New Toronto
New Toronto is located in the city’s west end along the waterfront, roughly between Kipling Ave and Royal York Ave. Being a transitional neighbourhood, New Toronto is rapidly undergoing expansion and residential development. It’s proximity to the waterfront, and the resultant presence of trails and parks, have made the neighbourhood an increasingly popular site to both move to, and visit. The closeness of the waterfront offers gorgeous views of Lake Ontario, with accompanying parks and trails, without the bustle and busyness of other waterfront neighbourhoods, like the Beaches and the Harbourfront.
Real estate
While New Toronto has long held the reputation of a working-class neighbourhood, it has undergone redevelopment from the 1990s onward, increasingly attracting professional classes to the neighbourhood. The majority of its houses are smaller brick bungalows and modest two-storey houses, which are located north of Lake Shore Blvd, having been predominantly built between the early and mid 1900s. Many larger detached homes are more recent developments, being located closer to the lake, south of Lake Shore Blvd.
Being a transition neighbourhood, many of the industries on its northern edge have increasingly been converted to residential zoning. As industries are moving out of the neighbourhood, more and more new homes and condo developments are emerging. This includes house, townhome, and condominium developments. Since New Toronto is an up-and-coming neighbourhood in transition, it offers many more affordable options than other areas in the city. Its relative affordability, coupled with its proximity to the water, and various accessible transit options to the downtown core make it an ideal location for first-time buyers and even investors.
Having both waterfront trails, and lots of shopping and dining options along LakeShore, New Toronto provides a balance of outdoor and commercial activities. Being so close to the lake, it offers an abundance of waterfront parks and trails; including, Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Rotary Peace Park, Cliff Lumsden Park, Prince of Wales Park, and Rotary Peace Park. These parks all offer various activities, including walking trails, swimming pools, wading pools, children’s playgrounds, and even a skating rink. Colonel Samuel Smith Park even houses the Wetlands-Wildlife Restoration trail, which is arguably one of the most beautiful wetland areas in Toronto, being home to a large variety of fish, birds, frogs, painted turtles and various wildflowers and other flora.
The neighbourhood comprises a section of the “Lakeshore Village,” which has busy retail corridors, restaurants, food markets, coffee shops, and bargain stores, available for nearby residents.