In a city as large as Toronto there’s going to be a large number of neighbourhoods with various attractions. Some will be more desirable to live in whereas others might have a bad reputation. Here’s some of the safest, and most desirable, neighbourhoods to live in within the city of Toronto.
Forest Hill
This neighbourhood is actually a former independent village that was brought into the city of Toronto in 1967. The area is amongst the wealthiest and more affluent neighbourhoods in Toronto, with many doctors, celebrities and entrepreneurs calling these streets home. Forest Hill is actually made up of two distinct areas: Forest Hill North and Forest Hill South, although both are incredibly safe and affluent communities. Forest Hill, as a whole neighbourhood, extends from Briar Hill Avenue in the North to Heath Street in the South, and then along Spadina Road between Bathurst Street and Cedarvale Ravine as its most eastern street.
Lawrence Park
Bordered by Yonge Street (on the west), Bayview Avenue (to the east), Blythwood Ravine (southern border) and Lawrence Avenue (on the north) is the Toronto neighbourhood of Lawrence Park. This area was the first planned garden suburb in Toronto, but it didn’t start to really develop until after World War II. This neighbourhood developed slowly, and is home to many medium-sized family houses. There are some businesses and grocery stores within walking distance from most homes in this area. In 2011 this neighbourhood (actually its postal code) was named the wealthiest in Canada with an average household income of over $600,000, and this has made it one of Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.
Leaside-Bennington
Named for the Lea family who settled the area in the early 19th century is the neighbourhood of Leaside-Bennington. This area is located northeast of Downtown Toronto, near Bayview Avenue and Eglinton Avenue East and officially became part of the city of Toronto in 1998. Made up predominantly of single family homes, with mostly upper-middle class families but the expansion of the GTA has made real estate in this area sky rocket in value. This popular area has attracted a few celebrities and professional athletes, so it’s definitely considered a wealthy and up and coming area.
Bayview Woods-Steeles
This area is comprised of an even mixture of single-family homes and high-rise apartment buildings, with a home ownership rate of close to 60%. There is a large Chinese influence as over 30% of this neighbourhood is of Chinese descent. This area of Toronto is bordered by Steeles Avenue, Leslie Street, Bayview Avenue and Finch Avenue East. There is ample access to TTC as there are both subway and bus routes that run through this neighbourhood making it incredibly accessible from all parts of the GTA.
Bridle Path
Characterized by large, upscale mansions is the Toronto neighbourhood of Bridle Path. Often referred to as “Millionaires’ Row” this area is the most affluent in Canada with an average household income of close to $1 million, and an average property value of $2.24 million. Surrounded by the Don River Valley and lush parklands, this exclusive area has very few roads going through it which only adds to its exclusiveness. Bridle Path is the name of one street in this area, but the name applies to the area bordered by Wilket Creek, Bayview Avenue, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and The Bridle Path. This neighbourhood is one of the safest, not to mention most affluent neighbourhoods in Canada so definitely one you’d want to buy a house in (if it’s in the budget!).
