-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Toronto-Age |OT2|
- Thread starter EvilMario
- Start date
added_time
Member
EvilMario said:
The reason I was asking was because there was definitely at least one time where the cash fare was raised but tokens remained the same price. It seems random but sometimes the tokens increase with the cash fare and other times they don't.
I hope they won't this time since I use them.
Lostconfused
Member
This is only a problem because iPods and the like come with really shitty ear buds that leak noise all over the place. This wouldn't be a problem if people had decent inear headphones.ProdicalFlame said:
Kuro Madoushi
Unconfirmed Member
If anybody decides to go to Xtreme fitness. Here's some advice. They WILL push personal training on you for a ridiculous price. DO. NOT. CAVE! Keep telling them 'no' and stay firm. Don't be polite since they get aggressive if you show any hesitation.
The TTC is a horribly managed mess. I know Ford isn't helping things, but it's only gotten worse and worse since I moved back here. I've never run a transit system, but I can't imagine it being so difficult to make some changes to keep your customers happy.
- rude drivers
- stopping at lights and in the middle of the street to run to the store
- not sticking to your schedule
- a text notification system that doesn't work
- high prices
- questionable stop placements and routes (81 bus that is almost always at the stn?! When people wait for a 72 bus for 40 minutes when it's 'constant service'?)
The TTC is a horribly managed mess. I know Ford isn't helping things, but it's only gotten worse and worse since I moved back here. I've never run a transit system, but I can't imagine it being so difficult to make some changes to keep your customers happy.
- rude drivers
- stopping at lights and in the middle of the street to run to the store
- not sticking to your schedule
- a text notification system that doesn't work
- high prices
- questionable stop placements and routes (81 bus that is almost always at the stn?! When people wait for a 72 bus for 40 minutes when it's 'constant service'?)
Hey Toronto Gaf, I am hoping to join your club and move to Toronto soon and I have a few questions.
I'm looking for a place and so far the only sites I have tried are Craigslist, Kijiji, view it and My hood. Are there any others that you recommend?
Also, I will be working in the West End so I was hoping to get a place around there but I need some search terms for neighbourhoods in that area. All I know of are Etobicoke, The Annex and Roncesvalles. Are there any others? (Maybe some that are a bit cheaper but not ones I will get murdered in.
If anyone has any awesome real estate/ room rental tips and secrets please feel free to share them. Thanks.
I'm looking for a place and so far the only sites I have tried are Craigslist, Kijiji, view it and My hood. Are there any others that you recommend?
Also, I will be working in the West End so I was hoping to get a place around there but I need some search terms for neighbourhoods in that area. All I know of are Etobicoke, The Annex and Roncesvalles. Are there any others? (Maybe some that are a bit cheaper but not ones I will get murdered in.
If anyone has any awesome real estate/ room rental tips and secrets please feel free to share them. Thanks.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
My biggest annoyances when it comes to the TTC:
1) the double stack. Have fun waiting 30 mins for the next one. I've even seen the rare triple stack.
2) When they stop before the pole and you aren't sure whether or not to run up to them, and then they just skip your stop
3) rude ass drivers that are stingy with the amount of people they can fit during the busiest hours
There seems to be no standards when it comes to TTC busses. It's an all-out anything fucking goes warfare out there. Luck of the draw.
1) the double stack. Have fun waiting 30 mins for the next one. I've even seen the rare triple stack.
2) When they stop before the pole and you aren't sure whether or not to run up to them, and then they just skip your stop
3) rude ass drivers that are stingy with the amount of people they can fit during the busiest hours
There seems to be no standards when it comes to TTC busses. It's an all-out anything fucking goes warfare out there. Luck of the draw.
added_time
Member
zeitgeist said:
In my experience, I've always found better places from just walking around neighborhoods looking for "FOR RENT" signs. Everytime I found a place online on viewit, I show up and like 10 other people were looking at it. When I found a nice place with a sign up, I just walk in and take a look and sign the lease that day. Maybe I just have great luck though.
zeitgeist said:
There's also http://www.padmapper.com which isn't too bad. And for the bedbugs, there's this http://bedbugregistry.com/metro/toronto/
http://viewit.ca/ is always pretty useful, but yeah cross reference against the bed bug registry.zeitgeist said:
BigJonsson
Member
Having decent headphones lets me get all the bass I want/need and not piss off people around me
And I like those posters, so many people are just fucking selfish on the TTC (and in general)
And I like those posters, so many people are just fucking selfish on the TTC (and in general)
One other thing the TTC needs to do is have timed transfers, and fare zones. Timed transfers mean once you're in the system, you can get off and back on in the set time (think an hour). Thus, you don't have to pay two fares if you need to go to the grocery store for 15 minutes. A bunch of systems use these..
But even more pressing are the fare zones. It's one way they could make up a lot of money. Going from Kipling to Kennedy shouldn't cost the same as going from Queen to Bloor. It's just common sense, and the old municipality lines make sense if you're only thinking about two zones.
Hi zeitgiest, welcome to Toronto (or soon at least). Those sites you listed are the common ones, but one of the best ways to look for an apartment is just to walk around a neighorhood that interest you. There are usually signs in front of the buildings, giving you information like phone numbers, website, etc. You can do a bit of research on the building then by Googling. I recommend looking at http://bedbugregistry.com/ too, because there are quite a few buildings with problems.
I live in Swawsea on the west end. It borders Etobicoke, Bloor West Village and Roncesvalles. The two before mentioned neighborhoods are very nice, but rent can sometimes me tough to find. A bit further west is Parkdale with some cheaper housing (but a bit shadier than some places) and further north on Keele/Parkside is the Junction (which has recently become hipster central). Both are serviced by TTC streetcars and subways.
One thing I would recommend doing is calling buildings, because many places won't respond to e-mails. It's the sad truth, because I would just prefer people e-mailing me back about my questions. Oh well. Happy apartment hunting!
But even more pressing are the fare zones. It's one way they could make up a lot of money. Going from Kipling to Kennedy shouldn't cost the same as going from Queen to Bloor. It's just common sense, and the old municipality lines make sense if you're only thinking about two zones.
zeitgeist said:
Hi zeitgiest, welcome to Toronto (or soon at least). Those sites you listed are the common ones, but one of the best ways to look for an apartment is just to walk around a neighorhood that interest you. There are usually signs in front of the buildings, giving you information like phone numbers, website, etc. You can do a bit of research on the building then by Googling. I recommend looking at http://bedbugregistry.com/ too, because there are quite a few buildings with problems.
I live in Swawsea on the west end. It borders Etobicoke, Bloor West Village and Roncesvalles. The two before mentioned neighborhoods are very nice, but rent can sometimes me tough to find. A bit further west is Parkdale with some cheaper housing (but a bit shadier than some places) and further north on Keele/Parkside is the Junction (which has recently become hipster central). Both are serviced by TTC streetcars and subways.
One thing I would recommend doing is calling buildings, because many places won't respond to e-mails. It's the sad truth, because I would just prefer people e-mailing me back about my questions. Oh well. Happy apartment hunting!
Oppo
Member
I will second the advice on just finding a neighborhood you like, with the access you like, and look for viewit.ca and other for-rent signs. If you have a smartphone you can check everything as you go. Be aware that often they'll have to give 24h to the people in the unit, so what i used to do is go out Saturday,knock on doors and request appointments for Sunday. Also check for mid-month ads, often there's less competition for those, if you can swing it. Not very many bad neighborhoods in Toronto, some are a little sketchy but as long as you aren't at Jane and Finch or way out on Eglinton West it should be fine. Er, maybe avoid Parkdale too, unless you really like the place. It can be hit or miss. Roncesvalles is nice, I lived over there, and Bloor West Village is good too. Beaches is very nice but a bit pricey, as is Yonge & Eglinton. I'd look around St. Clair and Yonge or in the Annex, lots of good rentals there.
If you have a dog I'd steer towards larger buildings. Technically you can't bar anyone on the basis of dog or cat ownership from renting, but many smaller landlords do anyways.
If you have a dog I'd steer towards larger buildings. Technically you can't bar anyone on the basis of dog or cat ownership from renting, but many smaller landlords do anyways.
PortTwo said:
More that it's just unsafe and dirty. Ossington area near Queen or Dundas, the CAMH crowd, the wild encounters at night...two different friends of mine were mugged in the area (anecdotal, I know). I just don't even feel slightly safe there and it's certainly not pretty.
I've always favored Yonge, anywhere from Eglinton on down to Union Station. Alive and exciting and modern.
By the way, this is where my wife and I live right now. It's toward the south end of Swansea, so it's 3 minutes walking to the 501 Queen Streetcar. The 77 bus also takes you to the subway, or a twenty minute walk.
Pet friendly, and great landlords. We've been here nearly five years now, and it's by far the best rental experience I've had. Units are inclusive, and range from $675 for Bachelors, $825 for one bedrooms, and $1,025 for two bedrooms. Those can go up by around $100, depending on the size of the unit and if it has a balcony.
Just be aware that there isn't much to walk to in the area shopping wise (lots to do outdoors though). You'll probably end up taking either the bus (No Frills on Bloor), or streetcar (Sobey's) to do it. I walk to both a lot, but it's not for the lazy.
http://www.greenwin.ca/apartments-for-rent/details/windermere-gardens
Pictures from around the area:
But then of course, in the winter..
King West at Shaw is a totally different beast than Queen West at Shaw/Ossington. That's just how the city goes. Two minutes walking and the neighborhoods can transform entirely from trendy to run down. There are not too many areas west of Yonge I would be too worried about though, even in some shadier areas of Queen West and Parkdale. I'd prefer to stay out of the core because it doesn't have enough green space for the dog, and the clubbing crowd during the night is not appealing to me.
My favorite neighborhoods are Roncesvalles, Bloor West, Yonge & St Clair, and the Beach. All of those, outside of the Beach, should be easily accessible for work in the west end, although the commute from St Clair might not be that great (unless the work is around St Clair on the west end, just take the streetcar).
Lots of variety. Our friendly user looking for an apartment could sign a short term lease, and then experience the neighborhoods for himself, he could probably determine better where he'd want to live.
Pet friendly, and great landlords. We've been here nearly five years now, and it's by far the best rental experience I've had. Units are inclusive, and range from $675 for Bachelors, $825 for one bedrooms, and $1,025 for two bedrooms. Those can go up by around $100, depending on the size of the unit and if it has a balcony.
Just be aware that there isn't much to walk to in the area shopping wise (lots to do outdoors though). You'll probably end up taking either the bus (No Frills on Bloor), or streetcar (Sobey's) to do it. I walk to both a lot, but it's not for the lazy.
http://www.greenwin.ca/apartments-for-rent/details/windermere-gardens
Pictures from around the area:
But then of course, in the winter..
Magnus said:
King West at Shaw is a totally different beast than Queen West at Shaw/Ossington. That's just how the city goes. Two minutes walking and the neighborhoods can transform entirely from trendy to run down. There are not too many areas west of Yonge I would be too worried about though, even in some shadier areas of Queen West and Parkdale. I'd prefer to stay out of the core because it doesn't have enough green space for the dog, and the clubbing crowd during the night is not appealing to me.
My favorite neighborhoods are Roncesvalles, Bloor West, Yonge & St Clair, and the Beach. All of those, outside of the Beach, should be easily accessible for work in the west end, although the commute from St Clair might not be that great (unless the work is around St Clair on the west end, just take the streetcar).
Lots of variety. Our friendly user looking for an apartment could sign a short term lease, and then experience the neighborhoods for himself, he could probably determine better where he'd want to live.
added_time
Member
EvilMario said:
The problem with fare zones is that it would punish the poorest residents of the city. They would leave the downtown core at the same price it is now but then the poorest areas of Scarborough and Etobicoke would be paying much more.
EvilMario said:
Actually I have to sign a short term lease anyways which makes matters much more difficult. My job is contract based so I plan to be a nomad for the next little while until I can afford to get settled. I am hoping to start as far west as possible and move farther east as my finances allow it.
I am not really worried about something kinda grungy or a bit sketchy for now because it is temporary but these sites and tips are all amazing. Thanks a lot. I'm sure I'll have more questions soon though.
Also, thank you SO MUCH for the bedbug registry. I'm not going to lie, bedbugs are my biggest concern about moving anywhere.
StudioTan
Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
So for those curious about the Xbox demo store....there are a lot more games than they showed in that ad. First off Forza is playable with the controller but they do have Kinect set up for headtracking. To be honest I didn't try the headtracking because it didn't seem like it was calibrated very well. As far as the game itself it was the same Alps track they've been showing with 3 cars to choose from. No other options for the game were available. Looks great but their TV is calibrated horribly so everything was WAY to contrasty.
The other games I saw:
Gears of War 3 - Horde Mode
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
From Dust
Dance Central 2
Kinect Star Wars
Kinect Sports 2
Gunstringer
Fruit Ninja
Disneyland Adventures
Sesame Street - Once Upon A Monster
The Kinect stations are really glitchy due to the bright lights, lots of people and poor calibration. Despite that I really liked Gunstringer and my girlfriend's 8 year old LOVED Kinect Star Wars even though it was having trouble tracking him. You get to play as a Rancor and terrorize a village in one section. Fun stuff.
The other games I saw:
Gears of War 3 - Horde Mode
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
From Dust
Dance Central 2
Kinect Star Wars
Kinect Sports 2
Gunstringer
Fruit Ninja
Disneyland Adventures
Sesame Street - Once Upon A Monster
The Kinect stations are really glitchy due to the bright lights, lots of people and poor calibration. Despite that I really liked Gunstringer and my girlfriend's 8 year old LOVED Kinect Star Wars even though it was having trouble tracking him. You get to play as a Rancor and terrorize a village in one section. Fun stuff.
added_time said:
Scarborough (Scarborough Bluffs, The Guild) and Etobicoke (Rosethorn, Humber Valley) do have some of the most expensive areas in the city, just like the core has some of the poorest in the city (Moss Park, Jameson+King, Oakwood and Vaughan).
Any time you're talking about increasing fares, it's going to hurt the poorest. Even the VRT being brought back will hit the poor that need a car the hardest; the person driving his Porsche won't even notice the pocket change is missing.
I think fare zones makes plenty of sense. There are lots of deals to be had in the city, with one bedroom even in the core being under $1,000. I'm not sure it hurts the poor any worse than other solutions.
Kinitari said:
I missed this, but I'll comment now. Yes, the reason why you won't see automation like you do in other systems is the union. Anything that means job loss, even if it means balancing the books, is unfathomable for them. But that's their job..
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Not sure what store he is talking about but Microsoft leased a store during Kinect launch near Yonge and Queen (the store however was locked up a few months after christmas). Maybe it's the same store.whitehawk said:
Kuro Madoushi
Unconfirmed Member
There was a section in the metro where the TTC tried to explain why things are.roddur said:
Rider complaint.
TTC non-commital and side-stepping response.
Honestly, they can't even own up to mistakes. If they want support, admit they've been doing a shitty job (they have) and publically announce that they'll fix it. Fucking traffic isn't to blame for the triple stack of 72 buses I saw last week.
Areas to live in? Hmmm...EM's area is good, but I'm in Riverdale and like how it's close to downtown, beaches, distillery, and Danforth.
added_time
Member
The TTC service is pretty great compared to the subway in NYC for example. I used to spend half my time in New York and I couldn't believe how unreliable the subways were there. They routinely made me hours late for meetings. Once I waited an hour and a half for a subway.
The TTC has only made me late for something once in my entire life. I'm not saying the TTC shouldn't be improved because there are LOTS and LOTS of things wrong with it but I find the service to be pretty reliable when compared to New York at least.
edit: actually now that I think about it... I'm only referring to subway service. The bus routes on the TTC are far less reliable than the subways.
The TTC has only made me late for something once in my entire life. I'm not saying the TTC shouldn't be improved because there are LOTS and LOTS of things wrong with it but I find the service to be pretty reliable when compared to New York at least.
edit: actually now that I think about it... I'm only referring to subway service. The bus routes on the TTC are far less reliable than the subways.
whitehawk said:
Apparently it's Queen west, before Spadina.
http://www.xbox.com/en-ca/Community/Promotions/xbox360central/toronto
Save me Toronto-GAF,
I have Bell for internet right now and since I am in a new area in Scarborough, I can't get anything higher than their shitty Fibe 6 plan so I want to move to Teksavvy.
Apparently Teksavvy isn't servicing new customers in my area because of high demand.
Rogers a 50% deal right now for two years (first year is 50% then pay full price for the rest of the contract). Is there an option that I am missing, I don't want to go to Rogers but it seems to be the better choice right now.
I have Bell for internet right now and since I am in a new area in Scarborough, I can't get anything higher than their shitty Fibe 6 plan so I want to move to Teksavvy.
Apparently Teksavvy isn't servicing new customers in my area because of high demand.
Rogers a 50% deal right now for two years (first year is 50% then pay full price for the rest of the contract). Is there an option that I am missing, I don't want to go to Rogers but it seems to be the better choice right now.
The TTC is such a mixed bag lately. Bus routes can be alarmingly on schedule, to the minute, or suffer from massive stacking (2-4 -- Yes, FOUR -- buses back to back, leaving huge gaps in service), seemingly at random.
Shuttle service during subway emergency shutdowns (which are sadly a near-weekly reality, sometimes twice or three times a week, not including the scheduled subway downtimes) is always depressingly behind (one shuttle every five minutes is NOT enough to replace a fucking subway train that normally comes by every four minutes).
Shuttle service during subway emergency shutdowns (which are sadly a near-weekly reality, sometimes twice or three times a week, not including the scheduled subway downtimes) is always depressingly behind (one shuttle every five minutes is NOT enough to replace a fucking subway train that normally comes by every four minutes).
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Primus, if you're doing DSL.Nobility said:Save me Toronto-GAF,
I have Bell for internet right now and since I am in a new area in Scarborough, I can't get anything higher than their shitty Fibe 6 plan so I want to move to Teksavvy.
Apparently Teksavvy isn't servicing new customers in my area because of high demand.
Rogers a 50% deal right now for two years (first year is 50% then pay full price for the rest of the contract). Is there an option that I am missing, I don't want to go to Rogers but it seems to be the better choice right now.
Zombie James
Banned
This is a whole lot of rain.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
Crazy thunderstorm.
edit: pretty much eased up here in north york though, but it was insane for like 10 minutes.
edit: pretty much eased up here in north york though, but it was insane for like 10 minutes.
lunarworks
Member
That was quite the little storm. I haven't seen sheets of rain that thick in ages.
lunarworks
Member
Maybe it was you. If you look down can you see your body?Roto13 said: