The quiet, unassuming streets that surround Toronto’s Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery and the Sherwood Ravine are home to a wide variety of homes, big and small, new and old. This affluent neighbourhood is nestled among the city’s finest communities, but here you’ll find small mid-century bungalows and duplexes set alongside stately brick century homes and many charming new builds – particularly toward the southern end. This eclectic character stretches out into the neighbouring Mount Pleasant Village, which is home to an array of unique, independent retailers. With good schools and a quick commute, this community is an excellent choice for active families who want to be close to the city’s midtown parks and paths.

The community boundaries run across Blythwood Road to Sherwood Park in the north, and across Hillsdale Avenue in the south; the western boundary is Mount Pleasant Road and the eastern boundary is Bayview Avenue. Most of the folks who live here are Canadian-born and in their 40s and 50s; there are lots of families, both with children and without. The average after-tax household income is just over $100,000 per year, well above the city average.

It will take about 20 minutes to get to Union Station by car, and tack on another 15 minutes or so if you’re taking transit – it takes a little longer that other midtown neighbourhods because you have to walk to Yonge Street to catch the subway. Cycling will take about 40 minutes, and the path will take you through the verdant Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the Park Drive Reservation Lands as well. The trip to Yonge and Bloor is shorter, of course, just 15 minutes by car and 30 minutes or so on the TTC; the bike will take just over 20 minutes and on a nice day, you can walk there in just over an hour.

Sherwood Park is a picturesque retreat filled with trees, a perfect spot for a leisurely weekend walk or a brisk morning run. There are picnic tables, a big playground and two wading pools for the kids, along with a fenced off-leash dog run for the family pooch. The park connects locals to the Burke Brook ravine, which will carry you all the way across midtown Toronto and down into the Don Valley Trails.

Unlike neighbourhing communities, Mount Pleasant offers a variety of home styles, from stately brick Georgians to small post-war bungalows and large new neo-eclectic homes, along with the occasional duplex. In some pockets along the southern edge of this community, you can find all three on the same street

The average price of a single detached home is $1.9 million, while condominiums generally run from $390,000 to $1.3 million, averaging $745,000.

There are no schools right in the community, but plenty of excellent options right nearby. A few blocks north you’ll find Sunny View Junior and Senior Public along with Blythwood Junior Public, which received a 9.1/10 in the Fraser’s Institute’s 2005-16 ranking of Canadian schools. The closest high school is Northern Secondary, a respected public high school that received a 7.5/10 from the Fraser Institute. Mount Pleasant is also very close to many of the country’s top private schools, including Bishop Strachan, Upper Canada College and Branksome Hall, among many others.

It will take about 20 minutes to get to Union Station by car, and tack on another 15 minutes or so if you’re taking transit – it takes a little longer that other midtown neighbourhods because you have to walk to Yonge Street to catch the subway. Cycling will take about 40 minutes, and the path will take you through the verdant Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the Park Drive Reservation Lands as well. The trip to Yonge and Bloor is shorter, of course, just 15 minutes by car and 30 minutes or so on the TTC; the bike will take just over 20 minutes and on a nice day, you can walk there in just over an hour.

The community boasts a little commercial village all its own, which knits the community together in so many ways. Neighbours bump into each other at two of Toronto’s historic, independent movie theatres: Regent Theatre and Mount Pleasant Theatre. The Regent, built in 1927, is a vibrant neighbourhood theatre that still has the air of a vintage playhouse; in addition to films, it also hosts cheeky live comedy events like the Beaver and Bacon Comedy Festival. The Mount Pleasant theatre, built in 1926, has been owned by the same family since 1950 and is of the last theatres in the city that still screens old-fashioned film movies. The retailers in this community range from quirky to cool to high-end bespoke – it’s an eclectic mix that turns a walk down the street into a little adventure. On the quirky end you’ve got Meow Cat Café, where you can enjoy the company of felines while you sip your skinny latte. Little White Sneakers is undeniably cool, offering a curated selection of the best second-hand kids’ clothes, along with neat local brands like Ollie Jones (leggings), Marmalade (handmade jewellery) and Cate & Levi (animal puppets made from upcycled old sweaters). For exquisite bespoke jewellery made with responsibly sourced metals and conflict-free diamonds, visit Penwarden Fine Jewellery – this is where locals come to buy an heirloom piece. There’s a hat store, a dog spa and a fabulous manicure bar called, appropriately, Fabulous Manicure Bar. On the more practical side, locals love the Summerhill Market for groceries, there’s a Metro in the neighbourhood, and further down Yonge Street you’ll find the high-end shops of Rosedale and Summerhill proper. Locals love Grazie for unpretentious Italian and Fresh down on Eglinton draws vegetarians and vegans from far and wide. Grab an authentic Neapolitan pizza at SIP Wine Bar or take your date to North 44 for something a little more refined. Touhenboku is a ramen noodle shop by day and a sake bar by night; grab a local, house-roasted coffee at de Mello Palheta Coffee Roasters to cure your hangover the next morning. This lively commercial district is supported by the innovative and very active Mount Pleasant Business Area Improvement Area association. The group offers gift cards for area businesses, and has created Mount Pleasant Village dollars, which customers can win in promotional draws and then spend at any participating businesses. The BIA also advertises local business openings, lists available commercial spaces, and lets residents know when local retailers are hosting special events. In addition to the green space afforded by the cemetery and the lovely Sherwood Park, Mount Pleasant is home to the tiny Charlotte Maher Parkette, a little gem of a park tucked into the centre of the community where Bruce Park Avenue meets Roehampton Avenue. The fenced play area is popular with area kids and the path and grassy area is perfect for walking dogs or setting out a summer picnic.

The community of Mount Pleasant got its start in the late 1800s, when the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto needed to expand existing cemeteries. In July of 1897, the church bought the land for the Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery from merchant C.D. Warren for just $5,000, and since then more than 76,000 people have been buried here. Notable burials include Francis Deck, the founder of Toronto’s famous Fran’s Diners, and Morley Callaghan, a celebrated Canadian novelist and radio personality. The lovely parkette in the middle of the community is named for Charlotte Maher, a tireless advocate for social justice. From stuffing envelopes and writing pamphlets to lobbying politicians and leading organizations, Maher was famous for doing whatever it took to get the job done. She was a founding member of many organizations for seniors and devoted many years to Care Watch, a volunteer-run advocacy group that speaks on behalf of seniors living in Long-Term Care Facilities and fights for their right to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. The park was dedicated in 2001 and Maher passed away in 2013.