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Mel Lastman Square offers a farmers’
market in the summer
Photo by Colin Chen

Real Estate Guide › Central

Willowdale West

Average 2008 sale price:

$377,097

Property crime:

very high

Crime against people:

average

Neighbourhood map:

See map

Willowdale has come a long way since it was a rural hamlet known as Lansing back in the 1800s. When Mel Lastman wore the chains of North York office, he lobbied endlessly to get the city centre built up and the Sheppard subway line dug down. His success led to a commercial and residential development boom in the one-time suburban enclave. This uptown area (with downtown prices) has the amenities of a bona fide city centre plus easy highway and transit access (though rush hour congestion is becoming increasingly aggravating for residents). There are blocks of dated apartment buildings along Bathurst, Sheppard and Finch, but most residences are immaculately kept detached houses. A dozen smaller parks and parkettes offer a break from the intense high-rise development along Yonge.

HOUSING STOCK: Roughly a quarter of the area’s many brick bungalows and backsplits were built between 1946 and 1960, though each year a few more original homes are torn down to make way for new development. The large lots, typically 50 feet wide by 130 feet deep, are prime candidates for stone and stucco mini-mansions or to be combined as building sites for ritzy condos and townhouses.

BARGAIN ZONES: As in Willowdale East, proximity to Yonge comes at a premium, but original bungalows closer to Bathurst and Finch can be had in the high-$400,000 range. Condos are a more affordable option: one-bedroom units on Yonge start at about $225,000.

THE VERDICT: Affordable condos appeal to first-time buyers, and the big homes on generous lots selling for less than they would closer to downtown make this a smart investment for people looking to step up the ladder.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Edithvale Community Centre The new facility, scheduled to open in 2010, will include a gym, indoor running track and dance studio. 7 Edithvale Dr., 416-392-7828.
Gibson House One of the city’s oldest homes, the Georgian building was completed in 1851 and lies, literally, in the shadows of some of the newest. Take a tour conducted by guides in period costume or enjoy the surrounding greenery. 5172 Yonge St., 416-395-7432.
Mel Lastman Square Mel’s namesake includes a pond that doubles as a skating rink in winter, a summer farmers’ market, an outdoor amphitheatre that hosts plenty of free shows and access to the six-storey North York Central Library. 5100 Yonge St., 416-395-7582.
York Cemetery An ideal, if somewhat macabre, spot for walking the dog or pushing the stroller. 160 Beecroft Rd., 416-221-3404.