Loneliness in Toronto is connected to the cost of living.
Over half of Torontonians tax filers are making less than $38,500 per year, according to research by the Toronto Foundation. As you can imagine, that’s not nearly enough to cover basics like rent and food and still have the time and money to go out — all of which costs an estimated $61,654 to $83,680 per year, according to the Wellesley Institute’s “Thriving in the City” report.
Of course, the numbers will vary from one person to another but we can all agree: Living in the city is expensive, and we often don’t have the extra money to spend on a drink with friends or a ticket to a local play.
At the national level, TheHumanKind 2024 study found that almost half of Gen Z and 48 per cent of millennials in Canada say that they’re financially hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Nearly 60 per cent of Gen Z are spending so much on essential items that they have very little left to spend on experiences that bring them joy.
What’s more, research shows that financial hardship is related to mental wellbeing. TheHumanKind report found that 77 per cent of Gen Z and 72 per cent of millennials in Canada report feeling lonely sometimes.
Last November, we explored how Torontonians are lonelier now than ever. When we hosted our Action Journey event at the end of the year, our event attendees told us that building meaningful community is important to them, but it’s hard to find spaces to hang out with old friends — and even harder to find the right places to make new ones.
That’s what makes affordable and accessible third spaces so important. It allows people to gather and build a community without financial barriers.
But what are third spaces, and where do we find them? Find out in our videos, below.
Curious about why we’re feeling more and more disconnected in the city? Ever wonder why we don’t really use our public spaces to hang out? We explore these topics and more in our November 2024 Action Journey, “Building meaningful community in Toronto.”
Last November, The Green Line hosted Story Circles and a community dinner at St. Stephen-in-the-Fields church to talk about this very topic. In our chats, event attendees kept going back to one crucial question: Where do we hang out to make friends?
Well, third spaces are a great place to start. The concept of third spaces originates from urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg. According to him, third places are a neutral ground for the community to gather outside of home or work.
But, how do we find them?
We went to three underrated neighbourhoods from east to west to find some cool spots to hang out and make friends.
The Scadding Court Community Centre hosts summer events on the sidewalk and nearby park, where community members can enjoy live music and more. 📸: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
There are endless places to visit and things to do in Toronto. But how do you find a place where you actually want to hang out with friends?
Last November, The Green Line hosted Story Circles and a community dinner at St. Stephen-in-the-Fields church to talk about building meaningful community in the city. In our chats, event attendees kept going back to one crucial question: Where are the best third spaces?
Well, look no further! Our Third Spaces Map just dropped.
We asked our team and community members where they hang out around the city, and we started compiling all the answers in an interactive map.
The best thing is that this map is a living resource! We’re asking our community to tell us their favourite spots, so we can all explore the best third spaces in our neighbourhoods.
What are you waiting for? Go ahead and check out these not-so-secret gem in the Toronto.
Are you curious about how Torontonians are finding — or even creating — spaces for the community to come together? Check out these Changemakers interviews by our engagement reporter Adele Lukusa.
Here’s your chance to support the only independent, hyperlocal news outlet dedicated to serving gen Zs, millennials and other underserved communities in Toronto. Donate now to support The Green Line.
A games night and Story Circles hosted by The Green Line and Rachel Rainbow from The Centre for Social Innovation.
About the Event
Tuesday
May 20, 2025
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET
Centre for Social Innovation 720 Bathurst St.
RSVP
Looking for an affordable, accessible and fun home away from home in Toronto? 🙋🏽♀️
We want to help you navigate Toronto’s third spaces 🫡
The Green Line is partnering with Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) event specialist Rachel Rainbow to co-facilitate a games night and Story Circle, where you connect with new friends to chill and chat. We’ll also discuss under-the-radar third spaces that you can check out across Toronto 👌
We’ll also be joined by Cassandra Alves, co-chair of Jane’s Walk’s steering committee and a multidisciplinary professional working at the intersection of urbanism, design and community engagement. She’ll be talking about what third spaces are and how Jane’s Walk, an organization that hosts free walking conversations around the city, can help you find them.
The community dinner will be catered by a local restaurant.
Our event is Pay What You Can, as we want to include as many Torontonians as possible in this conversation. For transparency, here’s a breakdown of our costs:
Venue rental: $50
Food and drinks: $300
Labour: $1,200
If you’d like to support our team in continuing to host community-focused events like this, we’d appreciate a contribution of $31 to help us fully cover operational costs. If this is above your budget, we’d appreciate a payment of $10. If that’s still a barrier to you joining us, you can contribute as much as you’re able.
Events are an essential part of our Action Journey. We want to empower Torontonians to take action on the issues they learn about in The Green Line — so what better way to do that than by bringing people together? From community members to industry leaders, anyone in Toronto who’s invested in discussing and solving the problems explored in our features is invited to attend. All ages are welcome unless otherwise indicated. Our only guidelines? Be present. Listen. Be kind and courteous. Respect everyone’s privacy. Hate speech and bullying are absolutely not tolerated. At the end of the day, if you had fun and feel inspired after our events, then The Green Line team will have accomplished what we set out to do. Any questions?Contact Us.
Our community members brainstormed solutions for finding the best third spaces in Toronto.
Compiled by James Westman.
Event attendees chat about their favourite third spaces in the city and how they look for the best spots to build community during Story Circles. 📸: Amartya Smaran/The Green Line.Event co-host Rachel Rainbow goes over how conversation board games can be a great start for deeper connections. 📸: Amartya Smaran/The Green Line.Cassandra Alves, co-chair of Jane’s Walk, explains what third spaces are, why they are important and how her organization helps connect locals to their neighbourhoods. 📸: Amartya Smaran/The Green Line.Event attendees share how they look for third spaces in the city, and how they’ve dealt with challenges accessing them. 📸: Amartya Smaran/The Green Line.
SOLUTIONS
Learn about the strategies that worked for other community members facing similar issues.
Join a club or rec program
Many event attendees talked about how joining a club, recreation program or workshop series is a great way to meet new people and find new spaces to hang out. The best part: You don’t have to break the bank to do it. There are all kinds of groups you can join for free in Toronto, some put on by the city itself.
“Toronto rec programs are the best cost-effective way to meet people through the winter,” said attendee Deirdre Mulcahy. Another attendee mentioned using Class Pass to try out different activities and experiences at a lower cost before choosing one to dedicate time to.
Some other suggestions that also came up: Eco-arts programs at Terra Elysium and virtual morning meetups with CreativeMornings.
Get to know your neighbourhood
One strategy multiple event attendees discussed was exploring their neighbourhoods attentively.
Participant Amparo Wu said “walking around neighbourhoods that I frequent,” is one way to find new third spaces. As tempting as it may be to explore Toronto with Google Maps in hand, attendee Ayesha Talreja emphasized the importance of “exploration without a cellphone.” You just may find a third space you might’ve missed if you were looking down at your screen.
Once you find a cute local café or bar, become a regular. Many places around the city foster a warm living room vibe at the price of a drink. Some places that came up include: Danu Social House and Bampot Tea House.
Check your local bulletin board
Event attendees talked about the IRL alternative to event websites and social media: Community bulletin boards.
“Paper flyers at Centre for Social Innovation, campus billboards, café or co-op grocery [bulletin] boards,” are all places you can find new third spaces, said participant Seeley Quest.
The City of Toronto also has its own map of bulletin boards (though a bit outdated) that you can find here.
ACTIONS
Do something about the problems that impact you and your communities.
Join a free city program
Toronto has free programs for residents, including swimming lessons, gardening, dance classes and everything in between. Don’t be deterred when you see a price under “fee details” — those are for non-residents of Toronto. If you live here, most programs are free.
We compiled third spaces from The Green Line team and community members, described the vibe and rated transit accessibility, affordability and cosiness.
Of course, you can always check Meetup, Eventbrite, Instagram, Reddit, Tiktok and Facebook events and groups. You can also check the Toronto Public Library programs page.
Event attendees listen to presentations at the beginning of the May Action Journey event at the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) in the Annex. 📸: Amartya Smaran/The Green Line.
Become a Green Liner to get exclusive access to our events and meet a community of people who want to rewrite Toronto’s identity together.
The Green Line uses cookies so the site works, to remember your reading progress, and (with your consent) to understand which stories resonate. You can accept all, reject everything non-essential, or pick what you’re comfortable with. Privacy policy
Welcome back👋
New here or returning? Same flow. Drop your email — we'll handle the rest.
Join the conversation