Large Victorians—from beautifully restored
row houses to somewhat dilapidated
mansions—characterize South Parkdale’s
tree-lined streets
Real Estate Guide › West
South Parkdale
- Average 2008 sale price:
- $419,050
- Property crime:
- average
- Crime against people:
- average
- Neighbourhood map:
- See map
From hoary mansions to tombstone apartments and back again, Old Parkdale’s various dwellings sit cheek by jowl. Queen is still thoroughly gritty here, though family businesses lend a friendly feel in places. With fewer commercial tenants, King seems more desolate. Residential streets change from lot to lot: it’s common to find a dandelioned lawn and a dirt yard bracketing a landscaped flower garden. Roofing crews and basement excavators indicate long-overdue upgrades in progress. East of Dufferin, historic warehouses house an entertainment and media cluster sprinkled with trendy restaurants. Access to lakefront roadways, foot- and bike paths is a cinch.
HOUSING STOCK: Majestic Victorian three-storey detached and semi-detached brick homes stand in every state of repair. A section between Queen and King west of Dufferin has recaptured the historically elite ambiance. (Houses there can go for up to $800,000.) Joe Shuster Way offers sterile new townhomes and condos.
BARGAIN ZONES: Smaller, slightly newer houses on Temple and Thorburn avenues and along Springhurst go for less. The occasional row or townhouse can cost around $400,000.
THE VERDICT: Not for the faint of heart (or wallet), but it’s unmatched in character. Big houses on big lots will appeal to young professionals and brave families. Buyers unwilling to wait out the slow gentrification can opt for the townhouses between King and Queen east of Dufferin, or go for one of Liberty Village’s condos.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
School Bakery and Café Brad Moore’s kitschy, scholastically themed lunch and brunch spot now serves dinner. 70 Fraser Ave. 416-588-0005.
Shangrila Enjoy Tibetan dumplings from a cushy floor seat. 1600 Queen St W, 416-588-1100.
The Workroom It’s a seamstress’s heaven: from beginner’s classes to rent-by-the-hour sewing machines and sergers to hard-to-find designer fabrics. 1340 Queen St. W., 416-534-5305.
Nearby Restaurants
Easy Breakfast
On the block of antique shops at the inter-section of Queen and Roncesvalles, this colourful ... (0.39 km away)
Thai One On
Bleary-eyed travellers trundle over from the adjoining Days Inn to munch cashew chicken, green curry ... (0.41 km away)
Wedgies Take-Out
“You haven’t had wedgy fries before?” asks one customer incredulously of another in this standing-room-only ... (0.44 km away)
Local Kitchen and Wine Bar
There is so much to love about this charming, eccentric, food-focused local at Parkdale’s westernmost ... (0.46 km away)
Amico’s Pizza
A casual, come-as-you-are attitude prevails at this Italian restaurant, where families jostle with young couples ... (0.62 km away)
Tinto Coffee House
This socially conscious café serves up Latin-tinged food made from fair trade, locally grown and ... (0.63 km away)
Yummy Chinese Food
Homebodies line up for steaming bags of takeout at this casual eatery, and in-house diners ... (0.65 km away)
Nearby Shopping and Services
The Boulevard Club
Once surrounded by water (before the city filled in its shoreline), this century-old club still ... (0.17 km away)
Yummy Stuff
Tiered wedding and shower cakes—decorated with ribbons, polka dots and flowers—are a specialty at this ... (0.59 km away)
Food Etc.
Chef Christopher Matthews views cooking as an art, preferring to cater smaller gatherings—hors d’oeuvre and ... (0.59 km away)
Cherry Bomb Coffee
Women in yoga gear, kids in bike helmets and shaggy-haired parents line up for coffee ... (0.61 km away)
Foodetc.
Most chefs confess to a preference for small gatherings, and Christopher Matthews is no exception. ... (0.62 km away)
Thin Blue Line Cheese
This expanded cheese store has the sort of friendly, personalized service you’d expect from an ... (0.63 km away)
Rowe Farms
Guelph-based Rowe Farms, a long-time poultry supplier, has finally hung out its own Toronto shingles, ... (0.67 km away)
Commuting
- King and Bay:
- 5.8 km
- Gardiner and 427:
- 8.4 km
- 401 and 400:
- 10.4 km
- Subways:
- Keele Station 2.2 km
- Dundas West Station 2.2 km
- High Park Station 2.3 km
Commuting and subway distances measured from neighbourhood centre.
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