Blog posts labelled: toronto east suburbs

Ajax Ontario FULL Map Tour | What You NEED to Know Before Moving to Ajax Ontario

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Ajax, Durham Region, Toronto East Suburbs

Ajax Ontario FULL Map Tour | What You NEED to Know Before Moving to Ajax Ontario

Ajax Ontario is a great town that is close to plenty of amenities and attractions. It's near the city of Toronto Ontario, so if you’re working inside Toronto and need to commute to work then Ajax would be great for you. You also get to enjoy the affordable real estate and lots of family friendly activities in Ajax.

Today, I’ll take you inside Google Maps and show you where Ajax Ontario sits on the map and what types of food, fun, and housing you can enjoy inside the town. Let’s explore Ajax Ontario today!

Watch this video to learn what you need to know before moving to Ajax Ontario.

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[Transcript]

Hey in this video, we're gonna talk about everything you need to know about AJAX Ontario. And I'm gonna walk you through on a map because that way you can see the proximity to downtown Toronto, the airport, and you can see all of the sight and sounds of everything there is to do in AJAX Ontario, and we're gonna get into it right n

Hey. This is your first time to the channel and you wanna know everything there is to know about living, working, eating, sleeping, playing the good and the bad of Toronto, Ontario, and the surrounding areas like right here in Ajax, then subscribe below, tap the bell for notifications. So you can be the first to know about the current market in ajax Ontario.

My name is Rochelle Manguino for the last seven years I've been helping people just like you make the move to Toronto, Ontario. And I absolutely love it. As a real estate agent here, I wanna help you do that. So whether you're moving in nine days or 90 days, be sure to give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email, or even schedule a zoom call and I'd be happy to help you make a smooth move to Toronto, Ontario.

So in this video, as I mentioned, I'm gonna be walking you through Ajax, Ontario on a map so that you get an idea of what's nearby things to do, and let's get after it. We'll jump into my computer and we will go from there. All right. So here, we're taking a look at Ajax, which you can see is highlighted right over here.

So right off the bat, the highest or the biggest highlights of Ajax is that it is a lakefront town. You are sitting on the shores of lake Ontario. So a lot of points of interest will be along the water. And then if I zoom out, you can see that Ajax is just about, um, east of Toronto, about 45 kilometers from the 401.

So if you actually take the 401 to the DVP, but at first glance it might make more sense to take Kingston road here all the way to Toronto, but be fair warned that there is a lot of traffic on this road. It is a major road, but it isn't the highway. So you are gonna get a lot of traffic lights and whatever Google map search that you do

it is gonna tell you that the 401 is the way to go. Now when you are on the 401 here you are gonna pass by Pickering and Scarborough. So a lot of people do ask, is Ajax a suburb of Toronto? Yes, it is. So Ajax is officially part of the greater Toronto area. So once you pass Scarborough, Scarborough is part of Toronto, then you've got Pickering.

So that's your neighboring city to the east. And then just east of Pickering is where you've got Ajax. But starting from Pickering, when you move outward all the way up to Clarington, which is just past Oshawa, then all that is part of The Durham region D for Durham. So yes, Ajax is part of the GTA. It's about half the size of Whitby, which is its neighboring city to the east.

And then about a third of the size of Pickering, which is its neighboring city to the west. Now, most people, when they are in Ajax, they pretty much stay in Ajax. Pre pandemic it was a bedroom community so to speak where a lot of people, a lot of the residents in Ajax, they were commuting to the city of Toronto for work.

Um, but now with the pandemic and everyone working from home and everything's gone virtual, you know, they're, um, it's not so much a commuter town these days, but if you are wanting to travel into Toronto, and you'll wanna avoid all of the traffic on the 401, then your best bet would actually be the go station right over here.

So Ajax does have a go station right there, which is at westney road here. There's the go. And then if you wanted to travel even further out to the airport specifically, that would be here. That's the closest international airport it's Pearson, which is in mississaga. So that would be a 60 kilometer commute, um, or 40 minute drive, just along the 401 to the 427 and then boom, you can fly out somewhere sunny and take me with you now.

Road transportation in Ajax is pretty much dominated by highway 401, which you can see runs straight through Ajax pretty much dividing it in half now. Not completely in half, because if you actually look at Taunton road here, north of Taunton road, this is all rural.

Now along the 401, there are three exits that bring you into Ajax. So here's a 401 lake Ridge. You can only exit, um, if you're heading east on the 401, but Westney road and Salem, these are your major roads that you can access both from the east and west. Now here, if we're focusing on Salem road, this is where you're gonna see a lot of bottleneck traffic eastbound on the 401, because the lanes actually narrow down to three lanes.

So just keep that in mind, if you're commuting along the 4 0 1 during rush hour. Now, if we just go a little further down, On hardwood road here, this is what's considered sort of your downtown area of Ajax. Now, the thing is, is that Ajax doesn't actually have a downtown, so you don't have a downtown in the traditional sense where you think of, um,youknow, a lot of shops and restaurants where people can walk to.

Um, but there is a lot to do in the central part of Ajax. So here along Harwood avenue. If I just zoom in, you can see a whole bunch of different, um, you know, shops and restaurants. So I've got Bam bam Korean fried chicken here, pita delights, Mexico Lindo, youknow, uh, let's see here, chia Indian cuisine.

So all along Ajax or harwood road here. And then if I just go further up here, Along Kingston road here specifically, then you've got just over here. This is durham center this is your typical power center where you've got your big box stores like home Depot, Canadians higher. There's a Costco over here, a Walmart actually over here.

And then you get a ton of restaurants to shoes from. Let me just zoom in a little bit more. And then, so you can see I've got the keg. I've got Boston pizza Applebees. Uh, let's see, what else? So, funny thing is, there's actually a Cineplex Odeon Ajax cinemas here. I actually had this conversation with someone not too long ago.

I don't know, it might be a dying industry. I haven't been to the movie theaters in a very long time, youknow, because of Netflix and with streaming services that, uh, they offer these days. I just, I don't know. Let me know what you think in the comments below are movie theaters, a dying industry. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

But,you know, if you are into movies, then you've got the Cineplex theaters right over there. And then let's head on south over here to the water. This area is really interesting because like I mentioned, a lot of your main interest points in Ajax are going to be along the waterfront because you are along lake Ontario.

Now Ajax's waterfront trail is actually part of the waterfront trail. The one that stretches all the way from Hamilton to Bellville. Now, Ajax's part of that is actually seven kilometers and they're actually the only community or the first community to have their entire waterfront trail beginning to end off road.

Now, so that's really interesting. And I know that a lot of people, when they do wanna hit up the waterfront park, they're probably gonna head on over to Pickering, um, Frenchman's bay or even Scarborough Bluffs in Scarborough, which is about a half hour drive from Ajax. But it is a lot, um, or it is worth it to a lot of people because.

You know, they don't know about Ajax's waterfront trail. It's really clean. There's always parking. It's never too crowded. And you've got a lot of large open spaces here, which is really nice for families because you're gonna see a lot of families with their kids, youknow, their soccer balls. having picnics with their kids and just enjoying the weather.

Now, the nice thing about the waterfront trail is that it is paved. And you're gonna see a lot of, um, benches along the trail so that you can rest in the summertime. You're gonna see a lot of butterflies and a wide variety of flowers, like roses and hibiscus. Um, so it is really pretty now to get to the entrance.

Of the waterfront park. Um, you are going to see veterans point gardens, which is along the base of hardwood avenue. Here. You can just park your car here and then you can walk to this Memorial site for world war II vets. So veterans point gardens. This is where you're gonna see a lot of, you know, Memorial plaques pictures.

There's a nice display dedicated to the HMS Ajax so that was actually a battleship for the Royal Navy during world war II. And that's actually how AJAX got its name. It was, uh, named after this battle ship. So,you know, you've got a beautiful setting along lake Ontario. You can walk around and it's sort of an unexpected surprise because you think you're going for a nice walk.

And then all of a sudden it's a history lesson. And then if you just walk a little bit further down, uh, walk or drive a long lake driveway, it's about two and a half kilometers is you can get to rotary park. So this is one of your. Bigger parks. I think it's actually the biggest park in Ajax. It's really popular with young families because anytime you go, you are gonna see rotary park full of kids at the playground.

There's also a splash pad. There you get a really nice view of the lake. And then right over here, I believe this is where you can get, um, access to the water. They have a really small ramp there where you can bring your kayak or your canoe. Now this part of the water. It's really calm the water and shallow.

So you're gonna see a lot of, you know, blue Heron and swans. You're gonna see a lot of people fishing along with lake as well. Uh, this is my picture of a fish. Now, if you are into fishing Greenwood conservation area, that's just up here that entire green section there. Let me just zoom in it's about 700 acres or so of Greenland and it is along Duffins Creek.

So this is a cold Creek. Um, where you can find a lot of rainbow trouts and a bunch of other fish here. Now, this Creek does run along the new Seaton valley, but along the Creek, you can also hike the hiking trails here. They are very well groomed. And along the area, you've got a good mix of field and forests.

So it's a nice place for a walk. You could probably come along a picnic shelter probably once every 10 minutes or so. So nice place to hang out, walk around, be close to nature. Now, if you are looking for a little more action, then. The Ajax casino right over here. And the Ajax downs racetrack are right over here in the Northeast section of Ajax.

It's only one of three casinos in the GTA. Um, it's temporarily closed right now just because we are in the middle of a lockdown, but, um, they will be open as soon as this is over. Now, the thing is, is that there is another Casino just next door in Pickering where it's going to be huge. They're developing it right now.

There's a film studio, um, concert venue, huge casino, like I said, uh, five star boutique hotel. Now they are moving a lot of their machines from the casino, Ajax over to the new one, Durham live it's called in Pickering. Um, you can even see a lot of the machines right now. They have tags on them saying that they're no longer in use because they're moving them over to Durham live.

But the race track here, Ajax downs. Our current Ontario premier Doug Ford. He actually said that he is going to keep that open, which is really nice because you can actually bet as little as $5 to get in on the racetrack action. Now, this grounds, they also host, um,you know, a lot of, um, events like Canada day.

They have a lot of food rock festivals there, so they really try and keep the community engaged. Now, speaking of Pickering, this area here. Which is Pickering village, which oddly enough is part of Ajax. Don't get it confused. It used to be part of Pickering, but when the Durham region actually was first formed, then Pickering village became part of Ajax.

So this community, it actually has a lot of history to it. There is this huge building right here. Kingston and church. It actually used to be part of a Quaker settlement back in the 18 hundreds, but now it's home to a bunch of shopping, which I'll zoom in on and a bunch of, you know, local mom and pop type restaurants.

Um, there are a lot of established businesses in that complex that have been running for a long time. And then a lot of the homes in this area, you actually get a good mix of, uh,well, so first of all, on the Southern part here, you're gonna get a lot of older homes. So ranch, style, bungalows, Victorian homes.

And then on the Northern side, this is where you're gonna get a lot of new builds. So newer subdivisions, mostly, um, single family homes that have built more recently, but that's the thing about Ajax is that wherever you go, you're gonna get a good mix of housing. So everything from apartments, condos, and high rises to executive single detached homes.

So if you're thinking of moving to Ajax Ontario, then you've got a good, a range of different price points and options that you can choose from. Now the average price of a home in Ajax is 1.1 million. So I do get asked a lot. Is it expensive to live in Ajax? Well, it depends. I mean, I think we can all agree that anywhere in the GTA it's gonna be expensive.

But in relative terms, if you are comparing Ajax to their parts of the GTA, then you will find lower price points in Ajax. Um, Ajax is considered relatively more affordable. So central Southwest Ajax here, this area has the lowest price point of homes in Ajax. The medium price points of a home here is about $810,000 with condo apartments sitting at around the $620,000 mark.

On average, it is an older community. You are going to find a lot of housing built in the early 1940s or so here. And this is where you're also gonna find most of ajax's low and medium rise apartment buildings as well as a lot of small bungalows, you know, two bedroom homes. So this area is perfect for smaller families downsizers or retirees, but you.

You know, it is nice because you are close to a lot of amenities here, um, along harwood, the different shops and plazas that I showed you earlier. And then just up the road here is the hospital lake Ridge health here. Now when you do move closer to the water, to this neck of town, um, the prices do pick up almost dramatically.

Now, Pickering beach here. Now don't be fooled because this is part of AJAX again. Um, but back in the day, this used to be part of, uh, or when people started to first move into ajax you had a lot of cottages here. Um, but now it's being filled with a lot of infills and newer homes. And because it is along the water, this is where you're going to see homes at the upper price points in Ajax, where you're gonna see a lot of home selling for anywhere between one and a half to north of $2 million.

So real estate is not cheap in this neighborhood, but if money is not an issue for you, then this is probably one of the best areas in AJAX to buy a home. So all in all a nice part of town, if you wanna check out this neighborhood a bit more in detail, then I do have another video that you can check out.

Um, it gives you a good breakdown of all the top neighborhoods in Ajax. So not just this one, but, uh, that people are moving to you get drive-bys of the street so that you can see the homes up close and personal. We go through neighborhood demographics schools in the area, how safe it is to live here.

That's a question that I get asked a lot, but all just so that you get a good picture of what it's like to live in Ajax. A lot of young people so millennials, gen X, gen Z, even they've been moving out of Toronto and into the suburbs like AJAX lately, which makes sense when you consider what Ajax has to offer, it's economically booming.

There's been a lot of residential and commercial development, um, here in the last 10 or 15 years or so. And it's a great place to raise a family because it is a lot less hectic than Toronto, but you do still get a lot of cultural flavor because it is ethnically diverse. And so all in all a great place to live, work and play.

And so if you're considering moving to Ajax, Ontario, then whether you're moving in nine days or 90 days, give me a shout. I would love to help you out. Give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email, or even schedule a zoom call down in description below. We can jump on a zoom, just like this. I'll show you the areas that interest you kind of walk you through those as well, just so that you can get a better idea.

And hopefully I do get a chance to work with you and help you out. Any way that I can. It's what I love doing. I would love to help you make a smooth move to Toronto until then don't forget to subscribe to my channel and check out this video about the pros and cons of living in Ajax until then I'll see you guys around town.

Thanks again for watching byebye for now.

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TOP 5 NEIGHBORHOODS TO MOVE TO IN WHITBY ONTARIO 2022

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Durham Region, Neighborhood Tours, Toronto East Suburbs, Whitby

TOP 5 NEIGHBORHOODS TO MOVE TO IN WHITBY ONTARIO 2022

Let's talk about one of the top cities to live in in Canada! Whitby Ontario was ranked top 25 out of 415 cities in the entire country!

In this video I break down - in great detail - the highest ranking Whitby Ontario neighborhoods that people are moving to. Discover average prices of homes, schools in the area, safety ratings, plus the most popular places to eat and play.

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[Transcript]

So you’re thinking about moving to Whitby Ontario? Well in this video I’m going to show you the top 5 neighboourhoods in Whitby Ontario and we’re gonna make it really exciting for you because 1st 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’m gonna 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 right here in beautiful Whitby 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 Whitby 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 Whitby and the surrounding Greater Toronto Area. For the last 7 years I’ve been helping people just like yourself move to the GTA and I absolutely love it. So whether you’re looking to move in 9 days or 90 days I’d love to hear from you! 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 Whitby is all about! Hop in my car and the first spot on our top 5 list that I want to show you is Taunton North. If you take a look at our map here you can see that Taunton North is closer to the north end of town. And just like its neighbours Pickering Ajax and Oshawa, the northern part of the city is primarily rural. But with this neighbourhood specifically, Taunton North it’s seen a large increase in population over recent years because of a large number of builders coming in to the area and transitioning it from a rural countryside to an urban community. That said there are quite a number of newer subdivisions being built, newer homes. So let’s head over to the area and see what the neighbourhood looks like.

Welcome to Taunton North! You may’ve noticed from the drive thru here that the neighbourhood has a lot of large detached executive homes, but also a bunch of more modest detached houses and townhomes in the mix too. The average price of a home here is $1.071 million dollars.

This home is at the average price point it sold for $1 million dollars even and it has 2+2 bedrooms and 5 baths. Whenever you see a listing that has +1 bedrooms, +2 bedrooms, that means they’re referring to either a den or a bedroom in the basement for example. Officially, in order to call a room a bedroom it has to have a closet and a window large enough to escape from if there’s a fire. Those are the rules about what constitutes a bedroom and so this house is a good example of that because it is a bungalow, where on the main floor you’ve got the 2 bedrooms. And then the +2 bedrooms those are actually in the finished basement of this home where because they are below grade level you don’t have the appropriate sized windows you need to actually call it a bedroom officially, but still added value because at the end of the day you still have a total of 4 bedrooms in the whole house so there’s your fun fact for the day!

And so that is also what a cool round million dollars can get you in this neck of the woods. But now I want to do is just drive up a little further up north, directly north actually of where we’re at now just about 5 minutes away I want to take you to the neighbourhood of Brooklin. Brooklin In my humble opinion is one of Whitby’s hidden gems. Not too many people have heard of this area which is good and it’s bad I mean it’s good because it might get overpopulated and won’t be a little secret anymore how beautiful and relatively affordable it is there but bad because everyone should know about it it’s very underrated and you’ll see why when I show you so that’s what I want to do is let you guys in on this charming little neighbourhood in Whitby. It’s the #2 spot on our top 5 list come hop in the car with me and let me show you Brooklin.

Isn’t Brooklin just beautiful? I love it here and what’s really unique about this neighbourhood here is its strong sense of community, because first of all that downtown core that we drove through with all the charming little shops and restaurants? That’s called Brooklin Village. And that whole area is designated an Ontario Heritage Conservation District. That means that property owners need a permit to make certain changes to their home, like if they want to extend their front porch or add an addition to their property, they’ll need permission from the city because they wanna make sure that the homes in the area and the overall look and feel of the community is consistent so they’ve done a great job of preserving its historical charm and you really do get a good sense of community with that. There are actually tons of events are held here throughout the year right here where I’m standing is where they host the Brooklin Christmas festival and the Brooklin Spring Fair. And then the Brooklin Farmers Market is a really popular weekly thing that goes on that brings everyone together as well which is really fun. Now in terms of housing, I’m going to show you what your average home here looks like. It is helpful to know that the newer section of Brooklin which is east of the downtown core where I’m at now, it has a more modern look to the homes there yet they’ve somehow managed to blend in that contemporary look of homes with the historic charm of the area it’s really unique I’m excited to show you so let’s go take a hike up the road and I’ll show you exactly what I’m talking about, let’s go.

So here’s where I’m talking about you get a nice mix of new and old. The homes in this subdivision are relatively newer around 20 years old but they’ve got this Victorian revival style to the brick and mostly siding exterior with Victorian accents like gingerbread trim you can see at the tops of the roofs there, and and gabled, triangular pitched roofs which were the predominant style from that time as well.

This one here behind me it also has that whimsical charm you’ve got an inviting front porch and all siding clad exterior. This one is actually a townhouse, it has 3 beds, 3 baths, and recently sold for $744,000 dollars. What’s really beneficial about this set of townhouses unlike most townhomes in Whitby is that it is not a condo townhouse you don’t pay condo fees. So normally when you think of a condo you think of a unit inside a building and you have monthly condo fees you pay for the pool, security, building insurance, etc. What a lot of ppl don’t know though is that many townhomes are usually condos as well in that you have to pay your monthly condo fees to pay for things like water and garbage and whatever shared amenities are part of the complex say the the inner street for example or visitor parking you’re paying to have the snow removed and just to keep the overall aesthetic of the complex more uniform. But like I said this townhouse specifically does not have any condo fees. It’s a freehold which means you are responsible for the upkeep of everything on your property, the lawn, the roof, the backyard. But at the same time that does give you more control of any improvements you want to make to your place you know a lot of times condos will have rules about oh you can’t paint your door this colour or you can’t hang these objects from your window. That’s not the case here with a freehold and on top of that you do get to have more direction in terms of your budget and where your money actually goes. Now in terms of budget if you wanted to stay below the million dollar price point then I have a great area for you. The next neighbourhood on your top 5 list is where you’ll find a lot more options between the $750k and million dollar price range. You’ve got a good selection of a variety of different homes - what’s been selling the most most recently are townhomes that’s the most popular style here that’s been selling like hot cakes, but they do have larger sized semi detached and single family homes under the million dollar mark as well so let’s hop in my car and I’ll show you what this homes look like. Come with me and let’s head on over to the neighbourhood of Rolling Acres.

Welcome to Rolling Acres! Quick breakdown on this lovely neighbourhood it’s actually the smallest neighborhood in Whitby in terms of land size but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in nearby amenities. Here you’ll find tons of shopping like grocery stores restaurants gas stations and big box retailers. There are also 3 schools in the neighbourhood including 1 catholic school and 2 public schools, but note that they’re all elementary schools offering kindergarten to grade 8 but there are several high schools just outside of the neighbourhood that are available to you as well.

Now I mentioned that here in Rolling Acres is where you’ll find a lot more affordable homes that are at a lower price point compared to other neighbourhoods in Whitby. The average home here is $1.02 million dollars which is about average for the city but like I said you can still find a lot of great options under the million dollar mark, a perfect example being this charming house behind me here. This one recently sold for $807,000. It’s a detached home as you can see with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The homes in this area are great for growing families because this one here for example has a finished basement so that gives you extra room for the kids to play or for additional storage space if you need it, I mean we could all use more storage right. But then like a lot of the homes here you can also see that house has an extra long driveway where you can park 3 cars which is convenient for larger families as well. In terms of location you’re close to great schools. There’s a website out there called areavibes that ranks schools in Canada based on student test scores. Here in Rolling Acres the average school score they gave a rating of 77.8. That’s higher than the overall Whitby schools score of 74, the overall Ontario schools score of 67, and that’s also 18% higher than the national average so great place to raise a family, you’ve got tons of amenities nearby and you get to benefit from more affordable housing compared to nearby neighbourhoods in the area.

By the way if you are getting value out of this video so far then please don’t forget to give me a thumbs up and make sure you also subscribe to my channel as well so you get all the insider info you need to make your move to Whitby or anywhere in the GTA an easy and informative one. Alright next stop on our top 5 list is Williamsburg. It’s a great neighbourhood for growing families as well because it’s more densely populated a community which means you’re naturally going to have more kids in the mix which is nice if you have kids yourself it’ll be easy for you to just step outside your front door and have a bunch of playmates for your kids to hang out with and you’re going to see a lot parks and recreational activities in the neighbourhood as well so let’s go for a ride there right now. Hop in my car and I’ll show you #2 on our list, the community of Williamsburg. ich makes the location ideal for commuters. So let’s go for a ride in my car again and I’ll take you for a tour let’s go.

Location wise Williamsburg actually sits along the Lynde Creek Greenbelt so that forms sort of a green buffer around this neighbourhood. And then the Heber Down Conservation Area is just up north that’s where you’ll find plenty of nature trails, you can go out for a picnic, and even go fishing or camping on the grounds as well. You’ve also got Highway 412 and the 407 are close too making it easy to hit your 400 series highways if you’re wanting to travel in to Toronto or elsewhere in the GTA. Now Let me flip my phone around and i’ll show you the residential pockets in this neighbourhood.

Welcome to Williamsburg! Like I mentioned this area is ideal for families because you’ve got a more densely populated community. If you’re looking at the population per square km then Williamsburg actually has 3322 residents per square km, and that’s compared to 943 residents per square km in all of Whitby so that’s more than triple. That said you are going to find a lot of multi-family dwellings in the neighbourhood, like towns and semi-detahced houses. But again you also have a lot more homes with kids in the family. Just to throw a few more stats at you that are helpful to know. Williamsburg in fact in terms of families with kids at home they’re sitting at 61%, whereas in the rest of Whitby only 55% of families have kids at home so you’ve got a slightly higher percentage here. You’ve also got more married couples in this neighbourhood, 77% compared to 74 and 71% in Whitby and Ontario. And you’ve got a slightly younger population here as well, the median age being 38, compared to 39 and 40 in Whitby and Ontario. So again, great place for younger families and you’ve got a range of housing styles to choose from.

The street that I’m on now has a good mix of singles, semis, and towns. On this side here you’ll find your single family detached houses. These homes in the last few months have sold for an average of $1.1, 1.2 million dollars. And then on the other side of this street literally just right across the street you’ve got a good, long row of townhomes that’ll likely go for anywhere between 850 and a million dollars, depending of course on its size, features, and finishes. But again, great variety of homes to choose from, you’ve got a ton of great options available to you. But now, it’s time to head over to the #5 spot on our top 5 list. I’m gonna take you to the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario. I want to show you Whitby’s lakeside community we’re going to head down south to the neighbourhood of Port Whitby. Just so you know we are going to pass by an industrial pocket of the city on the way there. Port Whitby is also bordered by parkland and conservation areas to the east and west which will make for an interesting drive so let’s head on over there right now I’m excited to show you Whitby’s lakeside community let’s check the place out together.

Welcome to Port Whitby! I’m at the Port Whitby Marina and if you want to capitalize on being in a lakeside town, then this area is for you. Situated next to the shores of Lake Ontario, housing around here comes with beautiful views of the water and access to a number of fun activities and amenities. Whitby actually has over 10 kms of waterfront trail so you can enjoy daily sunrises and sunsets along the water. The port itself is actually an award-winning facility with over 400 boat slips on the harbour so you can dock your boat there after you’ve enjoyed some rides on the water. There’s the clubhouse around the corner with a bunch of restaurants and shops you can walk to. And the marina also hosts a bunch of different events throughout the year, their biggest one being their Canada Day celebration where they throw fireworks, live music and have activities for the kids. Now let’s go check out some of their real estate.

The dominant housing style here in Port Whity are high rise condo units. Over the last 12 months over 80% of the real estate sold here has been 1 and 2 bedroom condos in these buildings here that overlook the water. So a typical unit in your average building in this neighbourhood is going to run you anywhere between 5 and $600,000. The most recent sale in the neighbourhood was in this building. It was a 1 bed, 1 bath between 5 and 600 sqft on the 4th floor that sold for $535,000. So that’s quite typical in today’s market you’re looking at about $100 per square foot. Parking is included in that price and that unit I’m talking about specifically sold after 2 days on the market.

Here’s the thing guys pre-pandemic the Toronto market was seeing average days on the market around 20-25 days. But now you guys know that homes are selling like hot cakes it’s a totally different market, the average number of days on market for a home in Whitby is 8. Homes are selling for anywhere between 10 and 20% over asking, often times even more so it can be a tricky market to navigate if you haven’t been in the scene in a while. You want to make sure you’ve spoken with a lender and have your pre-approval in place so that you come in with a strong offer as soon as you find a place. You want to be ready to make moves and decisions quick because of the short number of days on market competition is quite fierce these days as there are a bunch more buyers than there is inventory and that’s why you’ve got short days on the market for any given home because people want to buy a house and they want to buy now. So if you’re one of those people, whether you’re looking to move in 9 days or 90 days give me a shout. I’d be happy to help you through the process beginning to end everything from making sure you have your mortgage letters in place to showing you the best homes in the best neighbourhoods for you and your family. Whether it’s Whitby or elsewhere in the GTA give me a shout I’d love to hear from you.

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 want to make sure your next move is a smooth and easy one. Until then thanks for watching everyone! My name is Rochelle Manguino your local greater Toronto area Realtor. I can’t wait to see you around town!

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHITBY ONTARIO | Living in Whitby Ontario

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Durham Region, Toronto East Suburbs, Whitby

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHITBY ONTARIO | Living in Whitby Ontario

Whitby Ontario was ranked top 25 out of 415 cities in all of Canada and in this video I’m going to walk you through WHY on Google Maps.

That way you can see all the different things to do in Whitby, the most popular neighborhoods, plus all the sights and sounds of this epic Toronto suburb.

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[Transcript]

Hi in this video we’re going to talk about one of the top cities to live in in Canada! Whitby Ontario was ranked top 25 out of 415 cities in all of Canada and I’m going to walk you through why on a map. That way you can see all the different things to do in Whitby, the most popular neighborhoods, all the sights and sounds of this epic Toronto suburb, and we’re gonna get in to it, right now.

Hey if this is your first time to this channel and you want to know everything there is to know about living, working, eating, sleeping, playing, the good and the bad of toronto ontario and the surrounding areas like right here in Whitby, then subscribe below and tap the bell for notifications so you can be the first to know about the current market in Whitby Ontario. My name is Rochelle Manguino for the last 7 years I’ve been helping people just like you! Make the move to Toronto Ontario and I absolutely love it. As a real estate agent here I want to help you make that move. So whether you’re moving in 9 days or 90 days be sure to give me a call, shoot me a text, send me an email, or even schedule a zoom call and i’ll be happy to help you make a smooth move to toronto ontario. So in this video as I mentioned I’ll be walking you through Whitby ontario on a map.. I’ll answer some of the most popular questions I get about Whitby - Is it good place to live? How safe is it? Let’s hop in to my computer and I’ll show you around.

Alright so here we are taking a look at Whitby which you can see is highlighted right here. Right off the bat the biggest highlight of Whitby is that it is a lakefront town you are sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario so a lot of points of interest will be along the water. Whitby has over 10 and a half kilometers of waterfront trail, including the Port Whitby Marina with over 400 slips so you can dock your boat. You’re surrounded by restaurants and shops that you can walk to. And the marina also hosts a bunch of different events throughout the year, their biggest one being their Canada Day celebration where they throw fireworks, they have live music and activities for the kids.

If I just head up Victoria Street, a quick 5 minute drive will take me to the entrance of Lynde Shores Conservation. This is one of the most popular places to visit in all of Whitby. The waterfront trail passes through this conservation. They’ve got a trail system that’s really well marked, you can bring your dog there, the trails are wide and open. On any given day you’ll see wild deer and even turkey, and a lot of people even bring seeds to handfeed the birds. At the southernmost tip here there’s a paddle launch so you can bring your kayak or canoe on to Lake Ontario.

Now if I Zoom out you can see that Whitby is bordered by Ajax to the west, Oshawa to the east, and the town of Scugog to the north - isn’t that a fun name, Scugog. Now if I Zoom out even more you’ll see that Whitby is just east of Toronto. So if you actually take the 401 that would be your main highway to get to the city. That would be about 45 kilometers away or less than an hour drive. At first glance it might make more sense to take Kingston Road all the way here but keep in mind this is not a highway. It is a major road so you are going to get a lot of traffic lights and any Google Maps search you do is going to tell you that the 401 is the best way to get to downtown Toronto.

Now I mentioned that MoneySense Magazine named Whitby as one of their top cities to live in all of Canada. Why? What makes this town so special? Well first of all it is great for families. Here in the neighborhood of Williamsburgthis community specifically was actually ranked the best neighborhood for Families. 61% of families here in Williamsburg have kids, school test scores are high, very low crime rates in fact Whitby crime rates are 41% lower than the national average which makes the entire city as a whole a very safe place to live. The average price of a single detached home here in this neighborhood is about $1.1 million dollars, with townhouses - the most popular housing type in this community specifically they’ll run you closer to the $900,000 dollar mark. Baycliffe Park here right in the middle of the neighborhood is phenomenal it’s also known as the rocketship park because they’ve got a huge rocket ship structure that’s about 2 stories high you can climb up and slide down. Smaller playground for toddlers, a splash pad with sandpit area and then a jogging path that goes all the way around the park. Families from all over the town come to this park because it’s very nice they’ve got 4.7 stars out of close to 650 reviews on Google.

So great place for growing families you have great starter homes to choose from. If you want to check out this neighborhood a bit more in detail, I do have another video here that rhymes off the top 5 neighborhoods in Whitby that people are moving to. You get drive-bys on the streets so you can see the homes up close and personal. We go through neighborhood demographics, schools in the area, all so you get a good picture of what it’s like to live in Whitby.

But Whitby isn’t just for kids and families, it’s great for singles, too. If I just head on a little further south to the neighborhood of Bluegrass Meadows. This area was voted the Best Neighborhood For Singles and young professionals now that’s based on people living here between 25 and 34, what employment opportunities they have, housing affordability and local nearby amenities. If I zoom in here you can see a ton of different shops and restaurants on either side of Thickson Road are 2 pretty large shopping plazas. You can see here let me just zoom in I’ve got Toys R Us I’ve got the LCBO Healthy Planet Taco Bell. And then on the other side of Thickson you’ve got bad boy it’s, uh, they’re all located at Whitby Mall there’s photo plus there’s Talize the thrift store, Bank of Montreal, the list goes on and on and on so it’s absolutely amazing.

Then if we just move a bit further down Thickson Rd right where it meets the 401, you can see Durham College. Durham College’s Whitby campus was actually designed because the province projected an increasing demand for green jobs in Ontario, so they built this campus to train students in renewable energy which is very exciting for the future of our ecosystem. And then just across the street on the other side of the highway you’ve got the Thickson Ridge Power Center. This is where you’re going to find a lot of your big box stores, so your Home Sense, your Home Depot, Bou Clair, Best Buy, La-Z-Boy Furnishings, pretty much everything that has to do with your home. If you’re moving here for the first time and need to furnish, decorate, or build your home, this plaza will probably be your first stop on the list.

Now on that note, if you are considering moving to Whitby Ontario it would be helpful to know what the housing market looks like here. Overall, Whitby has a great selection of homes at a wide variety of different price points. Everything from bachelor apartments to towns, semi-detached, and even large, luxury estate homes along Lake Ontario, there are tons of different options in Whitby to suit your budget and your lifestyle.

If we move along to downtown Whitby, this is where you’ll find the most affordable real estate. The average price of a home in this neck of the woods is $830,000 dollars. Which is amazing because being downtown Whitby means you get easy access to some of the most eclectic, vibrant, and fun shops and restaurants in all of Whitby. Right around here at Dundas and Brock this is where you’re going to find everything from Nice Bistro Restaurant, your Downtown Whitby Dentistry, Whitby Barbershop, The Vault Gastropub, just a whole bunch of different shops and restaurants like I mentioned.

And what I personally love about downtown Whitby is that it sort of has that mini-downtown Toronto feel. You get these unique mom and pop type shops, there’s a hustle and bustle to the main streets here the vibe is a lot different here than in the rest of Whitby here it’s a lot more busy, and loud, you’ve got public art sprinkled around the place like graffiti on the walls of buildings but not the kids vandaliizing the streets type of graffiti I’m talking beautiful displays of creative art like this and this.. So all around very cool place to be and just a different energy than the rest of town.

Then on the other side of the spectrum you’ve got the equally impressive yet most expensive part of the city, which is the neighborhood of Brooklin. So you’ll notice that Brooklin is surrounded by Green space. Whitby overall the southern half is where you’ll find a lot more development, densely populated residential communities mixed in with industrial and commercial space. Then the northern half here is considered more rural. But, tucked in right in the middle of all this nature and greenery is honestly one of the best hidden gems inthe local businesses are run out of historic homes, you’ve got restaurants with locally sourced ingredients, pubs with patios and happy hour, hardware store all of Durham Region, this neighboorhood here Brooklin - Brooklin, is known for its historic charm. A lot of s, yoga and dance studios, so many boutique and unique shops. Now the whole downtown Brooklin area is designated an Ontario Heritage Conservation District - that means, if you were to move here and and wanted to make certain changes to their home, say you wanted to extend your front porch or add a side entrance to a finished basement, then you’re going to need permission from the city but with that comes the opportunity to live in the nicest part of town that preserves its historic charm and has a great sense of community. And Brooklin also happens to be the safest neighborhood in Whitby as well. The average price of a home here is 1.1 million dollars - which might seem like that’s still on the high end, but if you compare it to the city of Toronto, 1.1 million might get you something like this. So would you rather have this or this?

So all in all Whitby Ontario is a great place to live, work, and play. According to Areavibes.com Whitby has an outstanding livability score of 89 that is a very excellent score. A lot of young people, millennials, gen X, gen z even they’ve been moving out of Toronto and into the suburbs like Whitby lately. Great place to raise a family because it’s much less hectic than Toronto, but you still get that cultural flavor in areas like downtown, and lakefront life in neighboorhoods like Port Whitby, and close to tons of shops and amenities in areas like Williamsburg and Brooklin.

So if you’re considering moving to Whitby Ontario, whether you’re moving in 9 days or 90 days give me a shout I’d love to help you out! Give me a call, shoot me a text send me an email or even schedule a zoom call down in the description below. We can jump on a Zoom just like this show you the areas that you’re interested in and kind of walk you through those so you can get a better idea. Hopefully I get a chance to work with you help you out. Any way I can. It’s what I love doing. I’d love to help you make a smooth move to Toronto. Until then, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel, and check out this video about the pros and cons of living in Whitby. So with that being said, until next time see you around town. Thanks for watching! Bye for now!

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The Pros and Cons of Living in Whitby Ontario | The Good and Bad of Whitby Ontario

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Durham Region, Toronto East Suburbs, Whitby

The Pros and Cons of Living in Whitby Ontario | The Good and Bad of Whitby Ontario

Moving to Whitby Ontario but you don't know where to start? In this video I cover all the pros and cons of living in one of Canada's top rated towns. Learn everything from housing affordability to ethnic diversity... a must watch before moving to Whitby Ontario!

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[Transcript]

Hi there. This video is all about the pros and cons of living in Whitby Ontario. So stay tuned. Hi there. My name is Rochelle Manguino I'm the founder and creator of living in Toronto. I am also a local real estate agent with EXP Realty right here in Whitby Ontario. So if you're new to my channel, then welcome. I am here to let you know everything that you need to know about living, working, and even having fun in the greater Toronto area. So make sure you subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell as well, so that you get notified every time I drop a new video, I do so every week where I give you guys all tips and strategies for purchasing or selling your next property. Anything that has to do with real estate in the greater Toronto area, I've got that for you. So let's get right into it. I'm about to drop the top three pros and cons of living in Whitby Ontario. So today I'm gonna give you everything that you need to know about moving to Whitby whether you're relocating for work, you're raising your family. You're retiring here. Or you're just looking for a change of scenery, then I'm gonna break it all down for you, the good, the bad and the ugly so that you have everything that you need to know before moving to Whitby.

So let's get right into it. I'm gonna start with the pros of living in wi me starting with number one, which is that housing is affordable. So when I talk about affordable housing in Wii, I'm talking in relative terms, I wanna make that really clear because if anyone knows anything about affordability in housing, in the greater Toronto area, you guys know that the GTA is very expensive. And so home prices in Whitby, which is part of the GTA will also be expensive as well. But we want to look at it in relative terms. So Whitby compared to other areas is relatively less expensive than other areas in the GTA. So that's your number one pro. And now I wanna talk about a little more about that in terms of the distance of Whitby from Toronto. So if you're looking at downtown Whitby to downtown Toronto, that's an easy 50 kilometer distance, which is about a 40 minute drive, but that also makes it very attractive for commuters who live in Whitby who want or need to to commute to Toronto for work. It is a very affordable option because you still have that sort of slow pace, suburban lifestyle where housing is less expensive than other areas in Toronto. You're still close to the city of Toronto. Yet you get to benefit from affordable housing in Whitby. If you are one of those commuters who are traveling from Whitby to Toronto or vice versa, the best way and what a lot of the residents in Whitby are doing is they're taking the go train because that avoids all of the traffic and congestion on the 401, the 401 being your main highway or direct access point from Whitby to Toronto. So despite its ideal location to Toronto people are really flocking to Whitby to purchase real estate. And the reason why is because you are so close to Toronto, but you still have affordable housing options. And that's the number one pro of living in Whitby is that you got to benefit from all of the city amenities, but still remain, you know, relatively less expensive in price in terms of your housing options.

Now with that said, I do actually have a video right over here that you can check out that outlines all of the different neighborhoods or all of the more popular neighborhoods in Whitby. You get an idea of the different price points in today's market, so that you get a good overall picture and actually a real street level view of what it's like to live any given neighborhood inside Whitby Ontario.

All right. So my number two pro of living in whitby Ontario is that it is very family friendly. Whitby is a really, really safe city to live in. So according to area vibes.com Whitby is actually 89% safer to live in than all other cities in Canada. So even despite Whitby's proximity to cities like Oshawa, so Oshawa is its neighboring city. They share a border and Oshawa is really known for having a high crime rate. And I actually talk about that in another video that I did about Oshawa Ontario, but despite being really close to that city the crime rate in whitby is actually really extremely low. In fact, the city's average crime rate is actually 37% lower than the national average. So that's how safe this city is. So that being said, it is a really great place to live and even raise a family. Because when you talk about what's nearby in whatever neighborhood you live in and Whitby, you are going to be surrounded by tons of trails and recreational activities, parks, and splash pads and all of that good stuff.

But what I wanna talk about next with you is actually the education system in Whitby because that just speaks to how family friendly and how safe Whitby is. So when it comes to safety and your kids specifically Whitby has a great school system. The Fraser Institute, they do a whole bunch of studies about different schools and different areas and what schools are good and what aren't. So they actually rank Whitby schools outrank these schools compared to their counterparts in all other parts of Canada. So for example, Fallingbrook public school, which is located in Whitby was actually rated by the Fraser Institute as one of their top 100 schools. In Ontario, there are two school boards in Whitby there's the Durham district school board, and then the Durham Catholic district school board. So you have both options there. And in fact, the Durham district school board headquarters are actually in Whitby giving the local schools in the area a lot more oversight, making them even more safe. And if you are looking to send your children to private schools, then there is actually a very prominent boarding school called Trafalgar Castle which is in Whitby. It is internationally recognized for having a really reputable university preparation program.

So I don't even know where to begin, but I think I'm gonna start at, uh, the Port Whitby Marina because that area is just magical and there's so much to do there because you are at the port so you're along the shores of lake Ontario.Whitby is a Lakeside city and you get access to there's a launchpad. If you wanted to bring your boat in the warmer months. Golfers can go out and hit the links at a number of different courses in and around the town Whitby is also home to the Whitevale Golf Club which is a world class members only golf club. If your interests lie more in the slopes rather than the courses, then you'd be happy to know that whitby has a lot of great skiing options available for you as well. You've got ski dagmar which is located in Whitby. They have a 12 run hill and they also have a charming, small, little cozy cottage sort of chalet that you can warm up in as well. Now there's also Ski Lakeridge which is also a year round facility. So you can do the skiing, snowboarding tubing in the winter time, but in the summer months or when the weather is, uh, you know, a little bit warmer then you also have access to hiking trails, cycling trails.
So no matter the weather, the season winter, spring, summer, fall, Whitby has you covered when it comes to enjoying the outdoors.

All right. So next I'm going to get into the cons of living in whitby because I think it is important, even though there are negative aspects about the city. I do want to touch on them and I think it's important to do so, because if you are considering a move to wi Ontario, then it would be good to know everything about it, the good, the bad and the ugly, just so that you know what to expect moving forward. But before I get into that, I do want to say that if you liked what you've watched so far, you're getting a lot of value from this video. Then please subscribe and like this video, but subscribe to my channel and also hit the notification bell as well, because then you'll get no notified every time I drop a new video as it relates to living and working and having fun in the greater Toronto area. All right, let's go.

So now I want to talk to you guys about the cons of living in Whitby Ontario. The first con that you guys need to know about are high property taxes. In fact, Whitney actually has one of the top five property taxes in all of Ontario.So sitting at 1.12%. So that was a property tax rate in Whitby in 2021, 1.12%. That's compared to 0.6% in the city of Toronto. So pretty much double what you would pay for the same home in Toronto, but there is a trade off there because if you are purchasing, you know, apples for apples, the same home in Toronto, you're gonna spend a lot more on the price of that home, but it compensates even though homes in Whitby are a lot more affordable.You are paying that significantly higher property tax. So again, while this may not be a factor that'll make or break your decision to move to Whitby, it is something that is important to consider with that said your best plan of action is to actually speak with a mortgage broker so that what they can do is actually they'll take a look at your budget and what they can do is lump some your monthly mortgage payments. So your monthly mortgage payments, your insurance and your property taxes into one payment. So that you know what to expect, you know how much is coming out of your account every month and you can budget accordingly. Okay.

So the second con about living in Whitby is that there isn't a lot of ethnic diversity. So the population are primarily white English speaking residents, but you do have, so statistically 17%, it's kind of a low number, but 17% of whitby residents are a visible minority. And so while it may, you know, it may not be a con to everyone, but if you are looking for ethnic diversity, then wihitby you might find lacking in that. However, and this is a big, however, regardless of your race, your ethnicity, whatever the case is, Whitby does aim to make all of its residents feel welcome. So if you plan on calling Whitby home, rest assured that no matter what your background is, you will feel safe. You will feel secure and included. And you will feel welcome to whitby.

So that sort of correlates with my third con of living in Whitby is that because there isn't a huge diversity in ethnicity, you aren't getting a lot of ethnic food options either. So con number three, There's a lack in food diversity. So, I mean, there are a lot of great restaurants. Um, I'm not putting wihitby you down as a foodie city at all, but if you are a foodie like me, then you might find yourself a little disappointed in the lack of food options available to. So there are a lot of great restaurants, dining, cuisines to choose from, but it isn't that diverse, you know, the odd Italian restaurants here and there, Chinese restaurants here and there, you know, the more popular cuisines, but in terms of diversity, in other cultures and exploring their cuisines, you aren't gonna get a lot of those options in Whitby. So what a lot of residents are doing, who are looking for more diversity, they're actually traveling to outside of Whitby so to neighboring areas like Oshawa, um, which is right next door to Whitby, or even a little further west out to Pickering or even Scarborough. It is a bit of a commute, which is why this is a con, but there are other options available within a good, like 15 kilometer radius that we can go to so that we can explore those different cuisines and suit your taste buds.

So there you have it. Those are your three cons of living in whitby and truth be told they aren't really that bad. And if you agree and you're considering moving to Whitby then I would love for you to give me a call. I can tell you everything that you need to know about moving to Whitby. So give me a shout. I would love to hear from you.And like I said before, if you found value from this video so far, then like this video, subscribe to my channel. I drop new videos, helping buyer, sellers, and investors every single week. If you're looking for more information about what it's like to live anywhere in the greater Toronto area, and you want to make a move to the GTA, then give me a shout.Subscribe to my channel, hit the notification belt, and I will see you at my next video.

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Top PROS and CONS of Pickering Ontario | Moving to Pickering Ontario

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Durham Region, Pickering, Toronto East Suburbs

Top PROS and CONS of Pickering Ontario | Moving to Pickering Ontario

Do you want to know the pros and cons of living in Pickering Ontario? I give you all of the pros and cons of Pickering Ontario so you know before you move.

If you’re looking to move to Pickering Ontario, you definitely need to have the right Real Estate Agent working with you to secure your home. Be sure to reach out to me before you make that move to Pickering!

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[Transcript]

Hey everyone. This video is all about the pros and cons of living right here in Pickering, Ontario. So stay tuned.Hope you're doing well. My name is Rochelle Manguino. I'm the creator of living in Toronto, and I'm also a local real estate agent with EXP Realty right here in Pickering Ontario. And if this is your first time to my channel, and you want to know everything about living, working, and having fun in the greater Toronto area, then make sure to hit that subscribe button and notification bell so that you get notified every time I drop a new video. So today I'm gonna keep it brutally honest with you. I'm gonna tell you all about the pros and the cons of living in Pickering, Ontario, which is part of the greater Toronto area. I have lived in the GTA my whole life. And so I'm excited to share it with you, all of the positives and the negatives about living in Pickering, Ontario. I'm gonna that be completely honest with you. I'm also gonna tell you about a personal hidden gem of mine that nobody ever talks about. I can't believe nobody's ever mentioned this place before in other YouTube videos that I've watched. So make sure you watch all the way till the end, because I'm gonna expose this hidden gem of mine at the end of this video, but for now, let's start off with the cons of living in Pickering.

So the first con about living in Pickering Ontario is that there is no real downtown area, at least not in your traditional sense. So there's no, you know, collection of restaurants and shops with a whole bunch of people where you can walk to different places. It's not like that. What Pickering does have is a, an inner city center essentially is a main shopping mall, which is the Pickering town center. And then right across the street from that is the city hall. So that is what sort of makes up the city center of Pickering. But you don't have that traditional downtown area that you think of one, someone says, oh, downtown, however, The city of Pickering does have developmental plans to transform the city center into the state of the art modern revamped city center. So they have plans to develop three condo buildings, including a 50 story apartment building. So right now in the city center, you don't have any high rises that are that tall. So that's gonna be a huge addition. You're gonna see an influx of a lot of new residents in Pickering. There might be a buildup of traffic, which is another con that you can add to the list. But it's really going to revamp and transform the city center. There's also going to be a combined seniors and youth center so that if you have seniors or youth in your family, you can drop them off. There are gonna be programs that they can partake in lots of activities for them to do. Just basically keeping them busy and social and active, but they also have building a performance arts center. So if you're into the arts, then that'll be the place for you and connecting these three buildings. So the senior and youth center, the library and the performing arts center, right in the middle of that, they have a public square. So this public square is going to be sort of like a meeting space, a gathering space.You're gonna have events there, any parties that you wanna host, or if you just wanna meet up with your friends or family at somewhere central, then this public square are, is where you want to go. And what the city also wants to do is make use of all of the public space that they have that hasn't been developed on. So it's not like Toronto where you have no more land and is a reason why home prices are so high is because there's nothing to build on. Whereas in Pickering, which is not too far from Toronto here, you've got a lot of usable land. And so builders, developers, the city's basical going to develop on that land. So that you can thereby create a more bustling, connected and vibrant, actual downtown area. So even though there is no downtown area right now in Pickering, the developmental plans are really a promising vision for Pickering and is going to allow the city to have that central downtown space where people can come together, get connected party, eat well, live well, and just have on together.

All right. Number two, the second con of living in Pickering is that Pickering really does have high property tax. So compared to Toronto or other parts of the GTA housing in Pickering is generally more affordable. However, the property tax rates are kind of ridiculous because if you look at the 2021 tax rates in Pickering, it was at 1.8%.Compared to only 0.6% in the city of Toronto. So almost double the property or even more than double the property tax rates in Toronto. So it's a give and take, you know, you're gonna spend a lot more on housing in Toronto. But you're gonna spend a lot more on property taxes in Pickering. So while this may not be a factor that makes or breaks your decision to actually move to Pickering, it is an important consideration, especially if you're looking to buy a home in Pickering.

Now, the third con of living in Pickering is that there is a nuclear power plant in Pickering. It's right on the water. And even though part of the good thing about having a power plant in the city is that it creates a lot of jobs for the residents and outside of Pickering as well. But it really is an eyesore because it's located right on the pickering waterfront. So on the shores of lake Ontario, and it can be kind of an eyesore it's, you know, aesthetically, it's not that pleasing to look at. Say you're enjoying a day at the beach with your family, or you're just going for a walk on the waterfront trail, that site of the Pickering generation plant isn't the most pleasing, but if you can just sort of ignore it and put it on the side of your eye and really go about enjoying your day, then it really isn't that big of a deal.

Now I'm gonna get into the pros of living in Pickering, which I'm really excited about because I do still have that hidden gem that I wanna tell you guys all about all the way at the end of this video. So make sure you keep watching, but for now, if you are getting value out of this video so far, then make sure you subscribe to my channel. And like I said earlier, hit the notification bell as well, so that you get notified every time I drop a new video. All right, now let's get into the pros of living in Pickering. So the number one con of living in Pickering is that housing is affordable. So anyone that knows anything about housing and affordability in the greater Toronto area knows that the city of Toronto is very expensive. The average price of a home in Toronto right now is over a million dollars, which is insane. However, when I talk about affordability in Pickering, I'm just talking in relatives terms. So yes, I'm saying that Pickering is generally more affordable than other parts of the GTA. But, I mean, we can all agree that altogether it's pretty expensive to live in the greater Toronto area. So I'm just talking about Pickering and the home prices relative to other cities in the area. So keep that in mind. So I do have this other video up here that talks about the different neighborhoods inside Pickering and the different average price points inside those neighborhoods. So that if you are looking to move to Pickering, then check out that video be because it'll give you a really good breakdown of the types of homes that you can get depending on your budget, what they look like. You get a visual view of the streets, the styles of homes, and you really get a good feel of what it's like to live in Pickering and sort of housing options available to you.

Now, the second pro of living in Pickering is your proximity to Toronto. And in terms of actual distance, Pickering is only 40 kilometers away from Toronto. So highway 401, that's gonna be your direct route from Pickering to Toronto, that would be your fastest route regularly, but there are, there's always traffic there that causes major delays. And it doesn't matter. Like it's not just during rush hour where you can come across this traffic. I've driven down highway 401 several times. And every single time there's always traffic. I could be driving on a Monday afternoon at 2:00 PM or it could be a Sunday night at two o'clock in the morning. And there's still gonna be traffic, especially around the Yorkdale mall area. So that part of the 401 that's where you can really see a lot of delays. So that's just something to keep in mind. That is a con. And I know that I'm talking about the pros right now, but a small little caveat, like I said, is that even though you are close to Toronto, It's still gonna be a ways to get there because of all the traffic on the 401.

So the largest employer in the city right now is, um, and I actually mentioned the before is the Pickering nuclear generating station right now. They actually employ over 4,500 people. So there's a ton of opportunity there. If you were looking to work in that field, there's also, and it's not in Pickering, but it's a very, very short distance away, which is the Amazon warehouse that they just recently built in Ajax. So Ajax borders Pickering, it's another small town, not too far from the city where you can easily access so that if you wanted to work in that industry, there's a lot of job opportunities at Amazon. And then in terms of future employment opportunities, what they're building right now in the heart of Pickering is called Durham live. This is something that's going to be huge for the city. It's going to attract a lot of tourists because it is such a big project that is happening right now. Inside Pickering, Durham live is a casino. It's a five star hotel. It's an amphitheater. It's film studios, an indoor water park, residential apartments, including 150 affordable housing units. There's gonna be restaurants shops. An office tower, a convention center, you name it, the list goes on and on and on. It is a huge multiplex commercial area that they're really going to try and expand and bring in more tourists to Pickering, which is great because if you want to come to Pickering and start your own business, then on the Durham live grounds, they are going to offer over a million square feet of leasing opportunities so that you can expand your business. You have a place to grow altogether. They're predicting that Durham live is going to create over 10,000 jobs for residents in the area. So it's really exciting.

All right. And I have a bonus for you guys. This is my number four or my bonus pro of living and Pickering that I really wanna address, which is the outdoor living in Pickering. So Pickering is actually located on the shores of lake Ontario. And so naturally you're gonna get a lot of recreational activities that you can do. Living on a waterfront city. So for example, along the shores, there's an area called Frenchman's bay, which is really popular. There's a boardwalk, there's a launch pad where you can bring your canoes, your kayaks, and just take it for a ride out on the water.There's also a lot of biking and hiking and walking trail else in the area. I like to go very regularly. It is a very, um, you know, I take my family with me. We go on these trails all along the city. If you wanna walk along everywhere, if you wanna take your bike, if you wanna go rollerblading, if you wanna walk your dog, you wanna walk your kids.You wanna walk for yourself, enjoy the outdoors. Enjoy the natural beauty. There are tons of trails everywhere. Now my personal hidden gem that I wanted to tell you guys about is Petticoat Creek. So this is my bonus place that only you guys are gonna get to know about, because honestly, I don't think this place is talked about enough. It is very underrated in my opinion. And so I'm so excited to share this place with all of you guys, if you are thinking about moving or living in Pickering then this is definitely a place that you wanna check out. So Petticoat Creek is this conservation area where they have a huge pool and slides, and it's just like a mini wild water kingdom. If you guys know that amusement park, it's just really nice. And it's really affordable to get in there, to spend the day with your family, with your kids, or even just hang out by the pool on your own, their picnic areas. I believe there are volleyball nets where you can even, you know, catch a game, bring some people together and play some sports there. But like I said, it is a conservation area, but one of the nicest conservation areas that I've seen in the greater Toronto area, nobody ever talks about it. I have no idea why, but I'm here to tell you guys all about it because I really think that it is underutilized. I don't want too many people to know about it because I don't want it getting too crowded. But honestly, it's just, it's my hidden gem. I love it. Definitely check it out. It is absolutely gorgeous. So although there are some cons to living in Pickering, which I already mentioned. If the pros outweigh those cons for you, when you're considering moving to the city, then give me a call. I would love to help you out and show you all the benefits and the disadvantages more in detail. I can answer any questions that you have about living in Pickering. I would love to help you purchase your next home inside pickering or wherever in the greater Toronto area you decide to move. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my video so that you can learn everything that you need to know about buying or selling in the greater Toronto area. I drop a new video every single week. So make sure you also hit the notification bell so that you get notified every time I do drop a new video. I've been helping buyers, sellers, and all over the GTA for the last seven years. And I would love to help you purchase your next home as well. So give me a call again my name is Rochelle Manguino. Thank you so much for watching this video and I'll see you guys at the next one.

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The TOP 5 Neighborhoods in Ajax Ontario | Living in Ajax Ontario

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Ajax, Durham Region, Neighborhood Tours, Toronto East Suburbs

The TOP 5 Neighborhoods in Ajax Ontario | Living in Ajax Ontario

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!

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The Pros and Cons of Ajax Ontario | Living in Ajax Ontario

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Living in Toronto

Posted in Ajax, Durham Region, Toronto East Suburbs

The Pros and Cons of Ajax Ontario | Living in Ajax Ontario

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.

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