Toronto is famous for its big city bright lights and bustle. These very features attract thousands of new residents to look for work with catering companies in Toronto but they can be the means of driving some residents to look for a new place in a quieter city like Kitchener. Some people are big city people and others are small city people. If you've discovered you're more in favor of a small city than a big one and are relocating from Toronto to Kitchener, we've created this guide to ease the transition process and help you find your way.
Directions
Getting from Toronto to Kitchener is a snap. If you're driving, all you have to do is hop onto the famous 401 highway and head west. In a matter of only 1 hour and 15 minutes you'll be there, unless you've gotten caught in rush hour traffic in the downtown Toronto condos and lofts district. If you don't have a car, there are other ways to get there. Flying is impractical over so short a distance, but VIA rail runs a daily train between the two cities and you can always take an intercity bus.
Real Estate Differences
If you're moving out of St Lawrence Market Condos in downtown Toronto, you'll find the real estate prices in Kitchener for a similarly sized property to be refreshingly cheap. A standard condo in the waterfront area of Toronto goes for around $405,000 while in Kitchener you're looking at only $139,000. In fact, you'll find you can afford more home here than in Toronto, so perhaps you might think of upgrading to your own house rather than a condo or apartment. There are certainly a higher percentage of these in Kitchener than condominiums.
Cultural Differences
As a Toronto resident, you'll be no stranger to cultural diversity. Just walking between your flat at 77 Carlton and your downtown bank office you probably passed a Chinese grocery, an Indian restaurant, an Irish pub, an American bank, and a First Nations souvenir shop. Kitchener does have some cultural diversity, but you'll find that festivals, establishments and surnames will be heavily weighted toward the German, since the area was settled by Mennonites and was once known at Berlin.
Job Market Differences
Toronto's job market contains a mix of job opportunities for both blue and white collar workers. There are factories, banks, theaters, stores, technology companies, heaps upon heaps of office buildings, and a whole collection of real estate agents wanting to put up your Riverdale, Toronto house for sale. By contrast, Kitchener is much more traditionally blue collar. It was the home of several manufacturing firms, particularly those specializing in auto parts, before the downturn of that industry. Now the city is in a period of transition toward becoming more like its university-based neighbor
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