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West-end Toronto is becoming known as having hot new, sexy and cool neighbourhoods that are shaping into exciting arts, music and festival scenes with interesting eateries.
Visitors to these areas are buzzing about the original clothing boutiques, specialty stores, galleries and hip restaurants. These hoods are even getting press in U.S. where they’re being compared with New York’s growing art, design and film industry in Brooklyn.
Suburbanites are moving back into the downtown core and west-end Toronto, stimulating the rapid growth of new and interesting restaurants, bars and café’s. Each neighbourhood’s unique flavour and style attracts both visitors and would-be home owners hoping to move into the community of their choice. For those buyers priced out of the more popular addresses like Roncesvalles, many are opting for neighbourhoods on the rise but not yet at its ceiling. One of those areas in the west-downtown area of Toronto is "Brockton Village".
Brockton Village occupies the pocket south of Bloor Street between Dufferin Street to the east and just west of Lansdowne and hugging the tracks to Queen Street West to the south. Originally settled by Irish immigrants it later became home to a large Portuguese and Brazilian community, which can be noticed with many of the colourful homes. It’s a culturally diverse and friendly hood that is attracting young families and artistic types with a growing arts and designer based community. Here you can find shabby-chic to high design. Hipsters are flocking to the Drake and Gladstone Hotels with their visual and performance art scenes, Lula Lounge known for their Latin and world music, galleries, bars, shops and cool restaurants and café’s. Locals and visitors have a plethora of shopping choices from the Bloordale district, renovated Dufferin Mall with its retail outlets to the little shops along Dundas and College Street.
Urban transportation is a breeze living in the Brockton Village area with bus service along Lansdowne and Dufferin connecting to the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Scenic streetcars on Dundas and College Street connect commuters to Toronto’s downtown business hub. The Gardiner Expressway and Lakeshore Boulevard accessed by Dufferin Street will quickly whip you into or out of the city.
Brockton Village is a community with a number of small parks along or just off Lansdowne Avenue. Local residents can also hike it to High Park with its forests, sports facilities, zoo and numerous features. Close by is also Allan Lamport Stadium Park, CNE grounds with a number of year-round facilities and the ever popular yearly exhibition, the Martin Goodman waterfront trails, McCormick Park and Recreation Centre and Dufferin Grove a 14 acre Park with sports facilities and year round farmers' market along with the ever cool free wireless available for park bench surfing!
The housing stock in Brockton Village is a huge draw for buyers with attractive and still affordable prices. You can find entry level “original” to pricier “Design Reno’s”. The majority of homes were built between 1880 and 1920’s and Victorian semis and row houses are most common with two storey and two-and-a half storey styles. The high ceilings, front porches with pillars, wrought iron railings and beautiful kept gardens draw urban home owners. The properties are usually on narrow lots and most parking is either in the rear via a laneway or on the street. This is definitely a hood on the rise and worth exploring!
For listings in and around Brockton Village click here
Considering moving to the Brockton Village area? Contact April Esteves at april@aprilesteves.com
