- AVERAGE PRICE FOR A DETACHED 2 STOREY 3 BEDROOM: $633,104
The official High Park area ends at Bloor for purely municipal reasons. The topography, with its knolls and hills and vales, continues north, and is reflected in the street plan of High Park North.
This is especially noticeable between Quebec and Runnymede, where Kennedy Park Road, Norma Crescent and Glenlake Avenue wind around each other, embracing an unusually high density of large schools, and steep lawns that homeowners have sculpted in creative ways.
Most of the houses in this neighbourhood were built between the 1880s and 1920s, and though many are quite grand, only a few have been divided into units; other residences were built modestly, or as duplexes, making this yet another (Jane) Jacobian community.
Oakmount Road is tower alley, with a dense concentration of very high buildings dating from the era that gave us St. Jamestown and Mount Pleasant West. They're packed less tightly together here, though, and when combined with the park-like atmosphere that pervades every part of this neighbourhood, the effect is much more vertical community than housing project.
The main event is Bloor West Village, one of the city's great commercial corridors, and one of the few Toronto "villages" to live up to its name-though its increasing popularity has led to steeper lease rates, leading to an inevitable incursion of chains.
HOUSING STOCK: Development started south and moved up such major thoroughfares as High Park Avenue, so houses in this almost exclusively brick neighbourhood tend to get newer and smaller closer to St. Clair (though there are still many 19th-century homes as high up as Annette). Two and three storey Victorians with small lots are the rule. New condos on Gothic Avenue and elsewhere mix it up.
BARGAIN ZONES: Following the curve of Dundas Street West away from the park will keep you in a lower price bracket, and (unfortunately) in a higher traffic area with a bit more noise.
THE VERDICT: High Park once served as the psychological boundary for just how far west from the core people were willing to live, but it now feels central. Though such terms are relative, this is a reasonably priced neighbourhood, with sales in the low $500s fairly common.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
- The Coffee Tree Roastery - Any neighbourhood would be lucky to have this yummy-smelling 20-year-old independent roastery and café as its social centre. 2412 Bloor St. W., 416-767-1077.
- Max's Market - Before there was Fresh and Wild, there was Max's. A community favorite, this jam-packed prepared food paradise is where you go to get antipasti and quality cheese and to run into your neighbours. 2299 Bloor St. W., 416-766-6362.
- Sunny Bar - This is possibly the only genuine old-school convenience store left in the city. Open since 1955, it features a diner-style bar, stools and a candy counter. 259 Annette St., 416-767-8112.
- Yumi Restaurant - Sushi and Japanese specialities 2384 Bloor St. W. 416-766-3293
- The Swan and Firkin - British Style Pub with Rooftop Patio 2205 Bloor St. W.
HISTORY: In the 1850's, the area now known as Bloor West Village was the property of Lieutenant Colonel William Smith Durie, the first commanding officer of the Queens Own Rifles. The street that ran through his estate is now known as Durie Street.
The present day neighbourhood began to be developed in 1909 when this district became part of the City of Toronto. Soon after amalgamation with Toronto, Bloor West's roads were paved and city services were made available.
Bloor West's first residents were immigrants of Eastern European background. These are the residents who helped found the Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area, the first of its kind in Canada. This shopping district has helped make Bloor West Village one of Toronto's most popular neighbourhoods.
