Credit: Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area Via Facebook

It’s got modern style! It’s got classy pizzazz! It’s got… one of the most storied histories of all Toronto’s neighbourhoods? It’s none other than Yorkville – a crown jewel resting atop Toronto’s downtown area.

To many Torontonians, Yorkville is a shopper’s splurge destination, where one goes to find tailor-made wedding dresses, upscale bags and the bleeding edge of Italian fashion. Stick around long enough, and you’re guaranteed to see either a supercar roaring past or a celebrity sauntering by.

But if you wander beyond the “Mink Mile,” that’s where Yorkville reveals a different side of itself. A stately, lived-in, naturally beautiful side that’s bewitching and relaxing in equal measure.

We love Yorkville. Our experienced real estate agents love showing clients through its elegant Victorian homes and tastefully integrated condos. And now, we get to gush about it in a blog post. Join us below on a whistle-stop tour through Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood: its history, bustling commercial areas and tranquil green spaces.

From the Botsford-Bloor Days to the Bohemian Renaissance: A Brief History of Yorkville

First, let’s explore a brief history of the neighbourhood, since Yorkville has history in spades.

The area sprung to life as the brainchild of William Botsford and Joseph Bloor (for whom – you guessed it – Bloor Street was named). They bought and subdivided the land way back in the 1830s, with Joseph leveraging his sizeable fortune as a brewer to build a utopia a few blocks removed from the downtown smog. Consider it the first “suburban getaway” destination in Toronto.

Fast forward 130 plus years, and the neighbourhood assumes its very own identity as an annexed suburb of Toronto, marching to the beat of its own drum. It was here, in the thick of the swinging 60s, that several of Toronto’s artistic luminaries took refuge in the neighbourhood’s cafes and live music locations. Margaret Atwood, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell – a who’s who of Toronto artists wanted a piece of Yorkville.

And the story, from that point, is a tale as old as time. The neighbourhood becomes hip. The neighbourhood attracts people looking to bask in its reflective hipness. Demand skyrockets. Money pours in. Affluent businesses enter the fray. And the neighbourhood slowly but surely solidifies its position as “the place to be seen.”

An Affluent, Chic Shopper’s Paradise:  The Modern Flavour of Yorkville

Yorkville is glamour personified. No other Toronto neighbourhood comes close to the kind of “high-end boutiques per square metre” density that Yorkville boasts. Dolce and Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Prada and Chanel form the European backbone of the area’s offerings. But Yorkville is also home to local purveyors of high fashion, like 119 Corbo and George C. – each routinely receiving shout-outs in fashion and travel mags.

And when your arms can’t sustain any more shopping bags, Yorkville offers plenty of cafes, bars and eateries to take a seat. Its contributions to Toronto’s vibrant nightlife are mainly of the high-end variety:  trendy wine bars like Cibo, Italian restaurants like Trattoria Nervosa, fusion favourites like Alobar and various luxury hotel bars. You can find more modest haunts (the historic Flo’s Diner comes to mind), but they’re firmly in the minority.

Credit: Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area Via Facebook

Beyond the Storefronts: Yorkville’s Parks, Schools and Urban Oases

Mink Mile and Yorkville Avenue don’t represent the neighbourhood entirely. Yes, the heart of Yorkville glistens like a champagne flute under a chandelier, with its many beautiful boutiques and buzzy bars. But there’s a whole other side of the neighbourhood too, which makes living in Yorkville a real dream.

Head north of the main shopping district to find a network of cozy, community-oriented streets lined with impressive Victorian homes. Walking around Yorkville, you can feel its history. You get the sense of what Bloor and Botsford were trying to accomplish nearly 200 years ago…a tight-knit community village, slightly removed from the downtown bustle but still urban in its sensibilities. You also understand what made it so attractive to a generation of Bohemian artists; its tranquil parks and green spaces allow your thoughts some breathing room.

Jesse Ketchum Park, Ramsden Park, Lawren Harris and the Village of Yorkdale Park are just a few of several well-kept community green spaces in the neighbourhood. On any given day, you’ll find a mix of demographics – from young families to retirees – sharing the serene spaces.

The schools near Yorkville are equally impressive, handily earning a spot on Harvey Kalles’ list of the best Toronto neighbourhoods for schools (link to the left). Not only do the surrounding areas boast lush, highly rated elementary and secondary schools, but Yorkville is also a stone’s throw from U of T (for when the kids are a little older!).

Lastly, we need to talk connectedness. All those years ago, Yorkville was imagined as a village isolated from Toronto. That’s farthest from the truth now. Yorkville enjoys a prime position among the city’s public transit system, poised right at the intersection between Lines 1 and 2 on the subway. You can head north to Midtown, south to Union, West to High Park or east to the Danforth – all without breaking a sweat. If you want to break a sweat, you’ve got the main drags of Bay, Yonge and Church within easy walking distance, as well as Queen’s Park and the ROM.

Shopping for a Home in One of Toronto’s True Neighbourhood Gems

We won’t sugar coat it. All that glamour, green space, prestige and connectedness comes with high competition and high prices. You can land a dream home within Yorkville, but you need the help of a winning real estate team behind you.

At Harvey Kalles Real Estate, we work hard for buyers – to push competitive offers, receive fair asking prices and close on dream homes. We canalso  aid you through the home buying process. Just call or email us to speak with one of our expert realtors. Let’s chat about what your dream Yorkville home looks like.

Neighbourhoods don’t get much more vibrant than Yorkville. Next time you’re on the subway line or exploring downtown, take a detour through this neighbourhood gem and imagine life in one of its stately Victorian homes.