Basically, don't move in here if you're not desperate, financially. With the entirety of Toronto rising price-wise, this is probably one of the few areas, besides Dawes road buildings and so on, where you find the lowest rent possible. But that's an actuality for a bad reason. The rent prices here are around the minimum (say 1400+ for a one bedroom) because the area is highly corrupt. If you make the mistake of befriending anyone who has lived here or lives here, associating with anyone, or even being at the wrong place at the wrong time, you'll likely fear to even go outside of your apartment which is comparatively a hell of its own. The landlords you can't trust more than you can a member of a gang that is purely financial and has sunk its ways into the landowning system I don't even know how. If you will live here, you'll see everything you see in most other suburbs: people going to work, kids going to school, people having a good time in the park, but after dark I would not honestly tell you to be outside or especially near the Dawes side of things, unless you're certain no one knows you and you don't "stand out". Don't get me wrong, it's a lively neighbourhood as any other, but here, like most other areas for the poor, sick, old, etc, you'll see/hear the worst aspects of human nature. If you don't consider yourself lucky in that you don't have to hear about it despite it happening daily. Not a day goes by that I don't hear sirens at nighttime scream up Dawes road. Being ignorant enough, I moved in here about two years ago, and not knowing any of this I, a teenager at the time, befriended people (out of common interests or simple friendliness) who would probably not hesitate to have me dead given the opportunity and time. Whether it's out of social/educational tension, increasing living costs, poverty, mental illness, drug abuse, and so much more on, people are slowly losing it here and in the entirety of Toronto, even, Ontario. There is little hope for anyone here unless they have money to protect them, because in reality that's the only factor saving you from even being here, aka, being in just an awful area to live in.
This is from pure experience. And from the point of view of someone who is living here and is on the verge of being homeless (as many others) while dealing with mental illness and multiple legal issues caused by being here. Giant mistake.
My advice? Stick to yourself, lock your doors, don't show more than you need to, associate with no one, make sure your kids are safe, don't dapple with people/things that just seem slightly off because those will bite you in a split-second, be anonymous, don't get in trouble (that should go without saying but here that can happen just out of being helpful/kind), and last but not least start making plans to get out of here even if it's the only affordable place.
The city is corrupted.
Sincerely,
East York kid.
