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Real Estate Guide › Central

Banbury - Don Mills

Average 2008 sale price:

$588,206

Property crime:

average

Crime against people:

very low

Neighbourhood map:

See map

Don Mills feels as comfortable and safe as a favourite cardigan. To stroll its winding streets, still replete with post-war housing of the ’50s and ’60s, is to enter a time warp. The modernist architectural flourishes of the day still dominate: steeply peaked roofs, multi-dimensional façades, sleek carports. Unlike the suburbs that came after it, the neighbourhood features an immense variety of housing styles and, perhaps more importantly, the acknowledgement of the natural landscape in home construction—mature trees abound; glimpses of the surrounding ravines are common. In the north, some of Banbury’s homes seem part and parcel of the scenery. The majority of the area remains pedestrian and bike friendly, and the troubled Sheppard subway line, opened in 2002, provided long-needed (if still underutilized) TTC access. The Don Mills Shopping Centre, which has long been a kind of town square, reopened in April 2009 as the upscale Shops at Don Mills. An entirely different kind of development, the Aga Khan’s new $200-million Ismaili Muslim community centre, began construction at Eglinton and Don Mills last year and is scheduled to open sometime in 2011.

HOUSING STOCK: While about half of the original development’s unique ranch styles remain intact, a large number of classic homes have been levelled in favour of massive cookie-cutter mansions (and the occasional more appealing design from the likes of prestigious architecture firm Shim-Sutcliffe).

BARGAIN ZONES: The townhouses southwest of the Shops at Don Mills are well priced, as are homes east of the Don and south of Lawrence.

THE VERDICT: Even though it’s in transition, Banbury–Don Mills offers homeowners the best of both worlds: the serenity of the suburbs and the convenience of downtown living. Rejuvenated retail and a diverse population promise to make the area even livelier.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Congee Queen The inexpensive pan-Asian restaurant draws huge lunchtime and late-night crowds with its finger-licking barbecue pork. 895 Lawrence Ave. E., 416-916-0338.
Katsura This fixture in the city’s Japanese dining scene offers creative teppanyaki along with a traditional sushi and sashimi menu. 900 York Mills Rd., 416-444-2511.
Toronto Botanical Garden This is a simple, serene spot for wedding parties and green thumbs alike. 777 Lawrence Ave. E., 416-397-1340.