Being in your 20s is great. Being in your 20s in Toronto is even better—that’s why it was
named
Youthful City of the Year 2014. Here are 20 reasons why living in Toronto in your 20s
is the best.
1. You're not alone, everyone else is in their 20s too.
UofT, Ryerson, OCAD, George Brown, York, Humber—the list goes on. Toronto is full of colleges and universities...and therefore, full of students and young graduates! There is no short supply of youth in this city and making friends your age is easy.
2. Spend that money you were saving for a car on beer.
You don’t need to buy a car to get around Toronto. That's because it’s much more efficient to take the TTC, not to mention way cheaper! The $3 fare sure beats the price of gas and car insurance, and with the new sleek streetcars, you’ll be riding in style. Plus, everything is close by so walking is also a solid option. Likewise, bike culture is strong within the city if that’s more your speed.
3. Late-night adventures are encouraged.
If you’re in your 20s, you’re mostly likely a night owl. Late night study sessions and bar nights will do that to you. Toronto is the perfect place for night owls—you can go to LCBO at 10:45pm and then hit up the grocery store afterwards for snacks. And everything else is 24 hours! Lakeview Restaurant, Frans and the newly opened Denny’s are all great spots for some late, late night eats.
4. You can be anyone you want and you won't be judged.
There are all kinds of different characters in Toronto, and Toronto is accepting of all of them! Besides being one of the most multicultural cities in the world, we are also have one of the biggest LGBT communities and our pride week is one of the largest cultural festivals in North
America. Your 20s is when you discover who you truly are—and Toronto will happily welcome
whomever that happens to be.
5. Cheap eats are everywhere.
In a city with lots of students, eateries know they have to be competitive with their pricing in order to bring in business.Because of this, cheap eats are everywhere. The famous downtown pizza joint, Big Slice, offers the biggest slices you may have ever seen for under $4. If you’re looking for a sit down meal, half the menu at Messini Authentic Gyros is under $6, and Poutineville has all you can eat poutine for $15 every Tuesday after 5pm. The list goes on and the deals are yours to discover.
6. Myth: you need money to do anything.
Toronto has tons of cool festivals and events that are absolutelyfree. BuskerFest, Caribana, Taste the Danforth, Nuit Blanche, Pride, the Toronto Christmas Market and Food Truck festivals, just to name a few. Dundas Square also has free concerts and events going on all the time. There are lots of great places to go with your friends without having to break the bank.
7. You can get turnt somewhere new every weekend and stumble home to your warm bed afterwards.
Toronto's nightlife has something for everyone: sports bars, country bars, bars where you can bowl, pool bars—ones for playing pool and ones with actual pools—DIY cocktail bars, arcade bars, rooftop bars… you name it, there's a party for you. And if you live in the city, you can stay out all night without worrying about catching the last GO train.
8. Whether we’re winning or losing we have plenty of spirit.
Okay so our sports teams are not the best, but if you like watching sports and cheering for your local team then Toronto has plenty to offer. In the summertime, the Rogers Centre is full of boozed-up fans in Blue Jays blue. In the winter you can hit the rink to cheer for the unlikely Toronto Maple Leafs or spot Drake at a Raptors game—lint roller in hand.
9. The legal drinking age is nineteen.
Yeah, none of this 21+ business. This means that by the time you’re in your 20s you are
already an experienced drinker and professional partier. You know the ins and outs of the best
bars and clubs because you’ve been doing it since you were 19—or younger (we won't tell).
10. You'll get a job, or maybe even a career.
Toronto ranks high for youth employment. Youthful Cities Index rated Toronto 3rd in the world last year in terms of economic status. They found that Toronto had high levels of youth employment and digital access. The city also has great programs such as The Next 36, the Ryerson Digital Media Zone and the newly-announced
Joe Fresh Centre for Fashion Innovation, which have all made entrepreneurship a very possible career path for Toronto youths.
11. The EDM culture is strong.
If you love to rave, Toronto is the place to be...we did bless the world with Deadmau5 after all. The city hosts some of the biggest electronic dance music festivals in Canada, including Veld, Digital Dreams, Solaris, Sensation and Electric Island. There are also world renowned DJs hitting up the city all the time at spots like Sound Academy, Tattoo, Uniun and the Hoxton. Toronto venues such as the Rogers Centre and Direct Energy Centre allow events to continue into the colder seasons so you’ll never have to put away your crop tops and flower crowns.
12. You'll never run out of Tinder matches.
Toronto is the most populous city in Canada—just think how many of those people are on
Tinder. With a city heavily populated with students, and new people coming and going all the
time, scrolling through Tinder is an endless journey. Whether it be on an app or not, Toronto is
a great place to meet other young people. The city is full of them, and the date ideas are
endless!
13. It's the perfect place to find a millionaire husband.
Data from SeekingMillionaire.com showed that Toronto has 2,327 millionaire website members “actively searching for partners.”—the second largest amount in North America falling behind New York. This is good news for Toronto ladies; and for Toronto men—maybe you will become one of those millionaire husbands one day. It’s a win-win.
14. You can drink in the park.
You’re not a true Torontonian until you've gotten tipsy at Trinity Bellwoods park—they even have free movie nights in the summer! If you want a break from the bars and loud clubs, the park is a perfect spot to hit up with your buds for some drinks.
15. You can make connections around the world.
Lots of people from around the world come to Toronto. Whether it be tourists, backpackers or international students, you’ll be sure to find plenty of foreign people in the city. Friends from far away are the best, they have a different perspective, new fun ideas, and you’ll get a cool trip when you go to visit them!
16. You'll never miss your favourite band or artist.
Musicians from all over the world stop in Toronto, and people from all around the province travel to Toronto to see them. But living in the city means you have access to these amazing shows all the time, so when your favourite band comes to town, getting to the venue won’t be a hassle.
17. You can shop till you drop...or run out of money.
Or both! Toronto is home to some great malls, including Yorkdale mall and the Eaton Centre, which is Toronto’s top tourist attraction. Queen Street is also a good spot if you’re looking for unique boutiques, and Bloor Street is the place to go for high-end shops. No matter what your style is, Toronto has somewhere for you to shop, including stores you may not find elsewhere in the
province.
18. Toronto loves weed.
If getting high is your thing, there’s no short supply of weed in Toronto; heck, we have two weed cafes. The Global Marijuana March in Toronto is also the largest in the world, attracting over 25,000 supporters. It’s also not uncommon to see people smoking weed on the city’s streets, so it isn’t hard to find a buddy to bun with.
19. Sunday is hangover day.
Toronto understands the struggle, that’s why Sunday is for one thing, and one thing only—
brunch. Toronto bars and restaurants across the city offer brunch from the morning all the way
to the late afternoon, because they get it. Sometimes it’s hard to get your hung-over ass to
brunch before 3pm. No biggie, Toronto brunch spots like Aunties & Uncles, Starving Artist
and Mildred’s Temple Kitchen. have got you covered.
20. You're living and learning in the real world.
While most other students grow up and educate themselves to prepare for the real world, young Torontonians grow up and educate themselves in the real world. The fast paced business-oriented environment will prepare you for the realities of the working world while the broad culture will open your mind to new possibilities. This city is full of potential, and it’s waiting for you to go get it.
