Quote from a resident,... should I revist my decision of putting a cross to Thorncliff Park Dr !
"I lived in Toronto for one year (2010-2011) and rented an apartment in Thorncliffe Park. I couldn't afford to rent an apartment downtown and didn't want to lease a car, and so I was looking for an area that was well served by public transit and was fairly close to downtown. A couple of people suggested that area and said that it wasn't as bad as some people made it out to be, and that most of the apartments were some of the most spacious in the city. I wound up renting a one bedroom it one of the 20-story buildings.
The apartment was very big and had great views. The lobby and the hallways were passable, but obviously nothing fancy. What I liked about the neighborhood:
- a huge park with walking and cycling trails
- a baseball field and adjacent tennis club and pool
- an O.K. mall
- 15-20-minute walk to either upscale Bayview avenue restaurants and shops or stores on Laird
Now, shortly after I moved in, I found a lot of articles online about how the area is "not so good" mainly because it has a high population density. Yes, it does have a lot of people living in one street. However, this is what you find in most major cities around the world. It seemed safe. While I was there, I didn't hear of major crimes taking place, like sometimes in Scarborough or parts of West End.
So, why is this area considered one of the worst in the city? It's certainly a notch above the adjacent areas like Flemingdon Park or Pape/Cosburn across the highway bridge, and some of the other high-rise areas. I hope this doesn't sound like I'm advertising that area. It's just that I don't understand how it can be considered a "rough area".
P.S. I'm from Maryland."