Roncesvalles Village is known as one of the most popular and diverse neighbourhoods in the west end of Toronto. This vibrant and treed community that is so close to High Park attracts both families and singles alike wanting to call this pocket their home. At any given day or time, you can find an assortment of residents strolling the streets from the many Seniors who’ve lived there for decades to the young urban parents pushing their strollers and walking their dog.
This hood has an artistic and creative vibe which has sustained such cultural venues as Palais Royale and the Revue Cinema, which is one of Canada’s oldest movie houses. This tight-knit community banded together to help declare the Revue a historical site in 2007 and encouraged some local residents to purchase the building and allow the community to operate the cinema as a non-profit business.
Roncesvalles is still associated with being the “Little Poland” of Toronto with all of the delicious bakeries, butchers and restaurants that attract people from across the city. At the same time a number of funky and creative shops have joined the area and together this myriad of businesses independently owned and operated, create a hip neighbourhood that offers a little bit of everything including character and charm! Stroll down Roncesvalles with the café’s serving fair trade brew, specialty gift shops, organic grocers and health food stores, shoe boutiques, book and music stores, art and video shops, hardware stores and restaurants offering various gourmet cuisines with music venues and second-run flicks at the revitalized Revue Cinema. Put it all together and you’ve got a unique urban setting.
True to being such a leafy and lush area, Roncesvalles also boasts being just steps to High Park, with its 400 acres of forests, playgrounds, Grenadier Pond, Zoo, baseball diamond, outdoor theatre and swimming pool. Also nearby is Sorauren Park at the corner of Wabash and Sorauren, which was the site of a former bus garage. It’s a multi-use park in Roncesvalles Village/Parkdale with the field house the 1st phase of bringing back an industrial site for community use. The park features 2 tennis courts, 2 soccer fields and a field house with a playground across Wabash from the park.
The area residents also are able to quickly access historic Sunnyside Pavilion which proudly sits along the Lakefront with playgrounds, picnic areas, pool, boardwalk and recreational trails. For the water enthusiasts the Argonaut Rowing Club and Toronto Sailing and Canoe Club are along the waterfront.
Part of living in the city and enjoying an urban lifestyle is sometimes being able to leave the car at home, or in some cases choosing to not even have one. Living in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood makes this an easier decision. They’ve had a long and proud association with the TTC since 1895. Five streetcar routes serve the area which can be accessed by such choices as The Lakeshore West, Queen Street West, Dundas Street West, College Street and King Street West. The northern part of Roncesvalles is only minutes walk to the Dundas subway on the Bloor-Danforth line.
Aside from the amazing shopping offered in the Roncesvalles Village neighbourhood, the proximity to downtown, High Park at your doorstep, fabulous schools and the easy access to the highways, the other huge draw for those choosing to live within this beautiful treed area is the style and character of the homes found here.
The unique housing stock ranges from Victorian to Edwardian detached, semis and attached. Grand mansions from yesteryear line the treed winding streets boasting their whimsical features. Solid brick houses with Victorian gables, columned front porches for relaxing after a long day, fireplaces and interior wood trim and finishes, stained and leaded glass windows are just some of the features of these homes. Blended together you’ll find two-storey, two-and-a-half storey and three-storey houses. Unlike today’s mishmash of infills, these homes flow together for a timeless landscape.
Today, many of these properties have been renovated and restored while still keeping the original details in tact while adding modern conveniences. Pot lights and granite marry together with the vintage stained glass and wide solid wood baseboards.
Like so many urban hoods within the city, parking is at a premium and it’s another reason to sometimes consider not having a car. Many residents use permit street parking and some of the houses have rear laneways with garages. Amongst the mature homes are also found some loft conversions from former commercial and industrial buildings as well as a Church conversion on Sunnyside Avenue.
The largest Polish festival held in Canada. Each fall, this festival closes the street for rides, crafts, food, clothing, dancing and musical entertainment.
