Real Estate Guide › West

Edenbridge - Humber Valley

Average 2007 sale price:

$2,940,300

Property crime:

high

Crime against people:

low

Neighbourhood map:

See map

Nestled between two golf clubs—St. George’s in the northwest and Lambton Golf and Country Club just across the Humber River—this is a very country club–like area, with large lots, spacious homes and winding, tree-lined streets, many of them still without sidewalks, creating that country-in-the-city look. The prices match the surroundings: to live in this area, you’ll have to be upwardly mobile. Two decades ago, you could get a nice little three-bedroom in Humber Valley Village for less than half a million. Now it will cost you at least three times as much, and lots with river or golf-course views fetch even more. The houses on Edenbridge Drive, which skirts James Gardens and the Humber River parklands, average $3.5 million. The region’s many affluent families love the area for its nearby retail options (Humbertown Shopping Centre), one-stop schooling (junior kindergarten to Grade 8 at Humber Valley Village Jr. MS) and overwhelming sense of Father Knows Best tranquility.

HOUSING STOCK: Some of the area was developed as early as the 1930s, but the dominant look is 1950s and 1960s. There are some bungalows and backsplits in the north, and monster homes everywhere, from Chestnut Hills Parkway to the gracious, tree-canopied heights of North Drive. Humber Valley Village proper, to the west of Royal York, has a look all its own—a mix of English country and American suburban.

BARGAIN ZONES: “Bargain” is undoubtedly a relative term here. Houses further from the golf courses are somewhat more reasonable.

THE VERDICT: Next to The Kingsway, this is Etobicoke’s most affluent and desirable area, and the reasons aren’t hard to discern. It’s highly polished suburbia, but there’s next to no entertainment and no decent dining closer than Bloor Street. However, the park-size lots more than compensate. Just sit back and enjoy the quiet.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Humbertown Jewellers Rolex watches and other baubles are so expensive you need an appointment to get in the door. Humbertown Shopping Centre, 270 The Kingsway, 416-234-1600.
James Gardens With a riverside location, spring-fed pools and rare trees, these well-kept gardens are a wedding photographer’s favourite. Edenbridge Dr., east of Royal York Rd., 416-392-8188.
St. George’s Golf and Country Club With a long history, limited membership and a top-three rating, St. George’s exudes class and exclusivity. 1668 Islington Ave., 416-231-3393.