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Walking distance to High Park but without
its posh prices, the Junction Area attracts
downtowners in exile with its charming,
well-preserved early-20th-century homes

Real Estate Guide › West

Junction Area

Average 2008 sale price:

$426,773

Property crime:

low

Crime against people:

very low

Neighbourhood map:

See map

So named for its location among four rail lines built in the late 1800s, The Junction has been a regular news item in 2009 due to community uproar over the noise caused by GO Transit’s use of pile drivers to build new tracks near Dundas Street West and Dupont Avenue. Prospective home buyers should look beyond this temporary controversy to see a neighbourhood clearly on the upswing. Close to High Park and Bloor West Village, The Junction offers the same easy access to transit, reliably good schools and green space (the West Toronto Railpath, a pedestrian and cycle park along former rail lines, opened this year), but it’s more affordable than its sister neighbourhoods. Thanks to cheaper rents and real estate values, it’s home to burgeoning numbers of families and transplanted downtowners who have been priced out of the core. Lots of independent shops and restaurants—think vintage interiors and organic foods instead of big box stores—create a small-village feel.

HOUSING STOCK: Expect to find well-preserved 19th- to early-20th-century abodes, mostly free of character-destroying modifications, with lots of leaded glass windows. Mixed in are well-maintained two-storey detached homes and semis, many of them built in the 1960s and ’70s. New condos include The Village by High Park, at Keele and Dundas West, scheduled for occupancy in spring 2010.

BARGAIN ZONES: North of Annette—away from the subway and closer to traffic-heavy St. Clair and Keele—the prices drop. As the neighbourhood evolves, true bargains are harder to come by, but those with patience can still unearth gems, even if only the fixer-upper variety.

THE VERDICT: Local businesses have struggled to survive the stigma that comes with being a once-dry area (the first liquor licence wasn’t restored until 1997). So while the retail strip on Dundas West is improving, most residents head farther afield for shopping and entertainment. Nonetheless, it’s a perfect spot for first-timers—20- and 30-somethings—looking for a funky neighbourhood that’s still suitable for raising a family. There’s also good schools, green spaces and convenient transit.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Axis Gallery and Grill Live music, a large patio and great beers on tap make this the best of the local pubs. 3048 Dundas St. W., 416-604-3333.
Crema Coffee Co. One sure sign the Junction is headed upward is this new café with a $12,000 coffee maker. 3079 Dundas St. W., 416-767-3131.
Post and Beam Reclamation So overwhelming is Post and Beam’s trove of reclaimed and salvaged home finds, stylists hyperventilate when they enter. 2869 Dundas St. W., 416-913-4243.
Studio Cycle This place is packed with motorcycles and scooters. Less for Hell’s Angels and more for urban Vespa types, it suits the area’s hip crowd. 2923 Dundas St. W., 416-766-5300.