Anyone move back to Toronto after settling in the suburbs with kids?
My wife and I (Mid 30s) have a baby thats 1. We moved from Downtown to Port Credit in 2020, both went fully remote, got married, and bought a townhouse before prices really took off. We also got outbid on a few east-end Toronto homes under $1M back then, so Port Credit ended up being the best spot for us.
Fast forward a few years, salaries have gone up, we've built some equity, and we're starting to think about a forever home.
Our budget today would probably be around $1.4-1.8M. That said, we're actually more interested in buying a well-located fixer around $1.2M (if those still exist) and putting another $500k or so into renovating it exactly how we want instead of stretching for someone else's finished house.
The question is whether we should move back into Toronto, probably the west end (Bloor West Village, Roncey, Sunnylea, Swansea) since family is in Mississauga, although we'd consider the right east-end home, or whether we should just lean into where life has taken us and upgrade in Port Credit, Kerr Village, Old Oakville, Bronte, or somewhere similar.
A few things we're wrestling with:
- We both technically work downtown but only need to be in about once a month.
- We loved our downtown years (from 2016-2020), but it also feels like we missed the sweet spot of being DINKs in a walkable Toronto neighbourhood before having kids.
- These days we spend way more weekends at waterfront parks, trails, playgrounds, coffee shops, and patios between Etobicoke and Burlington than we do downtown.
- Having family in Mississauga has been a huge help since having our son.
One thing I keep coming back to is that a Toronto semi would probably be a bit of a step down for us in terms of house. We'd really like a dedicated office, a bright basement that can become a rec room/gym/play space, and a decent yard.
At the same time, some of the west-end neighbourhoods we're drawn to, like Sunnylea, seem to offer exactly the kind of detached bungalow we'd want near the subway. But whenever we visit, they also feel a little sleepier than Port Credit. Port Credit obviously isn't Toronto, but there's always something happening along the waterfront, people walking around, restaurants, festivals, and it feels more lively than I expected when we first moved here.
I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually bounced back and forth between Toronto and the suburbs over different stages of life. Mostly looking for perspectives from people who've lived both lifestyles. I'm curious how your priorities changed over time.
Did you regret leaving Toronto? Did you end up moving back? Or did you realize places like Port Credit, South Etobicoke, or Oakville actually suited family life better than you expected?
If you had a similar budget today, would you still pay the premium for a Toronto neighbourhood, or would you rather put that money into a better house and stay closer to family?