WEST END

Bloor and Durie Streets

In the 1850's, the area now known as BLOOR WEST VILLAGE was the property of Lieutenant Colonel William Smith Durie, the first commanding officer of the Queens Own Rifles. The street that ran through his estate is now known as Durie Street.

Today’s neighbourhood began to be developed in 1909 when the district became part of the City of Toronto. Bloor West's first residents were immigrants largely of Eastern European background. These are the residents who helped found the Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area, the first of its kind in Canada.

This shopping district has helped make Bloor West Village one of Toronto's most popular neighbourhoods - family friendly and home to such highly regarded public schools as:

Runnymede Jr. & Sr. School

Humbercrest Public School
Annette St. Jr. & Sr. School
Humberside Collegiate Institute
Runnymede Collegiate Institute
Western Technical-Commercial School
As well as a host of acclaimed separate and private schools.

Bloor West Village is a popular neighbourhood for families. It is within walking distance of High Park - Toronto's biggest and best known park, featuring a 399 acre parkland containing picnic areas, flower gardens, animal paddocks, a restaurant, an outdoor amphitheatre, sports facilities, a trackless train, an adventure playground and a large pond.

Other parks easily accessible to Bloor West residents, include: 
Smythe Park
Lambton Park
Magwood Park
Home Smith Park
Etienne Brule Park
Berry Road Park
South Humber Park
Rennie Park
Earlscourt Park

Bloor West Village homes are all fairly similar in size and style having been built in a relatively short period of time between 1912 and 1923. These houses feature decorative oak accents, hardwood floors, and fireplaces, as well as deep front porches that are well shaded by the majestic Oak and Maple trees that line the streets of this neighbourhood.

The Bloor West Village shopping district, which attracts shoppers from all over the city, is as much about eating as it is about shopping. It's a virtual smorgasbord of bakeries, delicatessens, specialty food shops, cafes and restaurants that grows so lively on Saturdays it feels like there's always a festival going on! Convenience stores, fruit and vegetable markets, dry cleaners, video stores, and other shops catering to everyday household needs, can also be found on Jane and Annette Streets. An annual street festival in August lets the many family-owned businesses display their wares in tents and under awnings.

Annette Recreation Centre at 333 Annette Street, attached to the Annette Street public school, has an indoor pool, a small gym and a baseball diamond. A little bit east of the Annette Centre is the Annette Street Public Library at 145 Annette Street, which offers programs for adults, children, and preschoolers.

Additional libraries serving Bloor West Village include: 

High Park Library, 228 Roncesvalles
Jane-Dundas, 620 Jane
Parkdale, 1303 Queen W
Runnymede, 2178 Bloor W

Residents also enjoy programming at Swansea Community Recreation Centre at 15 Waller Avenue and Swansea Town Hall at 95 Lavinia Avenue. The Jane and Runnymede subway stations are part of the Bloor-Danforth subway line and both are within walking distance of the homes in Bloor West Village. The Annette Street bus connects passengers to the Dupont subway station on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. There are additional bus routes on Jane Street and Runnymede Road. Motorists are approximately ten minutes from the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard. Both these routes provide quick access into and out of the city.

The High Park neighbourhood contains a wealth of history. The area north of Bloor Street was formerly part of the Town of West Toronto Junction, which was annexed by the City of Toronto in 1909. The High Park property south of Bloor Street was purchased in 1836 by John Howard, Toronto's first surveyor. Howard named his estate High Park because of its magnificent view of Lake Ontario. He became a great benefactor to the City when he left the city his vast estate and home, Colborne Lodge, in 1873.

Roncesvalles Street

In 1873 Howard deeded his beloved High Park estate to the City of Toronto. John Howard's former residence Colborne Lodge, is still situated on its original site in High Park, where it is now a museum. The High Park neighbourhood's highly regarded schools, including Humberside Collegiate, attract many families with school age children to this neighbourhood.

The topography of High Park features gently rolling hills, winding streets, and towering oak trees that enchant and delight all those who live here. This theme of natural beauty is anchored by High Park, which adds incalculable value to the homes for at least half a dozen blocks in every direction. The city's largest cultivated green space, the Park includes 399 acres of picnic grounds, playgrounds, flower gardens, Grenadier pond, animal paddocks, restaurant, and many other diversions, making it one of Toronto's largest and most popular parks. High Park's sports facilities include tennis, baseball, soccer, lawn bowling, swimming, and skating, as well as walking, jogging and cycling paths found throughout the park.

Other parks easily accessible to neighbourhood residents include:

Etienne Brule Park
Rennie Park
Earlscourt Park

High Park's winding tree-lined streets are lined with impressive Victorian, Edwardian, and Tudor-style homes. These captivating houses were built largely during the late 1800's and early 1900's, and some have been divided into multiple-family dwellings.

A great place to raise children, acclaimed public schools in the district include:

Keele St. Jr & City Community Centre School

Indian Road Crescent Jr. School
Annette St. Jr. & Sr. School
Perth Avenue Jr. School
Humberside Collegiate Institute
West Toronto Collegiate Institute
Bloor Collegiate Institute
Runnymede Collegiate Institute
Kent Sr. School
Western Technical-Commercial School
As well as a host of separate and private schools.

High Park's distinctive brick homes feature a variety of architectural details that vary from house to house, such as leaded and stained glass windows, lush wood trims, French doors, hardwood floors and fireplaces. A selection of condo buildings along Quebec Avenue, north of Bloor Street, include balconies, some of which feature south views that overlook High Park and Lake Ontario.

High Park is conveniently located within walking distance of 'Bloor West Village', one of Toronto's most popular shopping districts. The 'Village' is known across the City for its European bakeries, delicatessens, specialty food shops, cafes and restaurants. High Park's other major shopping area is the 'Junction Gardens', along Dundas Street West, a revitalized retail district with grocery shopping, restaurants, pubs & professional services.

The Runnymede Public Library at 2178 Bloor Street West and the High Park Public Library at 228 Roncesvalles Avenue both offer a myriad of programs for neighbourhood residents. 

Other easily accessible libraries include:

Swansea Memorial, 95 Lavinia
Annette Branch, 145 Annette
Parkdale, 1303 Queen W

There is much to do for the whole family in High Park. Popular community/recreation centres include:

Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre, 220 Cowan
Parkdale Community Centre, 75 Lansdowne
Holy Family Community Centre, 141 Close

The Bloor-Danforth subway line has three stations serving the High Park neighbourhood including the Runnymede, High Park, and Keele stations. Most residents are within walking distance of one or more of these three stations.

Motorists are approximately five minutes from the Queensway, which connects commuters to Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway, and a ten-to-fifteen minute drive downtown.

Parkdale's history began in the late 1800's when it was an elite residential suburb that rivalled Rosedale as one of Toronto's toniest addresses. Parkdale's popularity led to its amalgamation with the City of Toronto in 1889.

Parkdale became Toronto's ‘playground by the lake' in 1922, when the Sunnyside Amusement Park and Bathing Pavilion opened for business on Parkdale's beaches. Sunnyside Beach was the place” to be and be seen” for a generation of Torontonians.

In 1956, Sunnyside was shut down by the city in order to make room for the Gardiner Expressway and a revamped Lake Shore Boulevard. Unfortunately, these new expressways cut Parkdale off from the lake and its glorious past. Parkdale still has some 'big city' social problems to contend with. However these concerns are being addressed as the neighbourhood revitalization has been well under way for decades, helping the area to recover its poise. A local residents group known as the Parkdale Community Watch, dedicated to the safety and well-being of the neighbourhood, recently received an award as the best neighbourhood watch group from the International Society of Crime Prevention. Nearby in the Junction (Dundas just east of Keele) a determined public relations campaign by the local BIA, combined with such well-attended creative events like the annual Junction Arts Festival, is also helping the area gain a cool, funky image.

Many young families are moving into the area, buying well-preserved character homes from retirees or condos such as the new development in the former Canadian Tire building at Keele & Dundas, due to be completed in spring 2009. The new West Toronto Railpath, a pedestrian/cycle path along the former rail lines that give the Junction its name, is also due for completion in summer 2008.

The Parkdale neighbourhood possesses many positive attributes. It has some of Toronto's most vibrant shopping districts, wonderful tree- lined streets, affordable Victorian homes, and impressive mansions that remind onlookers that Parkdale was once Toronto's wealthiest district. 

Parkdale is also within walking distance of Toronto's waterfront parks and other greenspaces, including:

Marilyn Bell Park
Sunnyside Park
Sorauren Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park

High Park

South Parkdale's grandiose mansions were built between 1875 and 1895, and those in the north end above Queen Street were mainly built between 1900 and 1910. Some of the bay-and-gables mansions and homes that had been converted into rooming houses are now being immaculately restored to single family use and mix elements of Queen Anne and Richardson Romanesque styles.

The main commercial shopping area in Parkdale has historically been on Queen Street. This vibrant, creative shopping district seems to be in a state of perpetual activity; it includes an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants, many cafes, chic bars, boutiques and galleries. The liveliest stretch of Queen West, including the Gladstone Hotel, has some of the best archiecture west of the Annex.

The Roncesvalles Village shopping district, north of Queen Street, is the cultural centre of Toronto's Polish community. There are many outstanding food markets, delis, and restaurants along this route.

Four community centres serve the residents of this neighbourhood:

Holy Family Community Centre at 141 Close Avenue

Masryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre at 220 Cowan Avenue

McCormick Recreation Centre at 66 Sheridan Avenue

Parkdale Community Recreation Centre at 75 Lansdowne Avenue

The Parkdale Public Library at 1303 Queen Street West and the High Park Public Library at 228 Roncesvalles both provide programming for Parkdale residents.

Parkdale is also home to well regarded public schools such as: 
Parkdale Jr. & Sr. School
Fern Ave. Public School
Shirley St. Jr. School
Garden Ave. Jr. School
Alexander Muir & Gladstone Ave. Public School
Central Commerce Collegiate Institute
Kent Sr. School
Queen Victoria School
West Toronto Collegiate Institute

Streetcar service on Queen Street, King Street, Dundas Street, Roncesvalles Avenue, and Macdonell Avenue, connect passengers to the downtown core and business district, or to subway stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorists are just minutes from downtown. There is direct access to both the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard, at the south end of Parkdale.

Roncevalles Village is home to some of Toronto's most vibrant shopping and dining districts. The once-strong Polish flavour has been largely replaced by Roncesvalles Avenue’s quaint organic cafés, Thai restaurants, toy shops and greengrocers on every corner. Twenty-one new businesses have opened in the last year. It is also within walking distance of Toronto's waterfront parks, the Western Beaches and Boardwalk.

After WWII, the Roncesvalles area was transformed by the arrival of many European newcomers that included a large number of Poles. The Roncesvalles Village shopping district north of Queen St. is the cultural centre of Toronto's Polish community. (Although considered to be a prominently Polish community, the last 50 years has seen many ethnic groups settle in the area.) An afternoon stroll through this area will take you past eating establishments specializing in traditional cuisine: sausages, hand-made pierogies, sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and hearty soups like the delicious beet-based borscht, perfect for a cool day. There are many outstanding food markets, delis and restaurants along this route. Fun, community-based cultural events take place frequently, such as the Roncesvalles Village Polish Festival, a weekend event held every September.

For another vibrant commercial shopping area, Queen Street/Roncesvalles is ever-changing and full of interesting stores. There are many new restaurants and specialty stores. There is The Chocolateria, where just about anything you can imagine is dipped in chocolate. Roncy is the hottest new strip for gourmet restaurants. The Westerly, The Ace, Barque, and Hopgood's Foodliner, to name just a few. Coffee shops are sprinkled along the strip so you can pop into The Roncy Bean for some gelato or sit at Timothy's or Starbucks and watch the action. Scout is a gift shop that has beautiful Canadian-made jewellery and gifts cards. And of course we can't forget about our furry friends! My Doggy's Daycare for daycare and grooming. Fetch is a great store for leashes, food and bowls etc. as well or grooming.

High Park, with its 399 acres of parkland including picnic areas, flower gardens, High Park Zoo, an outdoor amphitheatre that has Shakespeare in the Park, sports facilities and Grenadier pond. The Grenadier Cafe is a great meeting place for everyone to grab a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner while visiting the park.

Sorauren Park is the main outdoor community meeting place, with many gatherings for dog lovers as well as the famous post-Halloween jack o' lantern display. Sorauren Farmer's Market every Monday in the summer/fall from 3:00-7:00. The recreational paths along the waterfront are easily accessible. Additonal nearby parks include Charles G. Williams Park at Sorauren & Wabash.

There are four community centres serving the area: Keele Community Recreation Centre, 182 Glenlake
Parkdale Community Recreation Centre, 75 Lansdowne
Masaryk/Cowan Community Recreation Centre, 220 Cowan
Swansea Town Hall, 15 Waller

as well as two public libraries; one at 1303 Queen St. West and one at 228 Roncesvalles. The 30 year old residents' association has plans to transform a former linseed factory on the edge of Sorauren Park into another rec centre.

Local public schools include:

Fern Ave. Jr. & Sr. Public School
Howard Jr. Public School
Garden Ave. Jr. Public School

Parkdale Collegiate Institute (People are noticing & buying in Parkdale because Parkdale Collegiate now has an Ivy Program!)
West Toronto Secondary School
French, alternative and separate schools also serve the neighbourhood.

The Revue Cinema has occupied its Roncesvalles Avenue location since 1912, and until June, 2006, never closed its doors. That gave it the distinction of being one of the oldest continuously running movie theatres in the country. The Revue, which was part of the Festival Cinemas group, had been owned by Etobicoke resident, accountant and film buff Peter McQuillan. He passed away in 2004 and his children decided to sell The Revue after continuing to operate it and two other theatres–the Royal and the Kingsway–for almost two years. They closed The Revue on June 30, 2006. The Revue Film Society, formed by residents and cinephiles upset that their much-loved cinema was closing, raised close to $130,000 to support a rescue effort. In 2007, the community-based organization negotiated a lease for The Revue with local residents Danny and Letty Mullin, who bought the property from the McQuillans. In August, 2007, the lease was put into effect and an army of volunteers scrubbed, fixed plaster, painted and scraped gum from under the seats. Neighbourhood sign maker Lee Newman crafted Revue Cinema letters to mount where the marquee had been. New carpets were also installed. Many supplies were donated by local businesses, such as paint from High Park Paint and Wallpaper.

Streetcar service on Roncesvalles, Queen, King, and Dundas connect you to the downtown subway stations or to stations on the Bloor-Danforth line. According to streetcar enthusiasts, Roncesvalles Ave. is a great place to ride a streetcar. “The stops are far enough apart to allow for some speed and the street is very lively and full of character.” In 1995 the TTC celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Roncesvalles Division, the oldest in the history of the TTC. Roncesvalles Village is just minutes from downtown by car. There is direct access to both the Gardiner and Lake Shore Boulevard.

Good Addresses

The Local - 396 Roncesvalles Avenue
The Duzzy - 305 Roncesvalles Avenue
Fetch - 367 Roncesvalles Avenue – natural & organic pet foods & treats
Roncesvalles Animal Hospital - 18 Roncesvalles Avenue
Ecotique - 191 Roncesvalles Avenue
Sobey's - 199 Roncesvalles Avenue
Rowe Farms - 105 Roncesvalles Avenue

Sunnylea is a desirable Etobicoke community especially popular among young families with small children. The history of the Sunnylea neighbourhood begins in 1803, when Alexander Thompson purchased 200 acres of land in the area. His son Archibald's country Georgian farmhouse near Royal York Road and Bloor Street West, “Spring Bank Cottage, is still standing today at 7 Meadowcrest Road.

The Thompson property was renowned for its fruit orchards. In the latter part of the 1800s families flocked to Sunnylea to cultivate thriving market gardens filled with fruits and vegetables. A handful of these old Sunnylea farmhouses are still standing both on Prince Edward Drive and on Islington Avenue.

Sunnylea's old farms were subdivided in the 1930s and 40s, when the present day neighbourhood was developed. The bungalows, split-level, storey-and- a-half, and two-storey houses were built mostly in the 1940s and 1950s. These detached homes include wide frontage and a private drive. The Tudor style houses closer to Bloor Street are the older houses in this neighbourhood, often featuring handsome Riverstone exteriors, bay windows, stone chimneys, wrought iron railings and decorative front porches.

Sunnylea is a highly sought after area thanks to the country charm of Mimico Creek which gently meanders through the centre of this neighbourhood. The many mature trees and the exclusion of sidewalks add to its country-like ambience. 

Parks easily accessed by Sunnylea residents include:

Islington Golf Club
Thomson Riley Park
Berry Road Park
South Humber Park
Rennie Park
Etienne Brule Park
Home Smith Park
Magwood Park

It is also known for its excellent schools which are a popular drawing card. Six schools serve the area, including the 3 public schools: Norseman, Park Lawn, and Sunnylea; 2 public high schools – Etobicoke C.I., and Etobicoke School of the Arts, and the separate school Sainte-Margueritte-d'Youville.

Sunnylea residents have been progressive in forming the Kingsway Sunnylea Residents Association. This association has been successful in getting the city to pass site specific zoning by-laws designed to protect the residential character of this neighbourhood.

Sunnylea residents enjoy convenient access to the Kingsway Village shopping district on Bloor Street West. This well-planned retail corridor has a festive, pedestrian friendly atmosphere and features comfortable park benches, evergreen trees, and cast iron street lamps. Even the garbage bins are wrapped in ornate cast-iron frames. There is plenty of meter parking along Bloor Street and many of the side streets which make it easy to explore this vibrant shopping district.

The shops in the Kingsway Village include high-end fashion shops, children's stores, book shops, specialty stores, upscale restaurants, fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries and coffee shops. There is also a myriad of professional services located on this street.

The Norseman Community School and the Park Lawn Community School both offer a large variety of recreational programs for children, teens, adults and seniors. Norseman has an indoor pool which is extensively used for instructional swim programs. Park Lawn has a winter ice arena that converts to tennis courts in the summertime and an outdoor pool used for recreational swimming.

Sunnylea Park and Laura Hill Park each have two tennis courts and a children's playground. Spring Garden Park is nestled on the west bank of Mimico Creek. This idyllic park has a children's playground and is well shaded with many old trees. The Brentwood Public Library located at 36 Brentwood Road, one block west of Royal York Road and one block north of Bloor Street, offers year-round programs for children. The Fairfield Seniors' Centre at 80 Lothian Avenue has a seniors' lounge, a library, workshops, support groups, and a variety of special events for people aged fifty-five and up, including fashion shows, “pub nights, a flea market and summer barbecues.

Bus lines on Prince Edward Drive, Royal York Road and Islington Avenue provide Sunnylea residents with connecting routes to stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorists are approximately fifteen minutes from Toronto's downtown financial and entertainment districts via Lake Shore Boulevard or the Gardiner Expressway which also provide commuters with connecting routes to the all of the major highways leading out of the city.

Named for prominent settler James Worthington who was said to come from Swansea, Wales, the lovely west Toronto neighbourhood of Swansea Village joined Forest Hill Village in 1967 as one of the last two independent villages to be annexed by the City of Toronto. Its corporate seal still remains as a tribute to the neighbourhood’s colourful history - the hills in the seal represent Swansea’s rolling countryside, and the water refers to Swansea’s natural boundaries, which include Lake Ontario, the Humber River and Grenadier Pond. Also included on the Swansea seal is explorer Etienne Brule, who in 1615 became the first European to set foot on what is now Swansea, and a First Nations member, in recognition of the fact that First Nations members were the first people to inhabit Swansea.

Swansea Village is the only Toronto neighbourhood that has its own community-run Town Hall at 95 Lavinia Avenue, a vibrant meeting place home to such events as antique shows, craft sales, meetings of various local societies and a wide variety of classes and lessons for all ages. The Swansea Town Hall and Community Centre also includes a small gymnasium, and is the home of the Swansea Memorial Public Library, the smallest branch of the Toronto Public Library system. This branch specializes in material for children and seniors and provides complete inter-library loan services.

Swansea’s hilly terrain, winding roads and many mature trees accentuate the storybook houses that line the residential streets of this neighbourhood. Its high end homes are located either at the western edge of High Park overlooking Grenadier Pond, or at the Brule Gardens enclave found in the north-west pocket of Swansea. The most common type of housing by far is detached, though there are also semi-detached houses and bungalows and low-rise apartment buildings located mostly in the centre of the neighbourhood. The typical Swansea house was built between 1905 and 1935.

The most convenient shopping district for Swansea residents is the Bloor West Village shopping district on Bloor Street West. Bloor West Village features Toronto’s best selection of European bakeries and delis, as well as professional services, restaurants, groceries & fresh produce, specialty stores and chain stores such as Chapters Indigo and Laura Secord.

Rennie Park, located on the east side of Rennie Terrace, south of Morningside Avenue, has four tennis courts, an artificial ice rink, and a wading pool. High Park which can be accessed from Bloor Street, features a full day of recreational activities including fishing, theatre performances, train rides, an animal zoo, historical exhibits, a restaurant and a myriad of fitness opportunities.

Residents also enjoy the following parks:

South Kingsway Parkette
Ormskirk Park
Sir Casimir Gzowski Park
Berry Road Park
South Humber Park
Etienne Brule Park
Home Smith Park
Magwood Park

Grenadier Pond is Swansea’s largest body of water and derives its name from a popular legend involving British soldiers during the war of 1812. Various versions of the legend exist – some say it was a popular fishing pond for the red coated soldiers, while others maintain that an entire band of soldiers lost their lives trying to cross Grenadier Pond.

Schools are important to the many families in the area, whose children attend the separate schools or the following local public schools:

Swansea School
Runnymede Jr. & Sr. School
Park Lawn Jr. & Md. School
Humbercrest Public School
Western Technical-Commercial School
Humberside Collegiate Institute
Runnymede Collegiate Institute
Etobicoke School of the Arts
West Toronto Collegiate Institute

Swansea is served by bus routes on Windermere and Morningside Avenues. The Runnymede and Jane subway stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line are within walking distance of most of the houses in this neighbourhood. Motorists enjoy the convenience of being located only minutes away from the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard.

The Kingsway is a visionary neighbourhood first planned by Robert Home Smith in the early 1900s. Many of the homes in this idyllic setting provide an excellent architectural style of the era including stone exteriors, and half-timber designs on streets lined with majestic trees. Many of the first residents were mining execs and businessmen who knew Home Smith personally. He was truly successful in his lofty ideal to establish an English style garden suburb of the highest integrity and beauty: “a little bit of England far from England.”

Today The Kingsway is the premier neighbourhood in Toronto's west end, nestled in the idyllic forest setting of the Humber River Valley. This well-planned community was designed for families. The houses and properties are a good size, the streets are pedestrian friendly, and the schools, shopping, churches, and recreation are all within walking distance. The Kingsway streets are lined with stately oak and maple trees that provide the perfect backdrop for the stately homes that grace this neighbourhood. A few lucky residents have a beautiful, protected view of the Humber River from their kitchen windows!

The centre medians along Bloor Street in the Kingsway are truly unique with lighted trees, distinctive flags and beautiful flowers. Wrought iron benches, waste receptacles and coach lanterns add a decorative flair to the area, as do the distinct flags and banners and graceful flower gardens. The Coach Lantern Logos adorning the hydro poles help light the night sky and provide a warm ambiance, welcoming visitors to the Kingsway.

The annual Taste of The Kingsway Festival, held in September along Bloor Street West (from Prince Edward Drive to Montgomery Road), is a food and entertainment extravaganza with plenty of fun activities for everybody. Over 30 Kingsway restaurants serve delicious samples of International cuisines, beer and wine. There is a fashion show, a dog show, a boxing ring, Harvest Market, artisans and crafters pavilions, clowns, a midway and face painters for the children, merchant demonstrations, community exhibits, featured performers, and much more. The very active Business Improvement Area is committed to bringing these types of events to the community, and its latest program provides matching funds towards the redesign, renovation or restoration of commercial building facades to improve their appearance and the streetscapes – hence, a more welcoming environment to work, shop and live.

The Kingsway houses located between Kingsway Crescent and Royal York Road, and from Bloor Street north to Kings Garden Road were developed as part of a separate plan of subdivision called “Kingsway Park.” These houses include some of the finest examples of Old English classical and vernacular architecture in Toronto. Many homes in The Kingsway feature handsome stone exteriors, intricate tapestry brick patterns, and elaborate stucco and half timbering designs. These homes also feature solid oak doors, leaded glass windows, fanciful bay and oriel windows, and decorative wrought iron railings and porch lamps. The Kingsway's oldest houses, some excellent examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, are located along Government Road near Dundas Street. The area bursts forth at Christmastime with some of the most flamboyantly competitive lighting displays seen anywhere in the city.

The Kingsway boasts many fine public schools including:

Lambton Kingsway Jr. & Md. School
Warren Park Jr. School
Sunnylea Jr. School
Humbercrest Public School
Islington Jr. Md. School
Etobicoke Collegiate Institute
Runnymede Collegiate Institute
Western Technical-Commercial School
Etobicoke School of the Arts
Humberside Collegiate Institute
Richview Collegiate Institute

The gentrified Kingsway Village shopping district on Bloor Street West has an excellent mix of small specialty shops, chain stores, restaurants and professional and medical services. The village theme for this shopping district is a natural extension of the neighbourhood.

Dundas Street West at the north end of the Kingsway is a more casual version of the aforementioned Kingsway Village shopping district. Most of the shopping here is located in strip plazas and includes a number of home furnishing/design and landscaping shops. There are also some interesting hobby and craft stores, an antique store and an art gallery. The Kingsway Mills outdoor shopping plaza at 4242 Dundas Street West is a collection of small chain stores, specialty shops, and a fine food store.

There is an abundance of green spaces in the neighbourhood. Central Park located off Islington south of Dundas, is the home of the Etobicoke Lawn Bowling Club which includes two bowling greens, and also has tennis courts and a large baseball diamond. Home Smith Park accessed off Dundas Street follows the Humber River and is part of a 10 kilometre paved trail that links cyclists, in-line skaters, walkers, and joggers to the Martin Goodman Trail on Toronto's waterfront. 

Other easily accessed parks and green spaces include:

St Georges Golf & Country Club
Islington Golf & Country Club
Thomson Riley Park
Lambton Woods Park (also Lambton Golf & Country Club)
Smythe Park
James Gardens
Magwood Park
Etienne Brule Park

The Kingsway residents enjoy easy access to numerous libraries serving Toronto's west end, including the Richview branch at 1806 Islington, the HumberBay at 200 Parklawn, and Eatonville at 430 Burnhamthorpe. 

Recreation enthusiasts will appreciate programming in the area's community & rec centres:

The Etobicoke Memorial Pool and Health Club, 44 Montgomery Road offers a myriad of aerobic and aqua fit programs for adults. Next door to the pool and health club is the Central Arena at 50 Montgomery Road which offers public skating and organized ice and ball hockey leagues for children and adults.

Centennial Park Arena, 56 Centennial Park Rd
Lambton-Kingsway Indoor Swimming Pool, 37 Marquis
Norseman Swimming Pool, 105 Norseman
Olympium Swimming Pool, 590 Rathburn

Most Kingsway residents can walk to either the Royal York or Islington subway stations on Bloor Street. These stations are part of the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The Islington station is also a connecting route for the Mississauga Transit system as well as providing an express bus service to Pearson International airport. Motorists are approximately twenty minutes from downtown Toronto's business and entertainment districts via either Bloor Street, or Lakeshore Boulevard. The airport is approximately a ten minute drive from The Kingsway.