Dustin, why do you think you want to move to Toronto? Did you visit already and something clicked for you?

From what I gather about you in your profile, you are probably enrolled in a college program that may be something you are willing to leave and pick up elsewhere. You're working but you can probably sacrifice that position in favor of something exciting.

I remember what I was up to when I was 19. I had been very "scholastic" prior to university, despite a series of rebellious periods, but once into university, I wasn't getting a lot out of it to make me understand what I was going to do with myself. I moved to France and earned credits at my home university while there for a year. That was probably one of the first big moves I made in my life (maybe "the first"). So I think I can relate. You want some momentum, and see what else is out there.

If you think you can afford to uproot yourself from your current context and you wouldn't be giving up anything important by leaving, then maybe you have something to gain by leaving. Not sure what you see in Toronto, but I keep hearing about how it's the most diverse or multicultural city in the world. Part of me wonders why Toronto would be more multicultural than a place like New York, and then I start to ponder that there is some Canadian notion, like "we're not an American melting pot" behind that statement--or that race issues don't exist in Canada, which is false. But it definitely is a place where you get a little more exposure to different cultural backgrounds (their foods, their special days, a few words that add to the vocabulary, etc.)

There are a few items I would think about. Would I be dropping any school activity for a while, or if not, can I get into a school and afford it (extra fees for non-Canadians, etc). Would I be able to handle the commute between where I lived and the school. Would I be able to combine school and work? How much do I definitely need to earn every month in order to keep a place? Am I OK with crowds and waiting in line and all the hassle that comes with getting around (a lot of people think the public transit and roads here were good for Toronto in the 1960s, but not very livable now)? Do I have a support network (would I have somebody that could help me out if I ran out of money, or do I have to do it all myself)? Is Toronto the best choice, what am I trying to get out of the experience of living there and not Atlanta or Seattle, or a city on a different continent? Would I be making a mistake if I concentrated my efforts on living in a new place instead of sticking to what I started where I live now? Would I slow down my career momentum by doing this, or would I get experience I wouldn't have gotten if I didn't learn how to take risks independently? Do I need to create a path for myself and can I live without my usual friends and family, or am I going to fall flat on my face without them? Do I have friends in Toronto that won't turn their back on me? Can I create friend networks easily without having much to go on?

Sorry if you were looking for more details about Toronto itself, but I would want to see specific questions on the city before trying to provide insights. So I took the more theoretical approach ("why am I doing this and can I?"). A lot of the questions I listed above were things that I needed to deal with more than once.

Will be interested to see if any of that does you any good.

whoa...a much briefer response...
-Come visit! Toronto's a fabulous city if you dive in.
-Moving here is much harder than crossing the country, you won't be able to legally work. You'll be able to get a (study) visa if you are going to be studying here, and then you can apply for a work permit to work off-campus. And people kinda hate americans
-Make sure you can get a line of credit *in the us* because you cannot get one through a Canadian bank if you're not a citizen.
-I wouldn't say under-the-table jobs are common, but you can find them if you find the right people.
good luck!

Yeah dawg..ya should come check out the " Big Smoke " before moving here !
It's an awesome city ...but there are so many different kinds of neighbourhoods and areas in the GTA . You'd need to be here and see them and get a feel for whats you !
I lived right downtown Toronto just off Queen West behind Much Music on a little side street called Widmir St.
It was expensive living in the core but everything was at my finger tips !

go to emma s back porch Burlington Ontario old lakeshore road on a saturday nite a fine bar u will enjoy