Toronto Life neighbourhood rankings

[W. K. Lis]

Waterfront Communities/The Islands comes in 138 for crime? Since when are Harbourfront & St. Lawrence the most dangerous areas in Toronto? Somebody better tell all the tourists.

And South Riverdale is the highest crime neighbourhood in Toronto? I'm lucky I've never been mugged at Gerrard Square. I thought that the highest crime area in the city was Sherbourne, between Queen East & Dundas? (wasn't that reported in police stats)

What neighourhoods are the Don Jail and the Toronto South Detention Centre located in? How would that help or hinder the crime score?

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Without commenting on the overall rankings, I will say this: Any poll that gives the Beaches (with a 78) a better score for transit than Playter Estates (with a 50) is simply fatally flawed. Playter Estates is small enough to be entirely, literally walking distance to Broadview or Chester subways stops, and is right beside the DVP. The Beaches, in comparison, is almost the hardest place to get to in the city by car or transit.

Agreed. From the Broadview station, you can not only get the subway but two streetcars (Dundas and King) as well as four buses, including one that will take you to the Eglinton station (albeit the long way.) At night, you have the Danforth Blue Line which, for $3 or so, will take you to Pearson in 20 minutes, perfect for those 6 a.m. flights to the islands.

What's more, it is slightly less than a two mile walk to Holt Renfrew from Player Estates. In comfy shoes, of course.

 

[DarnDirtyApe]

Do they actually explain the calculation for each category anywhere? Some of these are just mind-boggling.

 

[M.R.Victor]

I live on the cusp of both Little Portugal (68) and Dufferin Grove (110), and I really do not understand the huge difference, especially given how close these two places are to one another.

Little Portugal fares better than Dufferin Grove in terms of crime, sure, but how does it outrank Dufferin Grove in terms of public transit, where it's a matter of streetcar access vs. subway access? And how could the entertainment offerings of the former outrank the latter by such a large margin, when the latter is a mere 10 minute walking distance away? I get the feeling that this list treats these neighborhoods as statistical islands, failing to account for the fact that the dynamics of one neighborhood spill over and affect the residents of nearby ones.

 

[Peepers]

I don't know how they devised these rankings but the the results are so flawed that it is almost not worth looking at this list.

For example the most expensive and hence most exclusive neighborhood in Toronto is the Bridle-Path (without question!) and yet look how far down on the list it is - way below Malvern! Where would you rather live?

Likewise Forest Hill and Cabbagetown are way down on the list. Cabbagetown is lumped in with St. James Town for some reason despite the fact that these are two completely distinct neighborhoods. Although adjacent to each other Cabbagetown and St James Town are worlds apart. Also Rosedale and Moore Park are two distinct neighborhoods. The enchanting enclave of Wychwood Park is also not where I would expect it - way done on the list.

If a factor such as access to TTC is skewing the results it shouldn't even be considered since anyone who is wealthy enough to live in the most desirable neighborhoods in Toronto doesn't have to rely on public transit since they can afford to drive (or be driven) everywhere.

 

[junctionist]

This ranking is offbeat both by casual observation and a more thorough look at the individual categories. That's why I doubt it'll have any effect whatsoever on how people perceive the city's neighbourhoods. It's odd since these sorts of articles that look at a Toronto topic in depth are often quite influential on how people think. But you can't take this particular ranking seriously.

 

[James]

As Peepers pinpointed, the inherent flaw in these "studies" is that it implies that everyone values the exact same set of criteria all across the various neighborhoods. This is naturally not the case, therefore these rankings are nothing more than an amusement exercise.

 

[Molybdenum]

An article from the Toronto Real Estate News argues that these bizarre rankings are the result of a combination of poor data quality and flawed economic model/assumptions:

http://www.movesmartly.com/2013/08/a-closer-look-at-toronto-lifes-ranking-of-toronto-neighbourhoods.html

 

[shumoon]

Is Wexford (#6) really that much better than neighbouring Dorset Park (#64)?

 

[Adislic]

What makes good neighbourhood?I guess the people who live there.How well do you know
people who live in your neighbourhood?Do you know their names?Probably not( maybe next door).
I guess with our busy life it is hard to find time to have conversation.Get out of the house,get in the car,go to work,drive back,get
into the house.If we all get to know each other in the neighbourhood,our daily lives in the community will be better and safer.
Any suggestion where to start to build stronger Toronto neighbourhoods?

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

What makes good neighbourhood?I guess the people who live there.How well do you know
people who live in your neighbourhood?Do you know their names?Probably not( maybe next door).
I guess with our busy life it is hard to find time to have conversation.Get out of the house,get in the car,go to work,drive back,get
into the house.If we all get to know each other in the neighbourhood,our daily lives in the community will be better and safer.
Any suggestion where to start to build stronger Toronto neighbourhoods?

Hang out on the front porch/veranda instead of the back deck. Unfortunately, too many houses in the burbs look like giant garages with hidden front doors. No verandahs.

Lots of kids on a street are good. Let them make friends and then have street parties.

We have always had a dog. Best way to meet other people with dogs -- ie. WALKING the dog, not just letting it "out back" -- which leads to everybody else. Of course, if you have long commutes, it's cruel to keep the dog confined all day.

Welcome newbies with a lasagna or something. No strings. Just say, "Moving is a bitch. Hope this helps."

It's really not that hard. You just have to want to. And most people do want to. They just don't know how.

 

[James]

Yup, strolling down the street or just playing in the front yard with my son, I get to meet a lot of neighbors (who always seem more approachable if you're walking a dog or with your kids than when they see you alone) who I probably wouldn't be able to meet otherwise. Everyone's always friendlier when you're genuinely doing something fun.

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

Yup, strolling down the street or just playing in the front yard with my son, I get to meet a lot of neighbors (who always seem more approachable if you're walking a dog or with your kids than when they see you alone) who I probably wouldn't be able to meet otherwise. Everyone's always friendlier when you're genuinely doing something fun.

I wouldn't call shoveling snow or chopping ice fun but it gives people a chance to commiserate, or pitch in with each other. The problem is, too many homes are rear-focused.

 

[ehlow]

I think the house & street design does affect how likely you are to know your neighbours:

http://goo.gl/maps/i8oru vs http://goo.gl/maps/yrQ6F

In the first you're more likely to see them as you use your porch or walk somewhere. Houses are closer together but smaller. In the later, if you're going somewhere you might go from your house to your garage directly and then drive away. Houses are also more spread out.

With condos/apartments I'd say you're likely to meet people on your floor, but on the elevators I found that people didn't necessarily talk that much.

 

[PinkLucy]

I live in a condo. Folks are pretty chatty on the elevators for the most part. There's a few who don't even return a hello, but the elevators is where I've met most people We also hold social events. You do have to work to create community in a condo.