While North York, Ontario is no longer a separate city; in the eyes of its residents it is still very different from the rest of the homogenous mass that is the Greater Toronto Area. For those who are unfamiliar with North York, it's one of the largest districts in the city of Toronto, located above East York and the old City of Toronto. It covers more than 176 square kilometres and was home to just shy of 636,000 people at the time of the last census in 2006. Today its population is much greater as several thousand people a year find themselves in the market for homes in North York. What draws them in?CommutabilityThese days, most people are coming to Greater Toronto to take advantage of its seemingly bottomless job pool. Jobs are especially concentrated in downtown Toronto, but very few people can actually afford to live in the urban heart of the city, even if they wanted to brave the noise and bustle. Choosing North York condominiums instead saves them upwards of $100,000 on similar properties in many cases while still remaining within commuting range of their jobs. On a good day, it takes 15-25 minutes to commute to downtown Toronto for many neighbourhoods in North York by car or public transit.Desirable HousingRelative cheapness compared to central Toronto is only one of the many reasons potential homebuyers search for North York real estate. After all, there's more than one commutable borough in Greater Toronto. They choose North York because it offers safe, friendly, suburban neighbourhoods where they can raise children, have barbecues with their neighbours, and not worry about the dogs being run over by heavy traffic. North York contains some of the most desirable neighbourhoods in all of the GTA, including Bridle Path and Lawrence Park, as well as urban settings like you would find in downtown Toronto.MulticulturalismThe Greater Toronto Area in general is known for its diversity, which broadens the horizons of everyone who lives there. North York is no exception, with approximately 50% of the area's residents listing themselves as having been born in another country. Among the ranks of North York residents and North York real estate agents, you'll find people of European, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and South American descent, so no matter who you are, you're sure to fit in and find friendly people who speak your language.AmenitiesWhen people are choosing somewhere to live, they want to make sure they'll be looked after and have access to the things they need. That's why they choose to look at North York properties for sale. They know their new house will be near to three major hospitals, two of the biggest malls in the GTA, professional, amateur, and recreational leagues for all the major sports, and four well respected post secondary schools. There are few major tourist attractions, so residents are relatively free from the hoards of tourists that descend on Toronto.
