Interested in moving to Toronto? Unsure of where to start your apartment search? Check out what our grad students love about where they live!
The Annex
“It was a residential area so it was nice not being surrounded by corporate buildings, I was a 5 min walk to the subway station and easy access to street cars, as well. When I was looking for a place, it was very important to me to be able to walk to campus and not have to rely on public transit. I found my location to be perfect for that – I could walk to the Psych building in 25 minutes which is about as long as it would take me on public transit, too. Bloor Street is a big street, but the stretch of the street as you walk up to Spadina Ave has a grocery store, yoga studio, really great restaurants (Sushi on Bloor is amazing!), you’re close to 2 major banks (TD and CIBC) and it’s a really easy commute to get to most places you’d need to as a grad student. I personally just really enjoyed having the opportunity to walk to places I needed to get to, but access to the subway was also really easy for the snowy days! I shared a unit with 4 other girls which is most of what you’d find in terms of housing in that area, but there’s also apartment units above the little shops on Bloor, as well.” – Inderpreet Gill, Ph.D. 1
“The Annex is a great place to be; there are a lot food/bar options and it seems to be a common hang-out place for university aged folks. I could walk to meet people at restaurants all down Bloor very easily. There are quite a few green areas nearby that I would walk to daily.” – Zac Pierce-Messick, Ph.D. 2
“The scoop: it’s close to the downtown campus, subway stations, and areas like Koreatown, Christie Pits, and Harbord Village. It’s also close to lots of small parks and a couple of bigger ones, so there are lots of outdoor activities you can do. The people living here are mostly students and families, so it’s a good mix of fun and quiet.” – Shireen Parimoo, Ph.D. 3
“Perks of living in the Annex; walking distance to the downtown core, minutes away from St. George campus, surrounded by quiet streets and old Victorian homes, TONS of amazing restaurants and pubs, and a big plus- it is on the subway line.” – Alex Samson, Ph.D. 1
“The Annex/Koreatown is probably my favourite area in Toronto. It is beside the downtown UofT campus, home to lots of students, profs, and related artists/intellectuals working out of cafes during the day (e.g. this is where Margaret Atwood lives!). Lots of bookstores, too, including my favourite bookstore in Toronto, BMV on Bloor Street. Not the cheapest area but also not as expensive as some of the wealthier/business areas, and with a lot more charm and character. Sun-soaked patios in the summer, too! Ugh I miss summer! As you go west away from the campus and through the Annex you start to enter Koreatown. Amazing Korean restaurants and some midnight neon-lit karaoke bars are always a fun time. I just wish the cafes in the Annex/Koreatown were open later… currently only open to 9 or 10pm and sometimes earlier. But I think that’s true of all of Toronto? Hopefully that changes soon!” – Anthony Romyn, Ph.D. 1
“The best part of the Annex is that it offers both a quiet calm area to live in and the bustling shopping/restaurant scene nearby. It is also close enough to walk or bike to campus. It also has easy access to transit to get to any other part of the city very easily. You can get all of the benefits of living in the big city.” – Prateek Dhamija, Ph.D. 3
“Most of the housing here is converted old homes, where you can find a basement apartment (if you prioritize space), or a smaller room above ground (if you prioritize light). The side streets are surprisingly quiet north of Bloor, while still being close to anything you might need. With regards to COVID: There are numerous grocery stores in the Annex, so I have found myself heading to the smaller ones on off hours to avoid any crowds. The absence of the Restaurant/Bar scene does hit this neighbourhood pretty hard, but there are still a variety of places to get takeout from.” – Logan Doyle, Ph.D. 2