Forget transit convenience or shopping options. For some house-hunters, “dog-friendly” is the critical factor in choosing a neighbourhood. What makes an area dog-friendly? Nearby pet stores are nice, but off-leash parks are critical, says Monica Belyea, whose French bulldog Disco enjoys leash-free runs beside Lake Ontario in The Beach. “Urban dogs need the space of a leash-free area to run around, exercise and socialize with other dogs,” says Casey Conklin, who can be found with her dogs Deedee and Storm in Riverdale's Withrow Park, one of three South Riverdale-area neighbourhood parks featuring off-leash areas (the others are Monarch Park and Greenwood Park). And for John Cleary, whose dog Caeli loves the varied terrain—from woods and streams to a sand pit ringed with picnic tables—of High Park's 8.5-acre off-leash area, the park was an important factor in his neighbourhood choice. If your household includes one (or more) of this city's 250,000 canine companions, you’ll both find happiness in the following ‘hoods.

Follow park signage for the location of designated off-leash areas and the times of operation in the following parks:

Allan Gardens [Moss Park]
160 Gerrard St. E., Gerrard & Jarvis Sts.

Bickford Park [Bickford Park]
400 Grace St. (at Harbord)

Burk Ravine [Leaside]
(beside Sunnybrook Park )

Cassels Avenue Playground [East End-Danforth]
69 Cassels Ave. (at Brookside Dr.)

Cawthra Square [Church-Yonge Corridor]
519 Church St. (at Wellesley E.)

Cedarvale Ravine [Humewood-Cedarvale]
1611 Bathurst St. (at Lonsdale)

Clarke Beach Park (at the foot of Cherry St. ) [Waterfront Communities-The Island]

David Crombie Park [Waterfront Communities-The Island]
131 to 171 The Esplanade at Lower Sherbourne St.

Don Russell Memorial Park [ New Toronto]
Birmingham St. (at Faustina)

Don Valley Brickworks [Rosedale]
550 Bayview Ave.

Eastern Beaches [The Beach]
RC Harris plant west to Lakeshore Blvd. and Coxwell Ave.