Toronto is great, but moving away can make you appreciate just how many everyday frustrations you quietly accepted.
The rent reality
For one, I really don’t miss spending such a large portion of my paycheque on rent. Toronto is now one of the most expensive rental markets in Canada. A run-of-the-mill apartment can take a monumental slice out of your monthly earnings. Desiring even basic amenities like an additional bedroom, closet space, or a balcony will drive up your costs even more.
It feels weird now that I don’t live there, knowing that you don’t always have to spend half of your income on housing before making life decisions.
401 gamble
A journey that seems completely sensible on paper can become a completely different ordeal when faced with Toronto traffic. The 401 is legendary for being congested, and rush “hour” can feel considerably longer than its name suggests. An accident, construction, or poor weather can make an already lengthy commute unbearable.
I don’t miss having to leave absurdly early just because there was no dependable way to know how long it would take to get across the city.
The TTC announcement
Toronto has decent public transit, so it’s feasible to live without a car. This was something I liked about Toronto. What I didn’t like was how the train would stop randomly, and everyone would just stare at the PA speaker waiting for an explanation.
Signal failure, security matters, track obstruction, or any number of delays can derail your morning commute in minutes. Once you spend enough mornings cursing at the subway doors while doing mental gymnastics on how late you’ll be, the familiar TTC delay message no longer holds any charm.
Everything comes with a line
Trying to get into some of Toronto’s popular restaurants, brunch spots, festivals and attractions can leave you feeling like waiting in line is part of the attraction. A hot new restaurant gets buzzed about online, and suddenly there are people waiting on the street for a table.
Major events come with huge crowds before you’ve even walked in the door. Even getting something quick downtown can involve long waits during rush hour. I don’t miss having to coordinate regular leisure activities around whether or not hundreds of others have decided to do the same thing.
The construction never ends
Toronto often feels like a city under endless construction. Streets are torn up for repairs, condo towers sprout up everywhere, transit projects are launched, and sidewalks vanish behind white dividers.
Sure, a bustling metropolis needs development, and most of these projects are important. But living amongst it all is another story. Construction detours, drilling noises, lane closures, and never-ending developments can make a simple trip around the block feel like a hassle.
The tiny-apartment compromise
Expensive rent doesn’t just rob you of your hard-earned money. It robs you of square footage too. Living in a Toronto condo teaches you to improvise when it comes to storage solutions, furniture, and pretty much any spare inch you can find.
That dining table is now your desk, your closet is doubling as your pantry, and you suddenly view your balcony as potential storage. When you move into a place that actually has space, you question how you ever thought cramming all of your worldly possessions into a shoebox was acceptable.
Winter’s ugly phase
Fresh fallen snow in Toronto can be pretty, usually for about five minutes. Soon cars, pedestrians, and salt turn it into brown-grey ice slush piled up against curbs and sidewalks. Walking across a street becomes an Olympic sport in puddle dodging, and your boots are perpetually stained with salt.
Toronto’s definitely not Canada’s northernmost city, but winter in the city has a unique brand of ugliness. I don’t miss slipping off a curb only to realize the solid-looking snow beneath you was actually brown water up to your ankles.
The noise you stop hearing
Street sirens, horns, construction, streetcars, delivery trucks, and people loitering outside late at night can become background noise if you live in a large city. I didn’t know how much noise I tuned out until I moved away from it.
Toronto can be exciting (especially downtown), but noise can also be exhausting when you just want to sleep or unwind at home. Silence almost felt unnatural to me at first. And then it became one of the things I loved most about it.
The raccoon battles
Toronto’s raccoons are notoriously brazen. They’ll tip over trash cans, sneak into backyards, and somehow access any food you think you’ve stored away safely. The issue escalated so much that the city released specially designed green bins with locking lids meant to deter the masked bandits.
They’re cute, sure, and undeniably part of Toronto’s charm. But constantly waking up to messy vandalism from your clever nocturnal neighbour gets old.
Parking nightmare
Having a car in Toronto is like having a really expensive child. Outside of gas and insurance, there’s always the stress of where you’re going to park. Paid parking downtown, buying or renting a parking spot with your condo, dramatically increases your living costs; then you have street parking rules and restrictions.
And don’t get me started on finding an open spot, only to see a sign that lists why you absolutely can’t park there. Thankfully, that’s one piece of city charm I won’t miss.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.