Toronto Life neighbourhood rankings

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Whlow's link illustrates the biggest problem, in my opinion, with most suburbs. People come and go through their garages and that's pretty much it. They don't walk because there's not much to walk to. They put their dogs out back. They use snowblowers, or power mowers, which preclude conversation.

My brother lives in once of those subdivisions that has separate garages out back and substantial front porches. The new urbanism is it called? While there's nothing to walk to, and the lot sizes are 40 feet, he is friends with all his neighbours I think because of the architecture. They have organized street parties on July and the like. Moving the focus to the front really works.

My condo community is very friendly. That could be because we are not that big -- only 200 units -- and most of the residents are middle aged or older. We have various activities, clubs, committees -- everything from book and bridge clubs to water aerobics, a garden club and a green committee -- and we have at least one party a year. we walk to and stand at the bus stop together. we shop at the same supermarket near by. Our newsletter profiles residents, which helps. Those of us with dogs also have a connection.

During the blackout, we pulled together and actually had fun!

 

[johnf]

Everybody has busy schedules(or just surfing the internet,watching tv inside the house) and most of the time is hard to get together.In our neighbourhood we use online platform to keep in touch,have conversion about local issues,"meet" neighbours down the street.
My neighbour across the street started social network for our neighbourhood.People slowly started join in,some are more active then the others
but general feeling is that people like this type of socializing,on their own term,when they have time.It is not same as face to face but at the same time
it has a lot of advantages.We discuss everything that is going on and that matters to us locally.
The network is private and people addresses are verified so i know who they are.I did not even know until 3 weeks ago that such social network
platform exist in Toronto.I heard about one in US,I think it is called nextdoor or something like that.It is very popular in the states.
The one in Toronto is called CanLinked.com. Anyway, in the cold weather is even harder to see anybody on the street so at least
we can have some type of neighbourhood gathering during winter.

 

[GKW]

new rankings are out
http://torontolife.com/neighbourhood-rankings/

 

[Lenser]

Articles like this one remind me why I rarely bother to read Toronto Life. It's a cobbled-together mess of bad data and faulty assumptions. I don't know what the mag's target demographic is supposed to be, but I sure as hell don't fit the profile.

 

[Filip]

Mimico went from top 10 last year to almost dead last this year?

Was there a plague I'm unaware of?

 

[Skeezix]

My neighbourhood (Playter Estates - Danforth) jumped to 3 this year, even though last year we were way back, and oddly 20+ positions behind North Riverdale next door (somehow, our transit score was a fraction of North Riverdale's, even though we both hug the same subway). No real explanation for the score last year, or the big jump this year.

The point of this ranking is not to put out an actual defensible and thoughtful ranking, but rather to publish clickbait. The more off-base the ranking, the more provocative it is, the better, because people will keep clicking at it. Outrage likely generates more hits than "mmm, that seems right".

 

[Lenser]

Skeezix, you nailed it.

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

My neighbourhood (Playter Estates - Danforth) jumped to 3 this year, even though last year we were way back, and oddly 20+ positions behind North Riverdale next door (somehow, our transit score was a fraction of North Riverdale's, even though we both hug the same subway). No real explanation for the score last year, or the big jump this year.
.

Are we neighbours Skeezix? I was about to say the same thing. Within a two-five minute walk I have access to four bus lines (Flemingdon, Broadview, Mortimer, Cosburn), two street car lines (King and Dundas) and the subway, Broadview and, just a bit further, Chester. There are very few areas with this kind of transit. And yet we rate a 68?

You're correct. Click bait, real estate agent fodder, cover stories, BS.

 

[James]

Ditto the click baitery going on at the TL writers offices. Water cooler discussion to begin in T minus 3...2...1...

 

[christiesplits]

The point of this ranking is not to put out an actual defensible and thoughtful ranking, but rather to publish clickbait. The more off-base the ranking, the more provocative it is, the better, because people will keep clicking at it. Outrage likely generates more hits than "mmm, that seems right".

You're correct. Click bait, real estate agent fodder, cover stories, BS.

Ditto the click baitery going on at the TL writers offices. Water cooler discussion to begin in T minus 3...2...1..

What I find disappointing is that the Martin Prosperity Institute and U of T would put their weight behind it.

 

[Skeezix]

Are we neighbours Skeezix?

Neighbourhood neighbours, certainly. From the sounds of it, I'm further east - we're located between the Chester and Pape stations.

 

[ShonTron]

Toronto White's key demographics would be pleased. As would its assortment of high-end retailer and aspirational brand advertisers.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Mt. Dennis. We're number 93, we're number 93, we're number 93. Better than 140, two years ago.

 

[Skeezix]

What I find disappointing is that the Martin Prosperity Institute and U of T would put their weight behind it.

The methodology they used is really questionable. On transit, for example, it appears they did not even consider subways. Unclear how they weight "overcrowded routes", but it suggests that neighbourhoods where the residents use transit extensively might actually be scored lower than where buses are half empty. Most of the other categories contain similar head-scratchers. But I suppose the arbitrariness of it is the point.

 

[Admiral Beez]

My neighbourhood of Cabbagetown was given a low score for diversity. Why is diversity a factor, or to be clear, why is too many white people (such as one neighbourhood being criticized for being too white bread) a downside to a neighbourhood?

We were also dinged for income disparity. I don't see it. Outside of the few remaining rooming houses and a few co-ops, I'd say Cabbagetown has a relatively level income level. You can't buy a house costing $800K without a good income.