The motley architecture you’ll find in this affordable, family-friendly neighbourhood is evidence that it’s on the cusp of a modern renaissance. Older families are moving out of their mid-century bungalows and back-splits and younger families are tearing them down to make way for modern homes on these big North York lots. There’s a subway station in the neighbourhood, suburban shopping hubs with everything you’ll ever need, and Yorkdale Shopping Centre is just a heartbeat away. Multiple kid-friendly parkettes and wide, suburban streets perfect for road hockey and skateboarding make this community ideal for families who want good prices and a reasonable commute to downtown.

Lawrence Bathurst is a real diamond in the rough, a late bloomer with huge potential that really feels like it’s just about to come into its own.  You’ll love knowing that you’re part of that transformation, knitting established Jewish and Italian communities together with young urban families, boosting local businesses and schools, and creating a renewed sense of place. This is a community that rubs shoulders with prestigious neighbourhoods like Forest Hill North and Lytton Park, and there’s no reason why Lawrence Bathurst won’t join them in the coming years.

This nondescript community is tucked in the centre of North York, bordered by Lawrence Avenue on the north and Briar Hill Avenue on the South, with Allen Road on the west and a ragged eastern edge that runs down Avenue Road, across Strathallen Boulevard and south again at Mona Drive. This is a true family neighbourhood, with lots of children and families of all ages, and a remarkable number of people over 85. Most couples have children, but there are many single-parent families here and couples without children, too. Jewish folks still dominate in Lawrence Bathurst, but the vast majority of new immigrants are from the Philippines, and you’re almost as likely to hear Tagalog spoken on the street as you are Yiddish or Russian. The average annual after-tax family income here is just shy of $70,000 – right on the city average – yet that is on the rise.

The subway will ferry you to Union Station in under 25 minutes, about the same amount of time that it will take you to drive. Cycling will take the better part of an hour, but much of the ride will take you through Toronto’s lovely ravine system. Getting to Yonge and Bloor will take roughly the same amount of time – even though it’s closer, the routes are less efficient. Another great benefit to living in Lawrence Bathurst is the proximity to Highways 401 and 400 – if you work downtown but head up to a cottage in Muskoka on the weekends, this could be an idea spot for you.

Modest mid-century homes mixed with Georgian and Tudor style residences and lots of new builds, plus a good number of condominiums along the major arteries on both sides of the neighbourhood.

The average price of a single detached home is $2.575 million, while condominiums generally run from $253,000 to $842,500, averaging $517,000.

Lawrence Bathurst is studded with lovely parks and parkettes, including Heart Park, Dell Park, Chater Court Park, Fraserwood Park and Cortleigh Park – you can’t walk more than four blocks in this neighbourhood without happening upon a small public greenspace. And there are larger parks, too: Viewmount Park in the south-west corner of the community offers four tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a playground for the littles, while Phil Givens Park (formerly Caribou Park) offers a great outdoor play space in the north east corner. The Kimbark-Coldstream Ravine is the half-way mark on the Lost Rivers walk called Coldstream Reach. Bathurst Street has long been at the centre of Jewish life in Toronto, and today the area at St. Lawrence and further north is home to many in the city’s Orthodox Jewish community. There are lots of Jewish groups and congregations here, and it is one of the best places in the city to find Kosher restaurants. Try the Chicken Nest (chicken and ribs), Kosher Gourmet (takeout) and, a little further north, the beloved Ba Li Laffa for kosher mediterranean fare and Umami Sushi for kosher fish and noodle dishes. Be sure to stop in at Yitz’s Delicatessen: From the sausage door handles to the smoked meat and matzo ball soup, it hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1972.

In 2016, folks in the community renamed a tiny park after a local man who was larger than life. Phil Givens, the city’s 54th mayor, was known as “a mayor of all the people.” He is most famous for securing the famous Archer sculpture for Nathan Phillips Square – when the public balked at spending $100,000 on a piece of grand public art by the famous sculptor Henry Moore, he decided to raise the money privately. The sculpture has stood in the square now for more than 50 years. This famous public chapter in Givens’ life pales, however, in comparison to the many decades of unsung work he put into his North York neighbourhood. He led community organizations, supported local initiatives and took part in local politics at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. He represented his community on city council from 1950 through 1963, and represented his neighbours federally from 1968 to 1971. Provincially, he served from 1971 to 1977, and then went on to work as a provincial judge and commissioner of the Toronto police force. He lived across the street from the park through all those years, and now it bears his name.

There are two elementary schools in Lawrence Bathurst, both located on the western side of the community. Glen Park Public received a 6.2/10 in the Fraser Institute’s 2015-16 review of Canadian Schools, while Our Lady of the Assumption Public has not yet been ranked. There is no high school in the community; the closest is John Polanyi Collegiate Institute, which received a 4.7/10 in the Fraser Institute review.

Family-friendly suburban life on the northern edge of Toronto’s downtown, offering an easy commute and excellent local shopping options. The many parks and parkettes in this community make it impossible to walk more than a few blocks without enjoying some public green space.