Nobody moves to the Annex to spend
quiet nights at home—endless restos
and relaxed nightlife are big draws
Real Estate Guide › Central
Annex
- Average 2008 sale price:
- $793,471
- Property crime:
- high
- Crime against people:
- average
- Neighbourhood map:
- See map
Lined with bookshops, cheap restaurants and the last of the downtown rep theatres, Bloor bustles from morning ’til night, even when U of T students are on summer break. The Annex got its start as one of Toronto’s most fashionable addresses, an alternative to Rosedale for wealthy tycoons. In 1892, booze baron George Gooderham built a Romanesque palace at 135 St. George, which now houses the York Club. Closer to Bloor, many of these former mansions function as frat houses and offices, but when student rentals come onto the market, they’re snapped up and converted back to single-family homes. Combined, the dynamic street scene, heritage properties, proximity to downtown and leafy streets create a premier neighbourhood that doesn’t feel exclusive.
HOUSING STOCK: Houses, the bulk of which are century-old semis with four to six bedrooms and a minimum $1 million price tag, become larger and older moving eastward. The side streets between Bedford and Avenue Road are highly coveted—a Victorian with only 25 feet of frontage can fetch upwards of $2 million.
BARGAIN ZONES: Seaton Village, between Bathurst and Christie, is the last affordable frontier. However, Palmerston Public School and Vermont Square Park make it a magnet for young families, and prices continue to climb. A cozy three-bedroom semi with no parking typically sells for over $500,000.
THE VERDICT: The Annex will always be a very safe investment thanks to its proximity to the subway and downtown. Many wealthy families are happy to sacrifice privacy and lot size to be within walking distance of amenities and part of a vibrant community.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Ezra’s Pound Pretty lattes and gourmet sandwiches draw a loyal following of toddlers and their parents. 238 Dupont St., 416-929-4400.
Ka Chi Hefty portions of Korean comfort food have made this a popular student hangout.
612 Bloor St. W., 416-533-9306.
Sonic Boom A former Woolworth’s, the cavernous space houses CDs, vinyl, DVDs and even cassettes. 512 Bloor St. W., 416-532-0034.
Nearby Restaurants
Live Organic Food Bar
A steady stream of impossibly healthy-looking Annex locals flows through the door of this Victorian ... (0.37 km away)
Fanny Chadwick’s
The strip of Dupont west of Casa Loma needed a welcoming neighbourhood place (the adjacent ... (0.45 km away)
The Pour House
This Irish-themed pub retains a sense of dark-wooded, softly lit coziness despite its sprawling layout ... (0.50 km away)
People’s Foods
This cozy and relatively clean greasy spoon feels like an authentic old-school diner, with its ... (0.52 km away)
Indian Rice Factory
Thankfully, all of these years in the Annex (40 years and counting) haven’t tempered the ... (0.54 km away)
Annapurna Vegetarian Restaurant
The menu of this bright, buzzing spot concentrates on dishes from the south of India ... (0.59 km away)
Kenzo Ramen
Ramen is typically associated with the hard-noodle bouillon packet combos you live off in college. ... (0.60 km away)
Nearby Shopping and Services
Nancy's Cheese
After running an independent cheese counter in Harbord Bakery, Nancy Peppler has had a shop ... (0.38 km away)
Dish Cooking Studio
Diva-in-charge Pam Pridham is now running Dish, the eat-and-run-style café, the adjoining cooking school, and ... (0.42 km away)
Emblem
In summer, this floral atelier makes for a luscious spectacle: heaps of delphiniums, orchids, lilies, ... (0.42 km away)
The Rose Emporium
Owner Justina Flores—whose last name quite appropriately means “flowers” in Spanish—has access to hundreds of ... (0.46 km away)
Frangipane
Owner–pastry chef Claudia Egger always dreamed of having a European-style pastry shop, and now her ... (0.52 km away)
Scoop and Bean
Inspired by the traditional Italian combination of espresso and vanilla ice cream, the owners of ... (0.55 km away)
Madeleines, Cherry Pie and Ice Cream
This inviting café delights first-time visitors. Old-fashioned glass jars of macaroons and crispy phyllo praline ... (0.60 km away)
Commuting
- King and Bay:
- 3.4 km
- 401 and 400:
- 10.2 km
- Gardiner and 427:
- 13.1 km
- Subways:
- Dupont Station 0.4 km
- Spadina Station 0.6 km
- Bathurst Station 0.7 km
Commuting and subway distances measured from neighbourhood centre.
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