Information about Etobicoke and its neighbourhoods

Etobicoke is the western portion of the Greater Toronto Area. Part of the amalgamated City of Toronto. Etobicoke has a population of 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of Toronto's population, it occupies about 20% of the total land area. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River, on the west by the city of Mississauga and directly next to the border Pearson International Airport, on the north by the city of Vaughan, and on the north west by the City of Brampton.

To help you in your decision to choose your dream home we have compiled some relevant information about different Etobicoke neighborhoods:

 

The Kingsway

The Kingsway is the premier neighbourhood in Toronto's west end. This well planned community was designed for families. The houses and properties are a good size, the streets are pedestrian friendly, and schools, shopping, churches, and recreation are all within walking distance.

The Kingsway is known for its idyllic setting, nestled in the forest of the Humber River Valley. The Kingsway streets are lined with majestic oak and maple trees that provide the perfect backdrop for the stately homes that grace its streets.

The Kingsway is situated on former Clergy Reserve lands that were deeded to the Church of England in the early 1800's. The church leased this property to farmers until 1908 when it was acquired by Robert Home Smith, the visionary who planned The Kingsway neighbourhood.

Home Smith and Company began marketing this subdivision in 1912. However the sale of homes in The Kingsway was stalled by the outbreak of World War I, as well as inadequate transportation routes across the Humber River Valley. It wasn't until 1924 when the Bloor Street bridge was built that the sale of houses in The Kingsway began.

Many of the first Kingsway residents were Northern Ontario mining executives and Toronto businessman who were personally acquainted with Robert Home Smith and were encouraged by him to purchase houses here. Home Smith's motto for The Kingsway was "a little bit of England far from England". His lofty ideal was to establish an English style garden suburb of the highest integrity and beauty. It is Robert Home Smith's legacy that The Kingsway endures today as one Toronto's finest neighbourhoods.
The gentrified Kingsway Village shopping district on Bloor Street West has an excellent mix of small specialty shops, chain stores, restaurants, professional and medical services. The village theme for this shopping district is a natural extension of the neighbourhood with park benches placed all along this route, and the use of black painted cast-iron street lamps. The boulevard in the middle of this street is adorned with flag poles that proudly wave the Canadian flag alongside the Kingsway Village flag.

Dundas Street West at the north end of the Kingsway is a less dressed up version of the aforementioned Kingsway Village shopping district. Most of the shopping here is located in strip plazas and includes a number of home furnishing and design shops. This street also features a rarity - a drive through dry cleaner that offers in-car drop off and pick up service. The Kingsway Mills outdoor shopping plaza at 4242 Dundas Street West is a collection of small chain stores, specialty shops, and a fine food store.
The Kingsway houses located between Kingsway Crescent and Royal York Road, and from Bloor Street north to Kings Garden Road were developed as part of a separate plan of subdivision called "Kingsway Park". These houses were built between 1924 and 1947 and include some of the finest examples of Old English classical and vernacular architecture in Toronto.

Many houses in The Kingway feature handsome stone exteriors, intricate tapestry brick patterns, and elaborate stucco and half timbering designs. These homes also feature solid oak doors, leaded glass windows, fanciful bay and oriel windows, and decorative wrought iron railings and porch lamps.

The Kingsway's oldest houses are located along Government Road near Dundas Street. These homes where originally part of the Lampton community. Here you will find some excellent examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture built during the later half of the 1800's and the early 1900's. Mixed in with these older houses are contemporary bungalow designs from the 1940's and 1950's.

The Kingsway is home to the famed St. George's Golf and Country Club, which is currently rated in the top three golf courses in Canada and amongst the top 100 in the world. The club has had the honour of hosting the Canadian Open on four occasions, and will be hosting the RBC Canadian Open in 2010. The LPGA Classic has been held at St. George’s on five occasions, and most recently the du Maurier Champions and Canadian Senior Open were hosted by St. George’s Golf and Country Club. St. George's has won much praise from noted tour players for its persistent demand for accuracy and its four finishing holes.

The Etobicoke Memorial Pool and Health Club could be one of the Kingsway’s best-kept secrets. Located at 44 Montgomery Road, it offers a myriad of aerobic and aqua fit programs. Next door to the pool and health club is the Central Arena which offers public skating and organized ice and ball hockey leagues for children and adults.

Central Park located off Islington south of Dundas, is the home of the Etobicoke Lawn Bowling Club, which includes two bowling greens. Central Park also has tennis courts and a large baseball diamond.

Home Smith Park accessed off Dundas Street follows the Humber River and is part of a 10 k paved trail that links cyclists, in-line skaters, walkers, and joggers to the Martin Goodman Trail on Toronto's waterfront.

The Brentwood Public Library just north of Bloor St. offers Kingsway residents a variety of children's and adult programming. The Kingsway movie theatre has opened again – it is located at 3030 Bloor Street West.

Most Kingsway residents can walk to either the Royal York or Islington subway stations on Bloor Street. These stations are part of the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The Islington station is also a connecting route for the Mississauga Transit system as well as providing an express bus service to Pearson International airport. Motorists are approximately twenty minutes from the downtown core and entertainment district.

Like to sell, buy, lease or rent a home in The Kingsway, please call Gillian Tenneson, Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty at 416-495-2267.

 

Princess Anne Manor and Princess Gardens

These were the last subdivisions to be developed by Home Smith and Company, whose earlier developments included the building of neighbourhoods such as The Kingsway, Baby Point, Old Mill, and Humber Valley Village. Home Smith and Company also built the Brule Gardens subdivision in Swansea, and the Foxwell subdivision in Lampton.

The following excerpt is taken from a 1955 Home Smith Properties Ltd. advertising brochure promoting the sale of homes in Princess Anne Manor and Princess Gardens: "Rapid acceptance of Princess Anne Manor and Princess Gardens by the builders and homeowners has been unprecedented. More than 45 discriminating families have moved into the area since May 1955 ...If you are looking for the kind of home you and your wife have planned, come to us for advice on a house or a lot in Princess Anne Manor or Princess Gardens."

Princess Anne Manor and Princess Gardens proved to be very popular with families and, by the early 1960's this neighbourhood was completely developed. These two areas are virtually one neighbourhood, however east of Kipling Avenue has always been referred to as Princess Anne Manor while west of Kipling Avenue is known as Princess Gardens.

A quiet family-oriented community, it is the epitome of suburban living. Here you will find wide open spaces, tall stands of mature trees, spacious houses, excellent schools, including Richview Collegiate Institute where the present Prime Minister, Stephen Harper attended, an abundance of parks, nearby golf courses including the world-renowned St. George’s Golf and Country Club, and neighbourhood shopping plazas.

The mix of houses in this neighbourhood includes ranch style bungalows, storey-and-a-half houses, split-level homes, contemporary style bungalows and Georgian Revival family homes. Most of these houses were built between 1955 and 1965. In the past few years many of these older homes have been completely renovated or replaced with custom-built homes. It is noteworthy that all of the houses in this neighbourhood are detached single family homes and the lots are exceptionally large with many streets offering eighty and ninety foot frontages. The selling prices of homes in the Princess Anne Manor and Princess Gardens neighbourhood range from 500,000 to $1000,000+

The Glen Agar Plaza, (off Lloyd Manor Road) once housed a small number of stores and professional offices. It was razed a few short years ago and to this day remains vacant. There was talk about townhouses to be built on the former plaza land, however, to this day, the land still remains vacant.

Now, residents of this neighbourhood shop at the nearby Lloyd Manor Plaza at Lloyd Manor Road and Eglinton, Richview Plaza on Eglinton just east of Kipling, Thorncrest Plaza on Islington Avenue at Rathburn Road and the Humbertown Shopping Centre on The Kingsway.

The main recreational facility in this neighbourhood is the John G. Althouse Community School located at 130 Lloyd Manor Road. This community school offers a variety of sports, music and arts programs for children and adults. They also host a Spring Flea Market and a summer camp.

Tennis courts, sports fields and baseball diamonds are available for public use at the John G. Althouse School and Princess Anne Park. Lloyd Manor Park is a fabulous green space that has been the site of many exciting touch football games over the years. And, now boasts new play equipment. The community has two high school running tracks – one at Martin Grove Collegiate (Eglinton and Martin Grove Road) and Richview Collegiate (Eglinton and Islington), recreational pathways along Mimico Creek, and is close to an outdoor pool in West Deane Park. There are also public tennis courts, sports fields and baseball diamonds at community parks.

Bus services along Lloyd Manor Road, Kipling Road and Islington Avenue, connect passengers to stations on the GO Transit line and the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The Eglinton bus connects passengers to the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line.

Motorists are approximately twenty-five minutes from downtown Toronto, and five minutes from the Islington Avenue and Kipling Road on-ramps to Highway 401.

For information about buying, selling or leasing a home in this area, please contact Gillian Tenneson, Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty at 416-495-2267.

 

Mimico

Mimico was originally named by the First Nations People as "Omimeca," which means "the resting place of the wild pigeons." The Passenger Pigeon is now an extinct species whose memory lives on in the name of this community.

The present day Mimico neighbourhood began to be developed in the 1890's south of Lakeshore Blvd., where many of Toronto's wealthiest families built summer homes. Some of these estates are still intact, however most were lost to development after World War II.

Mimico began to emerge as a year-round community in 1906, when the Grand Trunk Railway opened the Mimico Yard. This led to a building boom as houses were needed to accommodate the influx of workers being employed at the Mimico Yard. Mimico's meteoric growth led to its incorporation as a Town in 1917. Mimico retained its Town status until 1967, when it was amalgamated with the Township of Etobicoke, which is now part of the City of Toronto.

Mimico is the gateway to Toronto's west-end waterfront neighbourhoods. This established community is well known for its scenic lakefront parks and excellent recreational facilities. Mimico is within a plus its short commute to downtown Toronto.

In your property search, you’ll find some grand Edwardian and Tudor mansions on the south side of Lakeshore Blvd., which are holdovers from the 1890's and early 1900's when Mimico was the summer home of Toronto's wealthiest families. These homes are set back from the road and feature elaborate stone and iron gateways. It is an eclectic mix of custom built new homes, modern bungalow designs, and low-rise rental apartment buildings. Many of the homes on the south side of Lakeshore offer a partial view of Lake Ontario. The houses north of Lakeshore Blvd. include Edwardian and Victorian style houses from the 1910's and 1920's as well as Tudor-style bungalows and two-storey houses from the 1930's and 1940's.

Mimico residents come out in droves to show their community spirit at a number of local events including the annual Etobicoke-Lakeshore Christmas Parade and popular "Mimico Festival" held every August in Amos Waites Park.

The community is well known for its sports clubs and recreational facilities. Much of this activity takes place at the Mimico Arena located off Royal York Road at Drummond Street. During the winter the Mimico Minor Lacrosse Club uses extensively for hockey and skating programs and in the summer this arena. National Hockey League star Brendan Shanahan grew up in Mimico and played hockey and lacrosse at the Mimico Arena.

Mimico residents are well served by the shopping districts on Lakeshore Blvd. and Royal York Road where you’ll find lots to buy in the many small, locally owned stores and restaurants.

The John English Community School, located at 95 Mimico Avenue, offers preschool programs as well as a variety of sports and arts programs for children and adults. The Mimico Tennis Club, located at 29 George Street, is unique in that it has Toronto's only red clay surface tennis courts. The Lakeshore Lawn Bowling Club is located in Coronation Park off Royal York Road. Amos Waites Park at 2445 Lakeshore Blvd. West has an outdoor swimming pool. The Mimico Centennial Public Library is located at 47 Station Road where children’s programming is offered.

The Metropolitan Toronto Region Conservation Authority has recently established a wetland habitat in Humber Bay Park located along Lakeshore Blvd. West at Park Lawn Road. This peninsula park, joined together by a pedestrian bridge is teeming with birds including Canadian Geese, Swans, Mallard Ducks, and more. Humber Bay Park also features a pond for model boats and a fly casting pond, the Mimico Cruising Club, Etobicoke Yacht Club and Humber College Sailing School.

The Royal York bus connects to the Bloor-Danforth subway line, while the Lakeshore Blvd. bus connects to Union station and the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. Mimico also has its own GO Transit train station off Royal York Road. It is about a fifteen-minute ride from Mimico station to downtown Toronto's Union station. Motorists can reach downtown Toronto in approximately ten minutes via Lakeshore Blvd. or the Gardiner Expressway.

If you would like to live in Mimico, please call Gillian Tenneson, Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty at 416-495-2267 for information about buying, selling your home, leasing or renting.

 

Long Branch

An early version of cottage country, Long Branch was a popular destination, with Etobicoke Creek and its attractive shoreline keeping city folks cool in summer months. The area was just far enough away to provide a ‘getaway’ from the downtown bustle, but close enough that even in the age of steamers you could get back and forth in a day if necessary. These days, it takes about 40 minutes on the Queen streetcar, which runs 24 hours right through the heart of the long, narrow neighbourhood.

Long Branch is located at the southwest edge of Toronto bordering Mississauga, a gateway community stretching along the beautiful waterfront area from Marie Curtis Park at 43rd Streets to Humber College at 22nd Street.

Houses south of Lake Shore are, as you might expect, more expensive (the median price is approximately $600,000) than those just north (where selling prices start from $350,000+); although the housing stock is almost identical, landscaping and general maintenance are better closer to the water. Lake Promenade, which follows the shoreline, is the area’s poshest street, though a good number of the houses on the south side (their backyards directly on the shore) are quite modest. Despite the amenities of Long Branch, the population dropped by more than seven per cent between the past two censuses. But with its low housing prices and easy access to transit (there is a GO station), and gas prices going the way they’re going, the neighbourhood is due for an influx.

If there’s an average Long Branch residence, it’s the 1,000-square-foot detached bungalow. However, housing runs the gamut, ranging from seven-figure waterfront homes to the smaller bungalow or 1-½ storey houses just north of Lakeshore. There is an abundance of rental apartments in seven-storey complexes with rent starting around $700 a month. There are also duplexes, and small two- and three-storey apartment buildings.

With new condo developments being built along Lakeshore Boulevard and other bold business initiatives this area is transforming into another trendy neighbourhood.
The “Village” has many recreational and sport facilities in the area, including the new state-of-the-art Lion’s Club Recreational and Training Arena. This facility will have four ice pads — three NHL-size pads and one Olympic-size pads, will seat 1,000 spectators, and features a full service restaurant that is open to the public, pro shop and community meeting rooms.
There is a public library, four elementary schools, two secondary schools and several places of worship. In addition to many parks, residents also enjoy traveling the Waterfront Trail and events at the Assembly Hall, art centres, a vibrant shopping district, full of eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and professional services.

Over the last fifteen years, improvements to the streetscape have been made such as custom lamp posts, seasonal banners, beautiful large planter boxes, new street signs and trash receptacles.

From this quaint corner of Etobicoke, you can easily access several major highways, two Go Transit train stations, TTC streetcars and the Toronto International Airport.

Looking to buy, sell or lease a home in Long Branch? Please call Gillian Tenneson, Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty – 416-495-2267

 

Islington Village

Once a small community, this lovely west-end neighbourhood has many fine attributes including stately homes on mature lots, a historic shopping district on Dundas Street, lots of green space and parkland plus is convenient to TTC and GO Transit stations; plus the Mimico Creek and Islington Golf Club wind their way through the centre of this picturesque neighbourhood.

Islington Village is home to the “Paint the Street” Festival and as you wander along Dundas, you’ll see the inspirations for the festival…larger-than-life, exceptional quality murals that adorn the walls of many of its buildings..
Islington's houses date from the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. The older houses in this neighbourhood represent some of the best examples of Georgian, Colonial, English Cottage and Tudor style houses in the city. There is also a nice mix of Cape Cod style houses, ranch style bungalows and split-level homes. Many of these houses are situated on premium size lots that either front or back onto the Islington Golf Course.

Islington now has a growing number of custom-built new homes. Most of which are designed to blend in with the older houses in the neighbourhood. House prices range from $500,000 to 1,000,000+.

The Islington Village shopping district on Dundas Street has an upscale tone with a small town feel. You’ll find a bakery/deli, drug store, flower shops, coffee shops, aesthetics stores and hair salons, a post office, fashion boutiques, a consignment shop, plus a good selection of restaurants like Oregano and Pinocchio. The newly revived Etobicoke Life publication is located here as well as a few student tutoring centres, lawyers, financial services, the Neilson Park Creative Centre and more.

The historic Montgomery's Inn located at 4709 Dundas Street West, is now a museum. This Georgian Loyalist Inn with its handsome riverstone exterior is one of the most beautiful and alluring buildings in Toronto. Montgomery's Inn hosts a number of year-round festivals, a lecture series, and afternoon tea in its cozy tea room.

The Islington Golf Club features a Par 72, 6400 yard course that was designed by renowned golf course architect Stanley Thompson. This private club has a friendly atmosphere and is geared towards families.

If tennis is your game you will want to head to Rosethorn Park located just north of the Islington Golf Club. This park has three tennis courts and a children's playground.

The Islington Baseball League has been in operation since 1952. This club operates out of Rosethorn Park. Programs include Co-ed T-Ball, Boys and Girls Rookie Ball, Clinics and Rep teams.

Motorists are approximately twenty minutes from downtown Toronto via Bloor Street. Commuters are within a ten minute drive of the Islington and Kipling Avenue on-ramps to Highway 401 which connects to all of Toronto's major highways.
Looking to buy, sell or lease a home in the Islington Village neighbourhood, please call Gillian Tenneson, Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty - 416-495-2267.

A Brief History of Islington Village

Islington’s first settlers, George and Mary Johnson, made the arduous journey to the area - originally called Mimico - from Pennsylvania in the late 1700’s. Their land grant originally fronting on Dundas Street was later exchanged for one on Kilpling Avenue between Bloor Street and Burnhamthorpe Road.

Some of George and Mary's descendents still live in Etobicoke and various branches of their family built four Islington homes which are still standing: 66 Burnhamthorpe Road, 1100, 1078 and 1056 Kipling Avenue. As an aside, the current owners of 1078 Kipling are planning a birthday party for their house which is 150 years old this year. (They have the papers to prove it!)

While Mimico Creek at Islington was a factor in attracting settlers, of much greater importance was Dundas Street which, in primitive conditions, was in existence in the early 1800’s and extended into York (now Toronto) as well as westward for many miles.

Islington's first school house was built on the corner of the Johnson property on Burnhamthorpe Road. In 1832 a regular public school was built on the site which is now Islington Seniors’ Centre. In 1883 the school’s trustees replaced that building with a larger one located just south of Dundas, on the west side of Cordova Avenue. Remembered as ‘the little red schoolhouse”, it had buff brick trim, double doors, skylights and a handsome belfry.

By 1915 the school population had expanded and a frame edition was required. A new six room school with auditorium, playroom, drinking fountains and indoor plumbing was opened in 1921. Over the years the school has further expanded and remodeled and is today known as Islington Community School at 44 Cordova.

Transportation links aided Islington’s development. In 1879 Canning Avenue (now Cordova) was built to connect Islington’s village centre, at Dundas and Canning/Cordova, with the new railway station at Bloor and Islington. The new road gave the community’s market gardeners and farmers easier access goods and supplies. The railway allowed daily commuters to into Toronto by train.

Some of Islington’s early buildings still stand. St. Georges On-the-Hill was originally built between 1844 and 1847. Islington’s Post Office once operated from the back parlour of the postmaster’s house at 4884 Dundas (now home to three new businesses: Mashino Fashion Accessories, Mekong Gifts, Aromas & Accessories and GG Aesthetics). The Fox ‘n Fiddle was the site of Islington’s first church; then the first township hall and library; and then the District Police Headquarters in 1957.

In 1830 Thomas Montgomery erected a large, stone Inn on the hill east of Mimico Creek. In the early days, the Inn was home to the Montgomery family, a farm and a hotel that provided hospitality to road-weary travelers. The property has changed hands several times over the years.

In 1946 it was sold to the Presbyterian Church and renovated. It barely missed the wrecker’s ball in 1962 when it was bought by developer Louis Mayzel who had planned to demolish the Inn and build an office tower on the site. Etobicoke Historical Society saved the day by purchasing the property, restoring it and turning it into a living museum.

Montgomery's Inn is open for tours year round. The tearoom is open from 2 to 4 PM and meeting rooms are available for special events.

 

Alderwood

Originally, this area was known as New Toronto Park or New Toronto Heights, or simply "the place above the tracks" in the 1920’s. Most of Alderwood's farms began to be subdivided for residential development after the last world war. Many of the streets – like Brown’s Line, Evans, Lunness and Horner are named for the original farmers

The name Alderwood was derived from the First Nations word "Etobicoke," meaning "the place where the alders grow". Robert Johnson, a long time Alderwood resident, is credited with originating the name and the name officially came into use in 1933 when the local post office was opened.

Alderwood houses were built during the 1920's, 30's, 40's and 50's. The properties here are well maintained with nicely manicured lawns. All of them have private driveways and most have a garage. Today, many of the older bungalows have been replaced with more modern semi-detached and detached homes. Prices today range from $280,000 to $400,000+ depending on the style and size of the house.

A well-established family-oriented neighbourhood in the southwestern part of Toronto, Alderwood has a strong home and school association and a privately run day care facility, which is housed in Sir Adam Beck School. This multi-use recreational facility, built on the former Sir Adam Beck School grounds at 544 Horner Ave., features a new primary school, which will be combined with a public library, a community room, a day care centre, and a fitness room. These facilities are connected to the newly renovated Alderwood Pool and right across the street is the Alderwood Public Library. The senior centre, at 320 Horner Ave. has field trips, BBQ’s, workshops, information centres and special events.

The Lions Club Arena, established in 1931, is home to the Maple Leafs Hockey Team practices. The original one-pad arena will soon be replaced with a new state-of-the-art, 1000-seat, four-pad facility at the corner of Kipling and New Toronto Street.

Brown’s Line is the main shopping area and is neighbourhood-oriented featuring fruit markets, home improvement stores, a medical centre, convenience stores and family style restaurants. Alderwood Plaza is at the north end of this shopping corridor and includes a large food market as well as a traditional mix of stores and restaurants.

Sherway Gardens Shopping Centre is just at the north end of this neighbourhood off Evans Drive, and includes over two hundred shops and restaurants.

Etobicoke Valley Park located along the northwestern border of Alderwood, is the ending point for the Etobicoke Creek Interpretive Trail, a 2.5 kilometre trail that begins at Marie Curtis Park.

Alderwood Memorial Park is a wide-open green space with a children's playground located in the centre of this neighbourhood. Connorvale Park, just off Valermo Drive, has a baseball diamond and children's playground.

Looking to buy, sell or lease a home in Alderwood, please call Gillian Tenneson, Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty - 416-495-2267.