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The Chase: A 25-year-old’s search for an affordable apartment brings her to the west end

By Ali Amad| Photography by Brittany Carmichael
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The Chase: A 25-year-old's search for an affordable apartment brings her to the west end

The renter: Rebecca Gismondi, a 25-year-old screenwriter and MLSE reservations representative.

The story: Rebecca was living in her parents’ Vaughan home rent-free, but she was tired of the four-hour round-trip commute to her job at the ACC. It made sense to move to the city, so she decided to find an apartment. She doesn’t own a car, so it was important to live near public transit, preferably in the west end and ideally near Ossington, where she does a lot of her shopping and partying. In December, she linked up with a friend, hoping to find a two-bedroom apartment they could split, for a total of $1,600 per month or less.

Option 1

A two-bedroom apartment on Grace Street (near College), advertised for $1,425 per month

This basement apartment was in a great location, steps away from the College streetcar and Trinity Bellwoods Park. The all-inclusive rent was within Rebecca’s budget, but the claustrophobic six-foot ceilings, the total absence of any closet space and the lack of natural light were major issues. She and her friend decided to look for something above ground.

Option 2

A two-bedroom apartment on Dowling Avenue (near King and Jameson), advertised for $1,800 per month, plus utilities

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This apartment occupied the top two floors of a house: the kitchen, living and dining rooms on one level, with bedrooms with vaulted ceilings—and plenty of natural light and closet space—up above. But the rent, which didn’t include utilities, was a little high—a dealbreaker for Rebecca.

The Choice

A two-bedroom apartment on Dovercourt Road (near Bloor), $1,525 per month

A Craigslist search led Rebecca and her friend to this main-floor apartment in a Dovercourt Village house. Utilities were included and there was in-house laundry, shared with tenants in the basement and attic. The kitchen and living area were on the small side, but 11-foot ceilings and spacious bedrooms made up for it. The lease negotiations were surprisingly easy: Rebecca and her roommate are both screenwriters, and the landlord preferred renting to artists. Ossington Station is a three-minute walk away, cutting down Rebecca’s commute to just half an hour.

Here’s the exterior of the house:

The Chase: A 25-year-old's search for an affordable apartment brings her to the west end

The kitchen:

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The Chase: A 25-year-old's search for an affordable apartment brings her to the west end

One bedroom:

The Chase: A 25-year-old's search for an affordable apartment brings her to the west end

And the other:

The Chase: A 25-year-old's search for an affordable apartment brings her to the west end

The Hunt

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Ali Amad is a Palestinian-Canadian journalist based in Toronto. His work has appeared in publications including Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Vice, Reader’s Digest and the Walrus, often exploring themes of identity, social justice and the immigrant experience.

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