Where to Buy Now: Blake-Jones, because of the friendly cul-de-sacs in the Pocket
Eighteen years ago, when Jeff Otto bought his house on Ravina Crescent, at Danforth and Jones, the 15-minute commute downtown was the biggest draw. Then he got the feel of the place. “I now know every single person on my street by name,” he says. “We spend every night on our front porches.”
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From Pape Ave. to Greenwood Ave.; from Danforth Ave. to the railroad tracks north of Gerrard
2009: $469,341
2010: $485,535
2011: $584,455
*2011 averages reflect most recent data from January to August
The village feeling is largely a product of geographical quirks. Bordered by CN Rail tracks to the south and the Greenwood TTC yards to the east, Jones is the only major entry point into the so-called Pocket (so named for its shape). Residents are devoted to greening the neighbourhood: they’ve planted a community orchard just north of the Greenwood yards, and brought in mature trees to replace diseased maples.
Street parties and park and laneway cleanups have had a rallying effect. “Unlike communities that come together because of something negative, either a development issue or some kind of problem,” says Otto, “we come together because we’re literally bumping into each other. And it’s calm here—more sane than downtown.”
