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Sidewalk-free streets and Tudor details
(like on this Willingdon Boulevard home)
give Kingsway South a rural English feel

Real Estate Guide › West

Kingsway South

Median 2007 sale price:

$1,421,000

Property crime:

high

Crime against people:

low

Neighbourhood map:

See map

A sleepy, bucolic pocket, Kingsway breeds fierce loyalty among its privacy-prizing residents, who value its tranquility and generous lot sizes. The houses at the core, north of Bloor between Royal York Road and Kingsway Crescent, are the result of an ambitious development project spanning 1924 to 1947. At the helm was Robert Home Smith, who sought to create a garden city in the 19th-century British style. The resulting 671 original homes, and those that followed, all seem to have at least some Tudor-Revival detailing. This uniformity—which extends to a Japanese maple on seemingly every front yard—is closely policed by eagle-eyed residents, who have been known to seek out stop-work orders if front yard fences don’t suit Smith’s founding principles.

HOUSING STOCK: Most of the large Arts and Crafts and Tudor homes are set back on sizable leafy lots with discreetly situated garages. Those touted as original Robert Home Smiths go for a premium.

BARGAIN ZONES: North of Usher, The Kingsway offers matchbox versions of the more baronial homes that are found in the south.

THE VERDICT: Residents are drawn by the beauty of the neighbourhood, with its calm streets—many without sidewalks—lined with stately oak and maple trees. The whole area feels like a rural English village within in the city. A lucky few have kitchen windows with eternally protected views of the Humber River (roaring in spring and trickling in August). The latest census shows below average numbers of high school– and college–age kids, making this about as quiet a neighbourhood as you’re likely to find in the city.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
The Book Mark One of the city’s great independent bookstores, the Book Mark is also the oldest, at 43 years. It continues to survive the Chapters-Indigo onslaught thanks to its loyal Kingsway customers, and has repaid them with friendly, knowledgeable staff and an exceptionally keen-eyed buyer. 2964 Bloor St. W., 416-233-2191.
Crème de la Crème The no-nonsense ladies who helm this midday establishment run a tight ship: top-notch eggs Benny and pancakes arrive swiftly, with little small talk. Don’t even think of making a substitution. 2991 Bloor St. W., 416-237-9414.
Magic Spot Grill The burger-and-fries joint has been a favourite for generations of Kingsway high schoolers. 2973 Bloor St. W., 416-233-4244.
The Old Sod A popular, if somewhat dingy spot, this is where locals come to tip back a pint and catch the game. 2936 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3812.

Today in Toronto: July 4, 2009

• Corso Italia Toronto Fiesta: The two-day festival includes performances by Brazen Angelz, Josephine Biundo, Dr. Draw, Daniel Panetta and others
• Femi Kuti and King Sunny Ade: Harbourfront Centre’s summer season heats up with a not-to-be-missed double bill of Nigerian masters
• Westben: Concerts at the Barn: This countryside festival presents a varied program in the purpose-built barn that serves as its intimate yet impressive performance space
• Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour: More than 250 avid cyclists pedal 730 kilometres from Niagara-on-the-Lake to the Quebec border in celebration of the new and expanded Waterfront Trail
• More things to do tonight
• Something to do this weekend

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Concerts for Conservation with Mitchel Musso. July 12th at 4pm and 6pm. Tickets are $30 and include Zoo admission. Visit torontozoo.com

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