Moving to Ajax Ontario but you don't know which neighborhoods are the best?

In this video I break down which Ajax neighborhoods are ranked the highest and why you should move there. I take you on a driving tour of each neighborhood so that you can see – as if you were in person – what each neighborhood looks like. You’ll get a great feel for what the homes look like and what the overall style and activity looks like in each community. 

Plus, discover current market prices, schools in the area, places to eat and have fun, and so much more! If you’ve been on the fence about moving to Ajax because you’re unsure of what neighborhoods are the best fit for you, this is as close to visiting each neighborhood yourself. Come along for the ride.

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[Transcript]

So you’re thinking about moving to Ajax Ontario? Well in this video I’m gonna show you the top 5 neighboourhoods in Ajax Ontario and I’m going to do a couple things for you. First we’re going to hop in my car and I’m going to take you for a ride. I’ve taken extensive footage of each of these neighbourhoods so you can see them up close and personal.Then I’ll show you some of the different styles of homes, different price points, so whether you’re looking for a starter home or a forever home, you get a full picture of how far your budget can take you and get a better picture of what it’s like to live here in Ajax Ontario. So without further ado, let’s get right in to it! Hey if this is your first time to the channel and you want to know everything there is to know about living in Toronto and the surrounding areas like Ajax then subscribe below. Also tap the bell for notifications so you can be the first to know about the current market in Toronto. My name is Rochelle Manguino I’m a local real estate agent right here in Toronto. For the last 7 years I’ve been helping people just like yourself move to the Greater Toronto Area and I absolutely love it. So whether you’re looking to move in 9 days or 90 days just give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email, or even schedule a Zoom call down in the description below. I’d be happy to help you make a smooth move to Toronto. 

So let’s get in to this let me show you what Ajax is all about! Hop in my car and the first spot on our top 5 list that I want to show you right here where I’m at right now - Pickering Village! Say whaaat? Yes, I did say Pickering Village and yes you heard me right Pickering Village is in Ajax, not Pickering which is the city next door. It used to be part of Pickering, but when the Region of Durham was formed, Pickering Village became part of Ajax. So I know that might sound strange but bare with me because guys even ever since it became part of Ajax, Pickering Village has always kept its identity with a strong sense of history and community, and that’s evident right here where I’m standing in the heart of the Pickering Village in this shopping plaza which is also happens to be called Pickering Village now this plaza is actually right along Ajax’s only historic main street, Old Kingston Road at the corner of Kingston and Church. This plaza stands out amongst the other heritage buildings in the area based on its sheer size and its tudor-style exterior. But it’s also a lively community hub with tons of established businesses like an ice cream shop, Casa Verde Italian restaurant that used to be a birthing house back in the 1890s, and more recently for the last 10 years or so it’s been home to JamFest, an annual summer music festival that they play inside the Village’s courtyard. There’s plenty to do here so let’s take a look at what living here might look like for you. We’ll hop in my car and I’ll take you for a ride around the neighbourhood right now let’s go. 

Welcome to Pickering Village! I actually didn’t have to drive here I’m only a 10 minute walk from the Village plaza where we were just at. But basically in this neighbourhood here you’ve got a good mix of 2 main styles. On the southern half of the neighbourhood you’ve got a lot of heritage homes, ranch style bungalows and one-and-a-half storey houses. Then on the other side, the north side, that’s where you’ll find a lot of newer homes, and subdivisions that have been built more recently. I’m here in the northern half if you can tell by the homes around me. This one behind me is a Victorian Century Home  On A 66X165 ft Lot. It’s zoned R1-B which is common along this street particularly I am on Church St which is a main road and actually the future sight of Durham Live which is a huge casino and entertainment complex they’re building right up the road here literally just 5 no more than 10 minutes away. I actually have a video about that where you can learn more about that project and the potential investment opportunities there you might want to check out. But the zoning for this home here allows you to have a commercial space on the property, perfect for those of you who want to live and work from home. It recently sold for 1.015 million dollars so a million 15. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 washrooms, 9 foot ceilings, and all the historical charm you get from a century home. Location is great obviously you’re in the middle of all the action and all the hustle and bustle that Ajax has to offer. But if you were looking for something a little more quiet and closer to the water, then follow me to the shores of Lake Ontario, we’re going to head over to #2 on our top 5 list which is Duffins Bay.

Duffins Bay is a quiet, family oriented neighbourhood. It’s bordered by the shores of Lake Ontario to the south, Finley Ave to the west, Westney Road South to the north, and Harwood Ave to the east. One of the main attractions in the Duffins Bay area is the Waterfront Park and Veterans Point Garden. These parks are nice to stroll around in they’ve got nice flower gardens and waterfront trails that are paved. So let me flip my phone outside and show you around the neighbourhood. Alright we’re here in Duffins Bay and you’ll notice from the driveby that most of the homes in this neighbourhood are large, single family detached homes. Mostly brick exterior with traditional architecture and either single or two car garages. The largest executive homes sit on larger lots and are usually around the water so they have views of Lake Ontario. You’ve got a few townhouses in the mix but then closer to the waterfront is where you’ll see a lot more high rises, condo buildings, with most people owning their units. In fact actually 95% of the residents in Duffins Bay are homeowners, where a typical home here is anywhere between 3 and 5 bedrooms, 2 and 4 baths, and has a median list price of $808,000. Behind me here I’ve got one of your typical homes that you can find here in Duffins Bay. It’s a 4 bed 3 bath with finished basement that recently sold for $870,000. You’re not too far from Duffins Bay Public School it’s actually a quick walk up the street here you don’t have to cross any roads to get there. But what I want to show you is actually the next neighbourhood if you keep walking up along the waterfront. This area is #3 on our top 5 list, it’s called Discovery Bay. Let’s go check it out!

Alright now I’m headed over to the southwest pocket of Ajax to the neighbourhood of Discovery Bay. Discovery Bay is bordered by Lake Ontario to the south, the Duffins Creek greenbelt to the west, and a commercial area to the north. The signature landmark in Discovery Bay is a big public park along the waterfront called Rotary Park. Rotary Park is where you’ll see on any day of the week families and couples out having picnics, they’ve got picnic areas and pavilions, a playground for the kids and paved trails that you can walk on with lookout points along the trail. That said the walkability score here is really high, as are the bikeability and greenspace scores so it’s a nice area to enjoy the waterfront scenery, and you’re also close to nearby amenities in downtown Ajax which is just a few minutes drive away. So let’s go take a look at Discovery Bay, I’ll flip my phone around right now and show you what the houses in the area look like. We’re here in Discovery Bay! You’ll notice from the drive through here that you’ve got a pretty good mix of residential styles,everything from single family homes townhouses and condos are all included in the mix, but large single family houses are the main style. Back in the 1980s is when development in this area really took off, so most of the homes for sale here are from that time. Pride of ownership is very evident around here as over 90% of the residents in Discovery Bay own their home. This one behind me is a 4 bed 3 bath approximately 3000 sqft and backs on to a conservation so you have no rear neighbours. It’s got just over an 100 ft deep lot which is nice because you do get a lot of that yard space, and it recently sold for 1.38 million dollars.  So that’s what housing looks like in this neck of the woods. So fo far we’ve taken a good look at communities in the southern and central parts of Ajax, but now I want to take you a little further up north to the neighbourhood of Nottingham.  Nottingham is one of the largest subdivisions in Ajax it’s seen a lot of growth over the years with a lot of younger families moving in. The median age of residents in Nottingham is 35, that compared to 37 in Ajax as a whole, and 40 years old in Ontario. This is also where you’ll see the highest percentage of married couples and families with kids, so if you’re looking for a great family friendly community with good schools and parks to play, then follow me to the #4 spot on our list, Nottingham.

I’m headed to the northcentral part of Ajax now to the neighbourhood of Nottingham. Like I said before it’s one of the largest subdivisions in Ajax. It used to be a rural community up until about the early 2000s when urban sprawl basically just swallowed up all the local farms. But it’s still very attractive in that you’ve still got a lot of greenspace, hills and creeks that flow through the neighbourhood. And then the neighbourhood itself is actually divided into different enclaves or areas, each of these areas are marked by stone entrance signs like this one here. Nearby amenities include The Westney and Taunton Shopping Centre and the Somerset Plaza. Both provide Nottingham residents with a variety of shopping options everything from groceries, retail, to dental services and daycare. Now let’s go take a look at the homes. 

Here in Nottingham you’ll notice an impressive collection of executive size detached homes on wide lots with built-in garages and covered front balconies. The architecture on a lot of these homes is traditional with brick exteriors, triangular pitched roofs, columned front porches. This one behind me basically fits that description exactly it’s your typical home here in the neighbourhood with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and it recently sold for $915,000. There’s a trail behind this crescent that runs for a few kilometers if you wanted to take in the fresh air with a light jog or afternoon walk. You’re right in between 2 big grocery chains, No Frills and Longo’s. And because Ajax hosts both catholic and public school boards, you’re actually close to both options in this neighbourhood with 2 elementary schools within walking distance away and then J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate, a high school that you can walk to as well. But now? I’m going to tell you what you can’t walk to. It’s the #5 spot on our top 5 list, the neighbourhood of Riverside. It’s located on the very west border of Ajax not a far drive from here, maybe only 6 7 minutes. But you do have to drive. So let’s hop in my car as I take you to one of the more affluent communities here in Ajax, Riverside. 

Welcome to Riverside! Riverside is one of the more affluent neighbourhoods in Ajax. Pride of ownership is evident here with a lot of large, executive styles homes that are well maintained. It’s a relatively newer community with most of the homes being built in the 2000s so just in the last 20 years or so. This neighbourhood is also home to a lot of high rated schools for the kids, and so is one of reasons why it’s been popular with working professionals and large families. In terms of location, Riverside is in the northwest section of Ajax, right at the edge of west Ajax where it meets the city of Pickering. And right in the middle of the neighbourhood is the Riverside Golf course. Here you’ll find homes that overlook this golf course, and one of them I’m actually standing in front of right now. This house like a lot of the houses here has a brick and stone exterior, and you can see is 2 stories tall on a nice and good sized lot. Most of the homes here have anywhere between 3-6 bedrooms and 2 - 5 baths, and have either single or double garages on large private laneways. This one in particular is 4+1 bedrooms and 5 baths, between 3 and 3500 sqft and actually sold for $1.8 million dollars. It’s at a higher price point than the average detached home here in Riverside. The average price of a detached home here is $1.129 million dollars, but the price of any home of course does depend on its size, features, and finishes.

So you can see that here in Ajax you’ve got a ton of housing options available to you at a range of different price points. And no matter where you are in Ajax you’re pretty much less than a 10 minute drive to Lake Ontario which is nice because you get to benefit from living in a lakefront community.  Not to mention you’re pretty close to Toronto as well, about 50 km or so or no more than a 40 minute drive unless you’re stuck in traffic. But it’s great for those who work in the city but still want to be close to amenities as there are a bunch of shops and restaurants to choose from here in Ajax. Add to that great schools, there’s a hospital in town, Lakeridge Health, it’s a safe little town, and awesome place to raise a family. So there are tons of reasons why people are moving to Ajax, and so if you’re one of those people and you’re considering making a move to Ajax yourself, whether you’re moving to Ajax in 9 days or 90 days give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email or schedule a Zoom all my contact info will be down below. I’d love to hear from you and I’d love to help make your move to Ajax a smooth one. So until then thanks for watching, my name is Rochelle Manguino your local Toronto area Realtor. Give me a shout and I’ll see you around town!

Is Ajax Ontario a good place to live? 

Ajax Ontario is a growing community, and more and more people are asking about moving to Ajax Ontario every day! Not everything is rainbows and roses in Ajax, though. There are definitely a few things you should know before you move here.

One of the top pros is the fact that Ajax has relatively more affordable real estate than other cities in the Greater Toronto Area. Ajax has also seen a lot of growth over the years, making it a town that families across the board are moving to. It's an amazing place to live, so come see what all the fuss is about.

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[Transcript]

Hey everyone. This video is all about the pros and cons of living right here in Ajax, Ontario. So stay tuned.
Hope you're doing well. My name is Rochelle Manguino. I am the founder and creator of living in Toronto. I'm also a local real estate agent right here in AJAX, Ontario. So if you are looking to learn everything that you need to know about living and working and just having fun in the greater Toronto area, then definitely stick around. If you are new to my channel, then, welcome. I'm here to drop all of your tips and strategies that you need to know about moving to AJAX Ontario, definitely make sure you hit that subscribe button and the notification bell so that you get notified every time I drop a new video, which is every week. All right, now let's talk about AJAX. It is where I live personally. And so I have so much to share with you in terms of the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm gonna break it all down for you. So that if you are thinking of moving to Ajax as well, then I'm gonna fill you in on everything that you need to know so that you know what to expect before making that move. It is a big decision. So let's get right to it. We're gonna start off with the pros of living in Ajax. So your first pro about living in Ajax, is that it is very affordable. Now, before I get into that, and before you start commenting, eh, Ajax isn't affordable. Let me just set the record clear that I'm talking on a relative basis, because anyone that knows anything about housing and affordability in the greater Toronto area knows that the GTA is expensive and AJAX being part of the GTA is going to be expensive. But in relative terms, if you're comparing Ajax to other towns and cities in the greater Toronto area, then what I'm talking about is the fact that Ajax is relatively more affordable than other parts of the GTA. But with Ajax being your more model suburban town, you've got a lot of people flocking from outside of the city and into the suburbs, especially in the east end of Toronto, where housing is a lot more affordable than say the west end where you know, homes in Missisauga and Oakville are just crazy expensive as well as even in the north end. You'll see that Ajax has a lot to lower price point than homes in say Richmond hill or Vaughan. You've also got a really great inventory of homes.
There's a lot of land in ajax that they're developing on. And so you've got everything from new home builds, new subdivisions to resale homes, estate homes, condos, apartments. There's a lot of variety to choose from. Anything to suit your style and your budget. You can pretty much find here in Ajax. Now I do have a video right over here that you can check out later. This video actually talks about all of the more popular neighborhoods in Ajax that people are moving to in it. I talk about the different styles of homes, but more importantly, you're gonna touch on different price points. So you really get a good look of how far your money can take you depending on which pocket or which area of Ajax you plan on moving to. Now because of the affordability of Ajax, it has been a really popular destination, especially for first time, home buyers and young families. And so, by the way, if you are a first time home buyer, then definitely I specialize in working with first time home buyers, the process of purchasing a home in Toronto can be really tricky. There's a lot of benefits that you can get from the government. A lot of options available to you in terms of government grants and benefits that, um, you can take advantage of. So if you are looking for a home in Ajax then definitely reach out to me, love to be able to help you and show you more about my town. okay. So let's move into the second pro of living in Ajax. And this pro is actually really near and dear to my heart is because I find Ajax to be very family friendly. So from my personal experience, for example, when I first moved into my house, um, in Ajax, the first thing that I noticed, or one of the first things that I noticed were all of the kids playing on the street, which was really exciting because having kids myself, I knew that this would be a nice area to raise my kids because it would have so many playmates all along the street and in the neighborhood. And guys, let me tell you, it is not just my streets and not just my neighborhood. Everywhere you go in Ajax, you are going to see a hustle and bustle of kids just being lively and active and playing together. If you go closer to the beaches area, there's rotary park, which has a huge playground it's right on the waterfront, where again, a bunch of kids and the parents and all families just get together. They have picnics. There's a splash pad in the area as well. In fact, in Ajax, there are tons of splash pads all over the place and so altogether you really get that great family community feel. It's a great place to raise your family, to have your kids. Meet other kids and, um, just really grow up in a safe and inviting environment. And the number three pro of living in Texas is that it is very well located. You're right smack dab in the middle of the 401, of the 407. And the 412. So the 401 that's your main highway to get pretty much anywhere. So it does cross Ajax. So if you wanted to go further west, for example, and hit up Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, wherever Niagara falls, then you take the 401 there. If you wanted to go to the east Ottawa Cobourg Oshawa you would also take the 401 because the 401 crosses Ajax. But on the other side of Ajax, the other highway that you've got along that border is actually the 407. So it is a paid, like a toll route that you have to pay for to access. But it's really nice because you get to bypass all the traffic on the 401. You can get to anywhere where you need to go, whether you're going to the west or if you're going to the east. You can get there very quickly because there's never any traffic on the 407, which is really nice for commuters, if you're willing to pay the toll price. So now I'm gonna get into the cons of living in Ajax.
And I really think that it's important to highlight on those cons, even though they're negative. Because it really does give you a full picture of what it's like to live in Ajax. But for now, if you are getting value out of this video so far, then I would love for you to like this video and subscribe to my channel. Also hit the notification bell so that you get notified. Every time I drop a new video. So I do post a new video every single week where I help buyers, sellers and investors. Basically purchase real estate or even sell real estate in the greater Toronto area. All right. Now let's get into the cons of living in Ajax.The number one con of living in Ajax and I did mention earlier is that there was a lot of green space, but with that green space comes high property taxes. So the reason why, and let me give you a lesson on how property taxes work is that property taxes essentially pay for all of your city services. So your police, your fire, your EMS, even your road maintenance crew, but because you've got a lot green space, that means that you don't have as densely populated a community, as you would see in say, A metropolitan like Toronto. So Toronto does have relatively, um, lower property taxes than Ajax. So this year, for example, 2021 Ajax property taxes were 1.09%.
Whereas in the city of Toronto property taxes, there were only 0.6%. So the property taxes in Ajax were almost double, almost double those of the property taxes in Toronto. So they are quite high, but again, taxes are inevitable. Wherever you move, you are going to get, you're gonna have to pay property taxes. Now here's the thing is that. You're compensated it all sort of balances out because in Ajax, like I mentioned, you do have affordable housing. So homes in Ajax are a lot less expensive than homes in Toronto. So that's where the trade off sort of exists is that you are paying a lower amount for your home, but you are paying significantly higher in property taxes. The number two con of living in a Ajax is that you need a car. So doesn't matter where you live in Ajax, any given neighborhood, you're gonna need a car to get to your day to day conveniences, like grocery shopping, um, retail, shopping, dining out, you need a car, like, you know, you'll have these small plazas that you can walk to depending on how close you are to these plazas. But for the most part, what you can expect is that you're gonna need a car. Another thing too, is that the transits. System in Ajax isn't as robust, let's say as what you might be used to, for example, in the city of Toronto, where stocks are a lot more far apart and not as frequented. So basically if you're used to walking out your front doors, Step and catching the bus stop like five minutes away from your house.Then there is gonna be a little bit of an adjustment there, but if you have a car or if you have access to a vehicle, then you're definitely in good shape. But, um, that's something to be mindful of that when you are thinking of purchasing a home in Ajax, Then having access to a vehicle would be a major benefit, whatever given neighborhood that you happen to live in the walk score isn't going to be that high. And the number three con of living in ajax is that there aren't a lot of food options for you. So there is no diversity in food options. I've found that a lot of people that I've spoken to they've had to travel outside of the town to neighboring cities like whitby Pickering, or even Scarborough, just to get some decent food options.
Now that's not writing all off the food vibes in Ajax altogether. I'm not dismissing the fact that there are several great restaurants and cuisines that you can choose from everything from, you know, Caribbean to south Asian, Chinese, Italian, you name it. You've got great restaurants to choose from, but those are usually one-off establishments.
If you're looking for a good variety and lots of options to choose from, unfortunately you're not gonna get that in ajax. So, if you are a foodie like me, then that is something to consider. However, it is only a short drive to either whitby and Pickering, which are your neighboring cities. Those two cities have a lot more food options, but if you're looking at AJAX only, then your food options in terms of availability. In terms of diversity and in terms of the number of options that are available to you, it is very limited. All right. So there you guys have it. Those are my top three pros and cons of living in Ajax. And if you liked what you watched, then please subscribe to my channel Living in Toronto. It gives you all of the tips and strategies you need for buyers sellers investors purchasing or selling real estate in the greater Toronto area. I give you all the tips and strategies that you need to make your next move a successful one and an easy one. I'll see you guys at my next video. Thank you guys so much for watching. I really appreciate it. Hey, everyone. I forgot to mention that if you are actually looking to purchase a home in Ajax or the surrounding areas within the greater Toronto area then I would love to help you out. Feel free to give me a call, send me a text, shoot me an email, or even schedule a zoom call all down in the description below. I would love to help you make your next move to the GTA, a smooth and successful one. But until then, thank you guys again so much for watching.
I will see you guys in my next video.