NEIGHBOURHOOD GUIDE ‘24
LIBERTY VILLAGE
This popular west-end neighbourhood is a fan favourite, full of young professionals, couples, and LOTS of dogs. It stretches from Strachan Ave to Dufferin St, and is South of King St. There is a pedestrian bridge that allows easy crossing to the King Streetcar in the west-end of this neighbourhood, and many busses that go through Liberty Village. There is a GO train station (Exhibition Station) in the centre of LV (Liberty Village) off of Atlantic Ave. It is not the most accessible area for TTC, as the buses can get caught in the traffic of LV, causing delays for riders.
The housing here is primarily condos, lofts and some condo-style townhouses and townhouse complexes. Lots of Studios, 1 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms for the young professionals, with more spacious units than some buildings in the downtown core. With a mix of new builds and 15 year old condos that have been beautifully upheld.
The biggest downside of Liberty Village to me (and many others) is the traffic. With only a few roads for ingress/egress, it can be quite a dead-lock, similar to Fort York. As only one main road runs through from Dufferin to Strachan, and the only access roads off of King are towards the West end of LV.
The biggest positive is that Liberty Village can feel like its own suburb in the city. It is relatively quiet, has good green space and off-leash dog areas. There are endless restaurants, shops, bars and services for all, including three grocery stores, breweries, furniture stores, and even a Canadian Tire on King St. Lots of pet stores and great places to walk and shop and spend your day! Try the Left Field Brewery, Burger Drops and the Brazen Head Irish Pub!
TRINITY BELLWOODS
One of the most sought after neighbourhoods in the city, stretching from Bathurst St to Dovercourt Rd, from Queen St W up to College St. This is a small neighbourhood, with Trinity Bellwoods park taking up a large chunk of the centre and being the main draw for most residents.
The housing in this neighbourhood is primarily semi-detached and detached homes, row homes and townhouses. There are also a few loft buildings, condos and units on top of retail, concentrated to Queen, Dundas and College. Quiet residential streets run between these major roads, with streetcars at Queen, Dundas and College, as well as Bathurst.
The traffic is stop and go in this area as the streets are usually lined with parked cars of people shopping, grabbing food or going to the park. There is ample street parking and very few high rises. The area is also great for walking and biking. Boasting lots of great and trendy shops, restaurants, bars, and unique places to go and spend your time. Between Ossington (Time Out Group ranked Ossington Avenue 14th out of 33 “coolest” streets in the World) and all that it has to offer, Dundas West, and Queen West, you could shop and eat all day and never stop. My recommendations for this area are vast and really depend on what kind of experience you want. Great food in an elevated atmosphere? Try Prime Seafood Palace, Salt Wine Bar or La Palma. For amazing food and a great vibe? Try Patois, Mamakas Taverna, Bellwoods Brewery, Trinity Market. Looking for takeout? pastries? coffee? brunch?Trinity Bellwoods truly has it all.
*(Lambo’s Deli, Andrea’s Cookies, Sisters & Co, Matty’s Patty’s, Cocktail Emporium, Cafe Pastel, Matchbox Tattoos, Mandy’s Salads and I could go on).
WEST QUEEN WEST
Stretching from Bathurst to Dovercourt, along Queen St W. This stretch has everything from shops, to parks, to residential pockets and even one of the few remaining gas stations left in the Downtown core (It’s a 7-eleven, but it still works).
Housing here can range from unique units on top of retail and restaurants, semi-detached homes, townhouses and a few condo buildings, loft buildings and smaller boutique condos and multi-unit homes. The demographics for this area are diverse as are the types of units available, from single-family, 4 bedroom homes to a studio loft, this area has some unique and amazing spaces to live, for all budgets.
The area is full of restaurants, retail shops, bars, take-out, and great local cafes, shops and some cool street art to look at along the way. Most of these things will be found on Queen directly, but don’t hesitate to venture a bit off the main stretch, as there are some amazing places just a bit out of the way, like The Old York Tavern (East of Stanley Park) or Pennies (South of Trinity Bellwoods). Along Queen, try out Cafe 23 for their gorgeous patio, Cumbrae’s Deli & Butcher, or the Roasted Nut!
There are two grocery stores, but both are on King, between Shaw & Dufferin. The amount of large and small parks is a great benefit to this neighbourhood, alongside a lot of quiet residential streets located between King & Queen, two major streets with great streetcar access and the future subway lines!
KENSINGTON / CHINATOWN
This neighbourhood spans from University Ave to Bathurst St, and from College St to Queen St W. It is home to part of the U of T campus, the AGO and close to many hospitals and the downtown core.
The housing style of this area has a wide range, from lots of semi-detached homes, row homes and detached homes in the west, north and central, to condos and high rises along University Ave, Dundas St W, Queen St W (east and south quadrant of this neighbourhood) as well as some above-retail/commercial style housing. Kensington Market itself is full of this style of unit, with the buildings being old houses that have converted most main-floors to be retail and commercial, with lots of incredible food and shopping in a more intimate and unique area. Chinatown (along Spadina and Dundas) has amazing food and great shops, bakeries and cafes, and all of the best dim-sum spots! I could recommend places in this neighbourhood for ages. The demographics have a wide range as well with lots of U of T and OCAD students in this area, some larger houses mean families or people with higher incomes, lots of homeowners as well as condo and loft owners, renters and young professionals. Some older residents as well, making it a great and diverse area full of life and great places to go!
There is minimal green space, though Grange Park (South of the AGO, next to OCAD) is lovely! Baldwin village is an under-rated area in this neighbourhood, it’s a small street north of Dundas, near Beverley St. Full of amazing restaurants (I’m partial to Koh Lipe for Thai and Light Cafe’s brunch), cafes and bars. Though not anywhere as large or popular as Kensington Market or Chinatown.
PALMERSTON / LITTLE ITALY
Stretching from Bathurst St to Dufferin St, between College St and Bloor St W. This area is a perfect combination of classic Toronto with new Toronto, the ever-changing food and social scene in Little Italy is a great testament to how this city turns over and embraces change, the new complex ‘Mirvish Village’ at Bathurst and Dufferin is a pedestrian oriented rental community, being steps from the Bathurst streetcar and Bloor subway line, the TTC access is amazing.
The housing in this neighbourhood is mostly semi-detached and detached homes, whether they are single family, duplexes, multi-units, etc. There are a few condos and apartments closer to the east side of the neighbourhood, with lots of students, families, couples, all different demographics as there is a wide range of available housing prices, from rental units to multi-million dollar homes.
There is great green space at Christie Pits park, with some smaller parkettes throughout the rest of the neighbourhood. This area is good for bikers, as there are bike lanes, but could be stressful for those who don’t like to bike on busy roads. Traffic can be slow in rush hour, but is pretty manageable with many quiet side streets with residential homes.
There are lots of great restaurants along College, Harbord and Bloor. Lots of cafes, shops, bars, takeout food and fun places to go are everywhere in this area, some of my favourites are;
Banjara for Indian food, Paradise Grapevine Wine Bar, Levant Pizza, Filosophy Espresso Bar all along Bloor St.
Bar Raval, Tsuchi Cafe, Bar Isabel and Delicious Empanada along College
And a bonus at Emmer Bakery just east of Bathurst on Harbord for their croissants!
KING WEST
Trendy and busy! This neighbourhood stretches from University to Bathurst/Niagara St. It is a densely packed neighbourhood with great access to the TTC, with streetcars along Bathurst St, King St W and Spadina Ave. The Subway will be expanding into this neighbourhood soon, but for now University has the closest stations, with none more west than that.
Housing in this area is almost entirely Condo and loft style buildings. Lots of high rises, and the units can be smaller in square footage (depending on the building), which can be a downside of the Downtown Core. It is close to the Financial District, making it a hub for young singles and professionals who value a social life or night-life, as this area has countless bars, clubs and restaurants, most opening in the evening, lots of happy hours and crowded trendy places to eat and drink. Portland St boasts a lot of great restaurants as well. There is minimal green space, close to the Waterworks building and some smaller parkettes in this area.
There are few grocery stores and other such amenities in this area, as it primarily hosts bars, but there are some in the area, closer to Queen (& Portland) or down Bathurst. The One Hotel is a great draw for this area, boasting some gorgeous restaurants (Try Harriet’s Rooftop) as well as the Ace Hotel (more boutique) that also has a beautiful rooftop bar, and is next to the Waterworks food hall.
This neighbourhood is great for non-drivers (as parking and driving along King in this area is not for the weak) and night owls who may not mind a little extra noise or city hustle and bustle!
RONCESVALLES / HIGH PARK
This area spans from High Park, south from Bloor and the West boundary follows the GO train tracks, with the South hitting Queen St W and the Queensway. This area is quiet and quite suburban, with some industrial and commercial spaces surrounding the train.
Between High Park and Roncesvalles Ave is home to gorgeous homes, some over a hundred years old, that have been loved and lived in, updated and renovated, split and rented, etc. These homes are mostly single-family residential, but some have been converted to multi-unit homes or duplexes and triplexes, with some above-retail style units and boutique condos closer to the Roncy strip. The walkability of this area is great, with quiet streets for walking and biking and one of the biggest parks in the city along the west, High Park. Roncy itself is home to some of the trendiest shops, cafe’s and restaurants in the city. As well as having some amazing places along Bloor St for food and drink as well.
I recommend Bandit Brewery, Sugo, Bakerbots Bakery, Ruru Baked, and Andrea’s Cookies along Bloor, and along Roncesvalles Ave, Reunion Coffee Roasters, The Chocolateria and The Source Bulk Foods are all great local spots.
HARBOURFRONT
This neighbourhood stretches from Exhibition Place (Strachan Ave) all the way to Parliament St in the East End with all the new construction condominiums around Queens Quay and Lower Jarvis St. This neighbourhood boasts stunning waterfront views, great biking and walking paths, and easy access for drivers. For TTC there are options along the West End of Queens Quay with the streetcar lines, but as we cross into the east, as that area is very new, there are just TTC Buses at this point, but with the construction of the new Streetcar lines that will go through the New ‘Portlands’ down Cherry St, the streetcar lines and accessibility will be expanding.
There are 3 grocery stores, lots of medical and other services, great access to the Ferry (to the Toronto Islands), water taxis, Billy Bishop Airport, lots of great shops and restaurants with a waterfront view, and some gorgeous parks and walking paths. My top recommendations are for Toronto Music Park (small but stunning and serene), Sugar Beach (for a unique industrial beach experience) and Sherbourne Common.
It can be very busy in this neighbourhood in the summer, and finding parking can be a nightmare and/or cost you a limb. Traffic can be tough when there are concerts or events, as this neighbourhood is on the South end of some major tourist areas, but that can be said for most neighbourhoods near Yonge St or other busy tourist hubs.
FORT YORK / CITYPLACE
Located just north of Lakeshore, from Yonge Street to Strachan, south of Front Street. This neighbourhood is a small pocket in the core of downtown, nestled between Billy Bishop Airport and Union station, with access to Spadina and Bathurst streetcars as well as many other types of transit, this neighbourhood is a hub for young professionals.
Housing in this area is almost exclusively condominiums. There are some ‘townhouse’ style units within those condos, but a lot of them are occupied and used for commercial and retail space within Fort York.
There are a few grocery stores, lots of restaurants and services for the residents of this area. It is a short walk to the waterfront, Stackt Market and The Well. For drivers it is in a very convenient location, just off the Gardiner Expressway. But one negative is that there can be a tight-lock of traffic during rush hour, as these are only a few streets that have access in and out of Fort York. Those intersections (Fort York Blvd & Bathurst, Fort York Blvd & Spadina) can be busy and have long wait times for people going in and out of the city.
Proximity to tourist locations like the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Arena can contribute to heavy traffic in the neighbourhood as well, so keep that in mind if you are a frequent driver!
DISTILLERY DISTRICT & CORKTOWN COMMONS
Spanning from Eastern Ave/Adelaide St E, with the Western boundary at Parliament St, down to the Gardiner Expressway and the east border being the Don Valley Parkway, this neighbourhood is some old mixed with some new, nestled at the intersection of two major highways, with surprisingly little noise, and some great spots, it is a lovely place full of young families and couples looking to live on the edge of the downtown core. With great highway access, walking and biking paths, and streetcar access, this area has some great positives considering it is such a small pocket of the city!
Housing in this area is primarily high rise condos, with most offering main floor townhouse style units mixed in with some great retail and restaurants. Lots of new builds toward the east in Corktown Common, but Distillery District has all the history with gorgeous cobblestone streets at the old distillery. It is a tourist and city-native favourite during the Holiday season with the annual Christmas Market. With amazing restaurants, bars and shops, Distillery District is a lovely place to spend the day during any season!
Traffic can be a mess during the holiday season in Distillery District, but Corktown common has great flow as more roads in the east are developed with the Portlands, and the streetcar service is extended as well. There are tons of great places to eat, drink and shop, as well as lovely green space in the Corktown Common park, and up Bayview.
YONGE/BAY & YONGE EAST
This neighbourhood stretches from the east side of Yonge St to Jarvis St, down to Front St, and up the Yonge/Bay Corridor (Bay St). It is the literal centre of the city (Yonge St being where East switches to West).
It hosts most of the cities high rises, commercial, residential, office and retail spaces. They are everywhere you look! With Union Station being the hub at the south end of this neighbourhood, the TTC accessibility is excellent, multiple subway lines and growing, streetcars and busses on every block. Traffic in the downtown core here is a mess because of construction, all of the office and other workers going in and out of the cities’ core, one way roads, tourists going to the Eaton Centre or Dundas Square. The PATH, an underground walkway filled with shops) spans the majority of this neighbourhood as well, being a major benefit in the winter! I recommend this area to young students and professionals who don’t drive and are okay with some city craziness! Traffic here is a nightmare, especially during rush hour, and drivers are crazy, but that’s the city! There is a wide range of demographics in this area and housing types are mostly high rise condos and apartments. Units can be on the smaller side and can have limited outdoor/green space in some cases, as this is central downtown. It can be very loud and busy to some. There are lots of great restaurants, cafes and bars, but not a lot of services or grocery stores. These tend to be smaller locations or more Rabba’s (24hr grocery/convenience) and those type of smaller city markets.
The not-so-hidden gem of this area is the St.Lawrence Market and surrounding area, the market has a huge selection of food and treats to take home, the weekends host the Farmer’s Market and Vintage/Antiques Market, and there are tons of great bars, restaurants, cafes and shops in the area, as well as some great parks and a gorgeous church (The Cathedral Church of St. James) as well as Toronto’s Dog Fountain at Berczy Park, near the iconic flatiron building at Church St and Front St E.
REGENT PARK
An up-and-coming gem with lots of new builds and upgrades, Regent Park spans from the Don Valley Parkway, to Parliament Street, and from Gerrard St E to Queen St E. With Regent Park (the actual park) in the centre along Dundas St E, it is a lovely neighbourhood full of students and young families. There have been a plethora of new buildings and townhouse complexes, as well as some of the most in-expensive semi-detached, detached and row homes in the downtown core. Though it has been known to be unsafe, it has undergone a makeover in past years and the effort that has been put into improving the park and surrounding area has markedly improved the situation. As most of the East end is developed, gentrified and expanded (and as the Portlands are developed along the south), changes will continue and prices will rise.
There is a lot of great TTC access, with the Dundas St, Gerrard St E and Queen streetcars, as well as the buses that run through the east end. As this area is still developing, there isn’t a large choice of grocery stores, there are two on Parliament, one is north of Gerrard, in Cabbagetown. The parks have been updated and the community centre has lots of intramural activities and teams to become a part of.
Access to the DVP could not be better, and it is a short drive to the Gardiner as well. Traffic in this area is not bad, and many side streets are quiet residential roads, with some commercial and industrial areas.
My recommendations for this area would be Cafe Zuzu, Le Beau Croissanterie for the amazing food and coffee, and Liberty Pizzeria, which all are along Dundas. There is not a large selection of bars or restaurants in this area, but there are some great neighbourhood gems.
MOSS PARK
Spanning from Jarvis St, to Parliament, south of Carlton St. At Queen St E & Parliament, the area continues to the DVP and down to Eastern Ave, and back over to Jarvis St.
Housing is mostly single-family and single resident working age professionals (25-50). There is a wide range of housing including; a lot of semi-detached and detached homes, townhouses, row homes, apartments, high-rise condos, converted lofts, affordable housing, student housing, etc. Some units above retail and commercial, as well as converted multi-unit homes and multiplexes, duplexes and any other style you can imagine! This area has it all as it spans an interesting portion of the city, including Toronto Metro University, some of George Brown, as well as some commercial and industrial spaces.
There is minimal green space, and the area is another similar to Regent Park and Cabbagetown that is always changing, and though it doesn’t have a plethora of grocery stores, retail shops and cafes, more are popping up every week! My choices are Gusto 501, Sud Forno, Reyna on King, Black Canary Espresso Bar and Neo Coffee Bar.
CABBAGETOWN
This neighbourhood stretches from Carlton St, but drops south to Gerrard St E at Parliament, along to the Don Valley Parkway, and back down Parliament (@ Bloor St) down to Wellesley, and then stretches out to Jarvis until it hits Carlton St again (It’s a weird shape).
There are a few grocery stores along the borders of this neighbourhood, and there is decent access to the TTC with the Bloor Subway line at Castle Frank Station. There are also busses along Wellesley and Parliament. As well as a short (5-10 minute) walk to the Yonge subway line at Carlton & Yonge or Yonge & Wellesley. The traffic in this area is normal, but can be busy around rush area with the access to the DVP. The restaurants and bars are concentrated to Carlton & Parliament, with great food, pubs, services, shops and cafes.
The side streets are quiet and residential streets, lots of detached and semi-detached homes, row homes that are single-family use or have been converted to multiple units, some low-rise apartments and buildings geared towards students also occupy this area, with Toronto Metro University and some George Brown buildings being close by.
There is great green space along the DVP and the conservatory at Allan Gardens is beautiful (and free). Houses in this area are some of the more in-expensive in the downtown core, but that will change as this neighbourhood changes and grows. There are some great hidden gems here for semi-detached homes!
LESLIEVILLE
This neighbourhood is bordered by Coxwell Ave in the east, Lakeshore Blvd along the south, and follows the railway line along the west and north sides. It is a quiet suburban area, with a concentration of great shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, services and amenities along Queen St .
With great parks, green space, and a short distance to beaches and waterfront, as well as a close proximity to highways and the downtown core, Leslieville is a sought after neighbourhood in the city’s east end, between the DVP and the Beaches.
Leslieville also has access to the Queen and Dundas streetcars, many TTC bus routes, and with the Portlands development and constant east-end expansions, there will be more transit access in the coming years. Most homes here are over a million dollars, though there are some great deals to be made below that price point for fixer-uppers or ‘as-is’ sales. Mostly semi-detached and detached homes with a few row homes, townhouses mid-rise condos. It is close to the water, the city and green space, and has all the amenities you could ask for. It is great for young families and couples, working professionals and older couples. I could recommend good places for ages!
THE PORTLANDS
An emerging neighbourhood in the south-east, below the Don Valley Parkway, between Cherry St and the Don Roadway, is a new development that is going to change this traditionally industrial area. It is currently under development and will continue south past Poulson Street in coming years. It will be called “Villiers Island” and will add new roads, infrastructure and bridges to the southeast end of the city, as well as developing industrial land into green space and housing. There will be tons of walking and biking paths along the water, the proposed park and green space is beautiful and will make an under utilized space more useful for the cities inhabitants.
They are extending the streetcar lines as well as updating plumbing and sewage in the east end to accommodate this new community, and changes are happening currently as this community is built and changes the east end of our city!