright y’all. Sitting at number one is the Garden District, but more specifically, the area surrounding Yonge and Dundas. Obviously it’s super convenient, with multiple subway stations, the Eaton Centre, groceries, restaurants and basically anything you could ever want consumer-wise. But it’s too much.
The sheer amount of stuff happening is exhausting. I’d dread leaving my apartment because I just know it’d involve navigating around 1,000 pedestrians, six e-bikes, construction scaffolding and someone dressed as Spider-Man.
So there you have it — the areas I would skip living in Toronto.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.