I moved to Toronto (downtown Toronto) about four months ago because my partner got a job here last year and commuting from Peterborough ultimately didn't work out for both of us. It was an easy transition but a difficult move. Last winter, I spent more and more time here and there was almost no need for a transition because during this summer, I spent more and more time in Peterborough than I thought I would because of my job.
I grew up in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and when I moved to Ottawa for school, I was so happy. I really didn't want to be stuck in the magnet that was the GTA. I did imagine myself moving to downtown Toronto in my late teen's/early 20's, almost wanting to buy a condo in the then-hot Distillery District. In fact, I had saved up some money and I was deciding between using the money to study for a year abroad in Iceland or to make a down payment for a condo.
I am ambivalent about moving to downtown Toronto because, as my sister reminded me, I did talk about it a lot. But that was almost a decade ago. Coming here to live feels like settling. I'm deciding to stay because I've realized that you can find worlds and worlds within this city, but I was thinking whether or not I should even post this on my travel blog because I come from here. I guess I can post here to talk about how the city has changed in my eyes because the last time I spent some time here, I was a kid.
When I was commuting between Peterborough and Toronto during the summer, I felt like I had the best of two worlds: Coming from the hustle and quick pace of Toronto, my bus would drop me off at a very quiet place where on a 30-minute walk you're likely to encounter few(er) people.
One thing I did notice is: there are these micro subcultures within the neighbourhoods and blocks but also within the blocks so that within an a 30-minute walk in downtown Toronto, I feel like I've passed 20 different cities. It's incredible.
I grew up in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and when I moved to Ottawa for school, I was so happy. I really didn't want to be stuck in the magnet that was the GTA. I did imagine myself moving to downtown Toronto in my late teen's/early 20's, almost wanting to buy a condo in the then-hot Distillery District. In fact, I had saved up some money and I was deciding between using the money to study for a year abroad in Iceland or to make a down payment for a condo.
I am ambivalent about moving to downtown Toronto because, as my sister reminded me, I did talk about it a lot. But that was almost a decade ago. Coming here to live feels like settling. I'm deciding to stay because I've realized that you can find worlds and worlds within this city, but I was thinking whether or not I should even post this on my travel blog because I come from here. I guess I can post here to talk about how the city has changed in my eyes because the last time I spent some time here, I was a kid.
When I was commuting between Peterborough and Toronto during the summer, I felt like I had the best of two worlds: Coming from the hustle and quick pace of Toronto, my bus would drop me off at a very quiet place where on a 30-minute walk you're likely to encounter few(er) people.
One thing I did notice is: there are these micro subcultures within the neighbourhoods and blocks but also within the blocks so that within an a 30-minute walk in downtown Toronto, I feel like I've passed 20 different cities. It's incredible.
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