There are several factors to consider when looking for a place to settle down and start a family in Toronto.

It goes without saying that housing affordability and availability play major roles in the decision on where to start your new life, but you'll also want to find the right balance of schools, neighbourhood amenities like green space, and the overall livability of an area through its selection of shops, restaurants, and cafes.

Here's a list looking at five of the best neighbourhoods to put down roots in Toronto.

Weston-Mount Dennis

The best way to describe this neighbourhood in one word? Overlooked. And yet, with multi-bedroom condo units in older buildings priced as low as the $500,000s and the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT priming the area for price growth, it's a comparatively cheap entry to the housing market with room for appreciation.

Aside from affordability and transit, it offers a diverse cultural landscape and eclectic food scene. Despite its relatively small size, the neighbourhood has everything you need, like schools, healthcare facilities, and a public library.

Roncesvalles

Roncy has a little something for every prospective parent. You could bring up your next generation in a classy old Victorian house or a moderately-priced postwar home, and have them attend any of the handful of schools in the area.

Whether you're loading kids into an SUV, onto the 504 Streetcar, or a GO train at the nearby Bloor GO station, the city is at your fingertips, while there is no shortage of local destinations and restaurants to visit.

The area only has a few local parks, but practically all of Roncesvalles is within walking distance of High Park.

Rockcliffe-Smythe

Located just south of the Weston-Mount Dennis entry on this list, this area is so much more than just "Airbnb's hottest neighbourhood in Toronto."

With charming single-family homes available for well-below the 416's average prices, it regularly appears on lists of best neighbourhoods for first-time homebuyers.

In terms of green spaces, both Black Creek and the Humber River pass through Rockcliffe-Smythe, and both watercourses through the area are lined with public parks.

Primarily residential in nature, the area isn't exactly known for its retail and restaurant scenes, but The Junction neighbourhood to the southeast balances this out.

Also golf. If you're trying to train the next Tiger Woods (well, at least the golf part), this area offers two different courses.

Upper Beaches

If you're looking to join a close-knit community with quiet streets and ample park space, without having to sacrifice the city life of restaurants, cafes, and plenty of ways to spend a day with the family, the Upper Beaches may be just the place for you.

With the 503 streetcar along Kingston Road to the south and both subway and GO stations at Main and Danforth to the northeast, there are many ways to get around the city without having to own a car.

Homes can be a bit on the pricier side in this neck of the woods, but they come with a wealth of neighbourhood amenities like five schools, parks, recreational facilities, and a pair of grocery stores bookending its boundary thoroughfares.

Long Branch

If waterfront living is more your speed, Long Branch is a great neighbourhood to start a family, whether in a multimillion-dollar home overlooking Lake Ontario or in a three-bedroom condo unit within an older building for well below the citywide price averages.

Whichever end of the spectrum your price point takes you, the area offers waterfront access for all through public amenities like Long Branch Park and Marie Curtis Park.

The retail strip of Lake Shore Boulevard running through the community offers everything you'll need to sustain a family, with plenty of restaurants, a grocery store, an arena for early-morning hockey practice, and lots of coffee options — also useful for early-morning hockey practice.