A Student's Guide to Living in Toronto

A guide to multicultural Toronto

Toronto is divided into many different neighbourhoods. Some suburbs are quiet and residential, with more of a family feel, others are filled with markets, shops, bars, cafes, and hotels. Some people call it a concrete jungle which isn’t a bad thing if you like a quicker pace and lots of options.

The names of neighbourhoods in Downtown Toronto make it easy to know what to expect to see and taste. These neighbourhoods and their names have historical roots. In the 1960s and 1970s, when there were huge waves of immigration to Canada, immigrants settled in areas where there was a dominant presence of people with the same ethnicity.

Immigrants came to these areas and established restaurants with their own authentic cuisine and built language schools, and a sense of community.  The neighbourhoods were nicknamed based off the ethnicity that lived there and the names have remained till this day.

If you visit these neighbourhoods in Toronto or choose to live there, you will understand the unique community feel as soon as you start to walk the streets.

Little Italy (College Street West)

The easiest way to get to Little Italy is on the University (yellow) line on the subway.

This neighbourhood is filled with friendly faces and some of the best Italian food you’ll ever eat.

During the World Cup and Euro Cup, this is the place to watch a soccer game, especially if Italy is playing. You’ll get to see passionate fans dancing in the streets while you munch on carbonara and tiramisu.

It’s a very safe area and home to a lot of students because of its proximity to the Eaton Centre, Ryerson University and the University of Toronto.

Little Portugal (Lansdowne, Dufferin and Ossington Station)

Little Portugal is home to the best Portuguese food you can find. On every corner, you can grab mouth-watering chicken, vino and custard tarts.

The summer nights are the best here, because the community is so close and everyone is roaming the streets with their families. Like Little Italy, it’s a favourite spot to hang out during the World Cup and Euro Cup.

This area is also filled with many young people because of the cheaper real estate. It’s not extremely cheap, but it’s better than Downtown , and it’s also very close to University of Toronto.

Chinatown (Dundas Street West to Spadina)

There are many Chinatowns in the Greater Toronto Area (Mississauga, Markham and in Toronto on Gerrard Street), but the oldest one is on Spadina. It’s a popular destination among students and student housing because of its proximity to the University of Toronto.

You also have access to some amazing markets for fresh produce, as well as interesting knick knacks.

If you’re considering the University of Toronto, living on the border of Chinatown is about a 2-minute subway ride or 7-minute walk to the campus.

Koreatown (Bathurst, Christie and Bloor)

Similar to Chinatown, it’s a great spot for some cheap student eats.

While this isn’t as close to University of Toronto, it’s still only about 4 stops away (UofT is at St, George on the Bloor Danforth line, if you go westbound to Bathurst, Christie or Bloor, you’re in Chinatown).

Christie and Bloor stations are huge student hubs, if you’re looking for a place to live with a lot of young neighbours.

Koreatown offers some great grocery stores, Korean BBQ spots and many places serving Ramen (which you’ll need on a cold winter day).

Danforth – Greektown (Broadview to McCowan)

The summertime is when this neighbourhood is in its prime. This is because the community truly comes to life, and you’ll always see families roaming about the streets late on a summer evening. Restaurants start to open their patios, and everyone gets ready for the annual Taste of the Danforth.

This area is very close to Woodbine Beach and is located at Woodbine station (one of the most popular beaches in Toronto).

If you want to try some delicious Greek food and meet some super friendly people that treat you like family, check out the Danforth.

Kensington Market (Dundas Street West to College)

The border of Kensington Market is very close to the University of Toronto, George Brown College and Ryerson University.

Located on the green line from Dundas West station all the way to Bloor station.

It’s a very instagrammable spot and students love to wander the streets of this neighbourhood and grab some vegan eats, a cup of hot tea, a latte, vinyl, cheap clothes or maybe even get a tattoo.

There’s lots to do in this popular spot of Toronto, filled with hipsters and plenty of great graffiti alleyways for photoshoots.

St. Lawrence Market (Jarvis to Front Street East)

This neighbourhood is in walking distance from both the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, located on the yellow line at Dundas station.

You get fresh produce every day and can get your weekly groceries here at an affordable price. The area can give you the feel of a flea market, where you can buy household items, plants and other random things that make for great interior decoration.

The Beaches (Victoria Park Avenue to Kingston Road with an incredible view of Lake Ontario)

This area is home to one of the major beaches in Toronto. Located on the green line from Broadview to Woodbine, it’s a very lavish neighbourhood, so also worthwhile roaming around and hunting for your future home.

Beaches is one of the best places in North America for playing beach volleyball or rollerblading along the boardwalk.

Yorkville (Bay Street)

This suburb is a popular place to students to roam around and go window shopping on the green line at Bay station. If you want to see some luxury cars, check out some cute cafes, spot celebrities or even do a little celebratory splurge shopping when you’re done exams, this posh place is where you should go.

Distillery District

Distillery District isn’t a huge spot for student housing, but you’ll find many students roaming about this neighbourhood. It’s a great place to stroll. During the winter holiday period it comes alive with decorations and the Christmas market helps develop a festive spirit.

During the year you can check out their markets, a bunch of restaurants, as well as take some Insta-worthy posts capturing the beauty of this neighbourhood.

Toronto’s cultural scene

With all the different neighbourhoods and diversity that Toronto has to offer, you will never have to worry about being bored (or hungry!!).

There are plenty of activities that occur in these neighbourhoods that make the summer season in particular loads of fun.

Taste of the Danforth

This happens every August in the Danforth (Greek) community. There are vendors set up and the streets are blocked off.

Taste of the Danforth is filled with lots of music, tasty Greek food and a great opportunity for everyone in the city to celebrate Greek culture on a summer night.

Caribana

Toronto’s Caribbean Festival, known as ‘Caribana’ is a chance to see the city of Toronto truly come to life. It happens every year during the August long weekend (first weekend of August) and is the largest street festival in the entire city.

Caribana is filled with performances, visitors from all around the world, bright costumes, food vendors, parades with floats and dancers, as well as non-stop music.

Taco Fest

This festival is held at Ontario Place, located downtown right by the water, and happens in the second week of June.

Some of the best chefs in the city set up vendor stalls and sell some classic dishes with special tastes including guacamole, hot sauce, churros and even some tequila! Tons of students go to the event because you pay a cover charge and get access to some of the best food!

It’s a great opportunity to hang out with your friends from school (since you’ll be on summer break and may not see them as often), as well as meet people from different neighbourhoods across the city.

Taste of the Middle East

You can spend one day at the end of July to enjoy some of the finest cuisine Middle Eastern culture has to offer.

Taste of Middle East happens at the core of downtown (Yonge and Dundas) and it’s free. You can taste some middle eastern classic dishes, and even learn cool new things like how Turkish coffee is made. You can get your fortune read, check out some unique art work, listen to music, dance and taste over 1001 flavours that the Middle Eastern culture has to offer.

All the proceeds raised go to charity which is another added bonus.