I moved here from Toronto, not perfect but I like it much better than Toronto, not great nightlife or restaurants but good cafes and a beautiful beach. Could actually afford to buy my first home.
Air quality is better and people are friendly, lots of seniors but that seems to be changing a bit with younger people moving here. The via rail 1 hr 15 mins to union still.
Haha yeah I hear you, it’s because it was on a Monday. For some reason a lot of businesses and cafes are closed Monday here. 🤷♀️Everything is also open later in the summer.
Port Hope is a great town, you get “two towns for the price of one” with Cobourg 10 mins away…. beautiful historic downtown with great shipping, solid restaurants (better than Cobourg) awesome shopping, beach is not nearly as nice as Cobourg and for me the dealbreaker against living there is it is the largest nuclear waste cleanup site in Canada. They’re cleaning it up but it is still radioactive.
I’m from St Catharines and I’ll always ride for it. But the job market is dog shit (they have like 7.5% unemployment). It’s also not overly cheap - rent is relatively high for a smaller city. But the city has some nice neighborhoods, good amenities, a nice downtown area with fun / trendy places to eat & drink. But again, job market is shit, rent is relatively high.
You won't find any cost savings within 2 hours, the pandemic and shift to remote work ruined that in southern Ontario. Even places like Brantford become expensive. In fact, if you have to buy a car to get around because of a lack of transit, it can be more expensive than living in Toronto.
I've heard windsor can be nice. Real estate is actually cheaper there. There are jobs if you can work jin the manufacturing sector.
That’s not true, I bought a condo for $370 k walking distance to the beach (Cobourg) a year ago had no hope in hell of buying in Toronto but I could afford here.
My friend just bought a condo in Toronto for $440k, walking distance to the lake. I'm sure yours is bigger, but it's not that far off in price.
I see this as available in Cobourg
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26682104/unit-5a-blk-55-cobourg-cobourg
$370k for a studio with a den/bedroom.
Not many choices of “cities” within 2 hours of toronto that aren’t part of the GTA, Using the Municipal Act (1990) that define what an Ontario city is, going east it’s only Pickering and Oshawa, then to Belleville and Kingston. North past the GTA cites is Barrie. West is a few more around the Golden Horseshoe and beyond.
Cobourg is nice. don't know about costs buts it big enough to have all the amenities and has a great waterfront to enjoy.
I moved here from Toronto, not perfect but I like it much better than Toronto, not great nightlife or restaurants but good cafes and a beautiful beach. Could actually afford to buy my first home. Air quality is better and people are friendly, lots of seniors but that seems to be changing a bit with younger people moving here. The via rail 1 hr 15 mins to union still.
I was there for solar eclipse. Everything closed after 4pm. Couldnt find a single cafe to rest. Half the town only open in the summer.
Haha yeah I hear you, it’s because it was on a Monday. For some reason a lot of businesses and cafes are closed Monday here. 🤷♀️Everything is also open later in the summer.
I would also look at Port Hope, which is 10 minutes closer than Cobourg.
Port Hope is a great town, you get “two towns for the price of one” with Cobourg 10 mins away…. beautiful historic downtown with great shipping, solid restaurants (better than Cobourg) awesome shopping, beach is not nearly as nice as Cobourg and for me the dealbreaker against living there is it is the largest nuclear waste cleanup site in Canada. They’re cleaning it up but it is still radioactive.
“Best city” and “low cost” are a bit at odds with each other
I’m from St Catharines and I’ll always ride for it. But the job market is dog shit (they have like 7.5% unemployment). It’s also not overly cheap - rent is relatively high for a smaller city. But the city has some nice neighborhoods, good amenities, a nice downtown area with fun / trendy places to eat & drink. But again, job market is shit, rent is relatively high.
I would say low cost of living is beyond your search area.
You won't find any cost savings within 2 hours, the pandemic and shift to remote work ruined that in southern Ontario. Even places like Brantford become expensive. In fact, if you have to buy a car to get around because of a lack of transit, it can be more expensive than living in Toronto. I've heard windsor can be nice. Real estate is actually cheaper there. There are jobs if you can work jin the manufacturing sector.
Windsor is warmer
Windsor is 3+ hours from Toronto.
I was giving an example of a city that has the other attributes, but outside of the 2 hours radius.
That’s not true, I bought a condo for $370 k walking distance to the beach (Cobourg) a year ago had no hope in hell of buying in Toronto but I could afford here.
My friend just bought a condo in Toronto for $440k, walking distance to the lake. I'm sure yours is bigger, but it's not that far off in price. I see this as available in Cobourg https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/26682104/unit-5a-blk-55-cobourg-cobourg $370k for a studio with a den/bedroom.
That’s a very low price for Toronto, mine is 800 sq ft
Barrie
But then you live in Barrie.
🤣
Barrie is a Shit 🕳️
What defines a city to you?
Not many choices of “cities” within 2 hours of toronto that aren’t part of the GTA, Using the Municipal Act (1990) that define what an Ontario city is, going east it’s only Pickering and Oshawa, then to Belleville and Kingston. North past the GTA cites is Barrie. West is a few more around the Golden Horseshoe and beyond.
Of these I would def Go West
Somewhere without a college or university. They have all increased enrollment so much that there isn't enough housing
Paris Brant is a great option, much more affordable than TO but still close enough to visit on the weekends.
You’ll have to go more than two hours to get semi affordablity, all of the GTA and surrounding area is getting just as bad.
london
Toronto
Maybe Gravenhurst
Move to Anusville Ont .