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Potential new TO resident!

^No.

Better area for you would be the College/Dundas/Queen&Ossington area, roughly the square on the map bordering Bathurst/Harbord/Dufferin/Queen. Much nicer atmosphere than the boring 9-5 office worker crowd in SLM area.

So, going by google maps, the Little Italy sort of area?

During my last visit, I stayed at the Sheraton Centre and enjoyed the areas west of there, so that could be a good place to start.

DSC, I think you're right. I'm planning on getting a Hotwire hotel for 10 or so nights so I can find my feet, find a place to live & find a job! BTW, do urbantorontians ever meet up for beers? I recon you guys know more about this place than almost anyone else!
 
Does SLM hit most of those buttons?

It hits them all. I've started frequenting that area for its bars/pubs because I really like the mix of people. It's not all hipster like Queen West and it's not all hoity toity like Yorkville.
 
Thanks Whatever.

I'm pretty certain i'm going to stay at Neill-Wycik Summer Hotel (as its damn cheap and centrally located) so i'm gonna hit the streets and see where's best...but SLM does sound great! (though i wouldn't be aversed to an area full of college students!!)
 
^No.

Better area for you would be the College/Dundas/Queen&Ossington area, roughly the square on the map bordering Bathurst/Harbord/Dufferin/Queen. Much nicer atmosphere than the boring 9-5 office worker crowd in SLM area.

I resemble that remark! Okay, I'll give you that during the weekday lunch hours some of the (smarter) folks from the financial district sometimes wander over near the market for lunch, but aside from that, the area is very mixed. I don't think you can generalize residents of the neighbourhood that easily.

In the SLM area there are quite a few decent, mostly quiet local pubs that are good for grabbing a pint: C'est What, Jason George, Jersey Giant are all good. The historic Flatiron building has a chain pub (a Firkin) in the basement which is unremarkable except for the beautiful building and patio during the summer. Along the Esplanade closer to Yonge there's a strip of more lively pubs and restaurants, some chains, some not. If you're a beer afficianado, C'est What has the biggest selection of Canadian microbrews in Toronto. The Beer Bistro at King and Yonge has a vast selection of imports and great food. A new brewpub will be opening shortly at Victoria and Richmond; you can also easily walk to the 3 Brewers, a French/Quebec-based brewpub at Yonge and Dundas, and the Mill St. Brewpub in the Distillery.

For coffee, there are many options, including inside the SLM south building, where several places roast their own beans. Hank's near the foot of Church is fantastic. There's also B Espresso a bit further north near Queen and Church, and Bisogno on Sherbourne north of King, if you're walking in those directions. And of course there are the ubiquitous chain places (Starbucks, Second Cup, etc.) if those are your thing.

There's no real "night life" to speak of, but that's a quick subway or streetcar ride away. From personal experience I can suggest that it's better not to live right in a neighbourhood that's a partying hotspot, because it gets tiresome rather quickly! The Queen & Ossington area is the current hipster hotspot, filled with partiers every weekend to the point that longtime locals are complaining and the city has passed a one year ban on new bars in the area. Fun to visit but...

But I definitely agree that you should spend some time walking through the various hoods to see where you personally will feel at home. Good luck!
 

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