Living In Vaughan Ontario
Thinking of moving to Vaughan?
Every city has its own quirks. Instead of spending years figuring out the insider tips or learning things too late, we're going to share our local intel. These are the 5 things you need to know before moving to Vaughan.
1. Location
Vaughan is situated right in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area. You get the best of both worlds: the local community feel from suburban communities and the bustling activity of a major city.
This also means that Vaughan is a short trip to pretty much everything you could ever need, including:
- Downtown Toronto, and major city events like TIFF, Nuit Blanche, and Winterlicious/Summerlicious
- Rogers Centre, BMO Field and the Air Canada Centre
- Major tourist attractions like the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and The Ex
- Canada's Wonderland (right in our own backyard!)
- Vaughan Mills (one of the biggest shopping centres in the GTA)
- Skiing at Blue Mountain, Snow Valley, Horseshoe
Living in Vaughan, Ontario means you have access to all the incredible attractions and amenities that Toronto offers, but you can also have the detached home, suburban living. Where's the down side?
2. Local hot spots
The perk of moving to Vaughan still having a community vibe is the local hot spots and hidden gems. There's the big ones, like Canada's Wonderland and Vaughan Mills, but there's also resident favourites like Coffee Culture, Grazie Ristorante and Emily's Bakery.
Our city is lucky to have some incredible attractions and even better eats. You'll especially want to stop by Emily's. I promise, as God is my witness, you will never go carb-less again!
Take a peek at some of our other favourites like Market Lane, Hillcrest Mall, Pho Vaughan and Wegz. The city has tons to offer!
3. The hustle and bustle
As a city in such close proximity to Toronto, it's naturally going to be busy. The 400, running right through Vaughan, is also one of the most heavily used highways in Ontario. It's also the main source in and out of the city.
Combine that with Rutherford Road that deals with traffic from Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan Mills and overflow from the 400, and the result isn't always pretty.
All this means is that moving to Vaughan can be just as busy as the Toronto core during rush hour, but you're getting the same active amenities too. So, keep this in mind if you're a commuter or prone to road rage. On the bright side, the province is fully aware of this congestion and is in talks to create relief. Read up on the province's plans to help decongest the Vaughan area.
4. Public transit
Moving to Vaughan has the advantage of being close to Toronto, meaning GO Transit is an accessible choice around the GTA. The actual city transit, or Viva, is still catching up to the city's size and pace.
This is all temporary though, because big things are coming in 2017! As part of the York Spadina Subway extension, Vaughan will soon be directly connected to the TTC!
Six new stations are being added, including two directly in Vaughan (the Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Stations). This will give residents direct access to the city (just a 30-minute commute, minus the road rage) and a huge relief to other travel lines.
Read all about the details and progress on the Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension here.
5. All about family
The great thing about moving to Vaughan is that it's a safe place for the kids to grow up. There is plenty for them to do individually, as a family and within the community, whether they are in to sports, conservation, animals or just having fun at the local Lego Discovery Centre.
There are several great schools in the area at the secondary and post-secondary levels, including French Immersion and faith-based schools. You can check them all out on the York Region School Boards for the Catholic and Public School Boards.
What's more is that Vaughan is an active community. Check out the City of Vaughan website. It's a great source of information on what's going on in your area.
Are you sold on Vaughan yet? I've still got plenty to convince you that this is the place for you. Reach out for more information on this awesome city from someone who's lived here for years!
Source: https://lisasinopoli.com/moving-to-vaughan/
