This typical Guildwood home, at 279 Sylvan
Avenue, sold for $429,000 in May 2008
Real Estate Guide › East
Guildwood
- Average 2008 sale price:
- $377,514
- Property crime:
- average
- Crime against people:
- very high
- Neighbourhood map:
- See map
Guildwood—referred to by residents as The Guild—was established in 1932 as an artists’ colony. When the colony patrons started selling off their acreage in 1953, Guildwood’s housing development began in earnest; it’s now a small, up-and-coming neighbourhood where every house is within a breezy 10- to 15-minute walk to the lake. Though downtowners may deem it too suburban, the area is seeing a new burst of activity as buyers push east in search of affordable housing. The GO train stop shuttles commuters to Union Station in 30 minutes or less.
HOUSING STOCK: The area’s bungalows, backsplits, sidesplits and two-storeys were built during the ’50s and ’60s; regardless of their price point, homes often feature shingled mansard roofs and carports.
BARGAIN ZONE: Greyabbey Trail features semi-detached homes that average around $275,000. Homes get less expensive farther from the shoreline, ranging from $350,000 to $600,000.
THE VERDICT: Though Guildwood has suffered some indignities since the 1950s—including being lumped in with the much-less-carefully planned parts of Scarborough—the quiet, curving streets, deep lots and remarkably cool architecture make it an eminently habitable part of the city.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Cornerstone Bakery Cafe A doughnut and coffee shop with vaulted ceilings, regulars of all ages, and the only real patio in the neighbourhood. Guildwood Village Shopping Centre, 93 Guildwood Pkwy., 416-261-9537.
The Guild This popular, central park is perched on the Scarborough Bluffs and displays remnants of Toronto’s architectural past, such as sculptural portions of the old Bank of Montreal building and the Guild Inn, a 1914 Arts and Crafts–style hotel. 191 Guildwood Pkwy.
Commuting
- King and Bay:
- 17.9 km
- 401 and 400:
- 25.8 km
- Gardiner and 427:
- 31.5 km
- Subways:
- Kennedy Station 5.4 km
- McCowan Station 5.5 km
- Scarborough Centre Station 5.6 km
Commuting and subway distances measured from neighbourhood centre.
Follow Toronto Life on Twitter, Facebook and via RSS