Danforth Village – a little bit of this, a little bit of that

Danforth Village

Danforth Village doesn’t just cut a cross-section through eastern Toronto – it also showcases an incredible mosaic of cultures. From Greek to Bangladeshi, the multitude of voices defines this stretch of Danforth Avenue. The neighbourhood typically has small, affordable semi-detached houses with short front lawns on long streets. Constructed in the 1930s, most of these… Read More

Riverdale: coursing, disappearing, trembling, returning

Rooster Coffeehouse. Photo by ideowl

“Time: And A Clock,” a series of public art sculptures installed in Riverdale along Queen Street East, has these words inscribed – “Coursing, Disappearing, Trembling, Returning”. The poem refers to the passage of time although it just as easily speaks to this neighbourhood’s decline and revival. Riverdale began as an unassuming suburb in the early… Read More

Leaside – the Toronto family’s secret

Leaside Memorial Community Gardens

Nestled in the cradle of the Don Valley, Leaside is an uncompromisingly upper class neighbourhood. Despite its proximity to downtown Toronto and the built up area that is Yonge and Eglinton, Leaside retains a stately suburban charm with its wide, curvy streets and widespread greenspace. The community consists virtually completely of detached houses built in… Read More

Leslieville – from industrial to indie

Leslieville mural by Kieran Huggins

In a sense, Leslieville has become a case study in urban revitalization. In the past two decades, this industrial precinct has been transformed into an affordable neighbourhood for many of Toronto’s creative class and young professionals. Leslieville still feels urban and yet, like most east Toronto neighbourhoods, is quiet and tree-covered. While tantalizingly close to… Read More

Upper Beach – a small town minutes from the big city

Homes in the Upper Beach Estates

The Upper Beach neighbourhood east of Toronto is a favourite for commuters, and with good reason. By foot, by car or by transit, the Upper Beach seems to be minutes to everything. Known for its compact and affordable detached and semi-detached houses, its high density translates into a walker’s delight with schools, shops and community… Read More

The Beach – old city charm with a lakefront view

neighbourhood_beaches_queenstsign

Hilly, treed and quiet, The Beach is the quintessentially residential neighbourhood.  Located along the shoreline of eastern Toronto, the narrow side streets are partially secluded in a thick canopy of trees.  These same streets contain a wide variety of detached and semi-detached houses built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in classic Victorian… Read More