Having gone through the moving process many times, I certainly understand that settling in a new neighbourhood, city, and even country requires a lot of time and commitment. To make your settlement easier you may consider my recommendations on how to integrate to a new environment.
Getting Starting when Relocating to Toronto
Depending on how familiar my clients are with Toronto and specifically with the neighbourhood of their choice, I always start with preparing an informational package, where I include a map, a notebook with the emergency contacts as well as the contacts of important local service providers and stores.
Second step, I offer my clients a tour around their new area to show them these places and to talk about other features and conveniences. My clients have a great chance to ask questions and to learn more.
While tours are a great way to familiarize yourself with the area, there are some other ways to start integrating in your new community.
Learn more about moving to Toronto from these other prominent Canadian cities:
Mobile Apps for Moving to Toronto
The first thing I can suggest is local mobile apps. Do a little research ahead of time to figure out what mobile apps are popular and useful in your new location. For example, In Toronto as in any metropolitan city, there are plenty of them and they cover lots of aspects – TTC Watch (for transportation), Green P for parking, BlogTo, and Narcity for all the city news, events, and the list of the best things in Toronto.
Another great platform to mention is Homestars.com, where you can find any professional to help you with renovations, fixing, and maintaining your home. This platform offers hundreds of services to choose from and also, you can post your own inquiry, so service providers can quote your work. Then You can choose the right professional based on their rankings and customers’ reviews.
For closer communication with residents you may want to use Nextdoor neighbourhood app. This app gives you access to see local recommendations, discussions on popular topics among neighbours, some local informal news. It is also good to ask questions or to request a recommendation. Consider also to join a local community Facebook group. There is lots of valuable information shared there, which you may use in your everyday life.
Joining Local Clubs in Toronto
Another great way to integrate in a community is to join local clubs. Those can be private clubs with variety of activities and amenities to spend time with your family or meet friends. Private clubs are usually closed recreational organizations which you can join upon their board approval. They require membership fees but in return, you have a safe environment with local people, lots of sport activities and social events. They are included in your membership fees. Besides, many parents bring their children here for extracurricular activities such as tennis, hockey, swimming, skating, soccer, and much more. If you decide to settle in Toronto Midtown you will find the most prestigious options here: Toronto Cricket Club, Granite Club and Rosedale Club. People often not only spend time there, but it is a great way to make business connections. You can learn more about the private clubs in Toronto by checking the links below this video.
If you are into sports, you may join different sport clubs. There are plenty of them around the city. Some of them are big national wide chains, some are small and much loved by locals. These places attract residents and are a great way to connect.
For those who have kids I highly recommend joining and attending parents’ social gatherings. Besides their discussions around the school, they often get together for book clubs, dinners and even shopping.
Of course, you will be meeting many local people who would be happy to share with you lots of valuable information.
Say Yes to New Opportunities
In general, say yes to as many opportunities as possible not limited to a certain neighbourhood. Especially if you are relocating from another city, you may also consider joining events by your interests. I can recommend an app called MeetUp, where you can find many groups of many interests and hobbies. You can join one or several groups and connect with like-minded people. For example, the group that I am running is called Casual and Fine Dining Adventures. It is for people interested to explore Toronto’s restaurants of a different kind.
Learn more about the ins and outs of moving to Toronto with these blogs and vlogs here:
- Buying Vs. Renting for People Who Are New to Toronto
- Homes and Neighbourhoods for Toronto Relocators
- How to Rent a Property in Toronto when You are Relocating
Is Toronto Friendly?
The people in Toronto are friendly and you can take advantage even of the small thing like going to a coffee shop on Saturdays and Sundays. If the weather is good, you will see lots of neighbours walking their dogs and getting their coffee while socializing with each other.
How Long Will it Take to Adjust?
Everyone’s adjustment period runs on a different timeline. While one person may be able to settle happily into a new city after just a few months, another may take a longer time adjusting to a new area. On average it takes a year to feel adjusted to a new location and a lifestyle after moving cities.
It is very helpful if you have relatives or friends living in Toronto so they can be your trusted source of information and a company. However, my family as well as some of my clients moved to Toronto with having zero connections here. And that is totally fine too. You will just need to explore more and to connect to more people on your own.
How Realtors® Help People Move to Toronto
One of the things that can help to settle down smoothly is to stay in touch with your realtor even after you rent or buy a property. Realtors have a big contact list of service providers on practically any need. They also know a lot of people because of the nature of their profession. Realtors are also connected to their network where the right solution or inquiry can be satisfied. So my point is – get a trusted realtor who can help you not only to find a nice place to live but also to assist further beyond a real estate transaction.
If you feel that my team and I can help you with the process of finding you a new home and assist you with your settling needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling or texting (647) 294-3039 or emailing olena@agentolena.com today!
