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Blake–Jones is slowly catching up to its
more gentrified neighbours, with rising
house prices to match

Real Estate Guide › East

Blake - Jones

Average 2008 sale price:

$428,966

Property crime:

average

Crime against people:

average

Neighbourhood map:

See map

West of Jones, much of this area is dominated by a Toronto Community Housing development and boxy, characterless row houses. But east of Jones, residents are fighting to establish a separate identity, building community through neighbourhood cleanups and parties. Known locally as the Pocket, this leafy enclave enjoys quiet streets with dead ends (a large TTC yard to the east cuts off through traffic). Also getting a facelift is the Danforth strip to the north, courtesy of the area’s large Muslim community. Going up alongside the halal pizza joints and butcher shops is a towering 86-foot minaret, part of a major mosque reno.

HOUSING STOCK: The east’s grander brick homes, with wide verandas and bay windows, can hit $600,000 and beyond. Avenues on the west side, such as Strathcona and Hazelwood, host row houses and mismatched semis.

BARGAIN ZONES: Simple homes along major streets, such as Pape or Jones, go for $320,000 and under. Deals are also scattered in the Pocket, where a detached three-bedroom on Shudell recently sold for $260,000—a whopping $60,000 below asking.

THE VERDICT: Young families who like sidewalk chats with neighbours—and don’t mind pitching in to give the area’s rougher patches some much-needed love—will feel right at home.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Olive and Olive Oil With a prime new spot on the Danforth, Mehmet Uzel’s sublime olives—direct from his family’s groves in Turkey—and oils are an increasingly open secret. 974 Danforth Ave., 416-833-3410.
Square Boy There’s a certain charm about this (genuinely) retro burger joint that’s kept locals packing its tables for decades. Some will tell you it has the best souvlaki in town. 875 Danforth Ave., 416-461-2571.