The Vibe

In Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood, swank meets urban village in the most delightful way. With close ties to the rich and famous, here sleek high-rise condos overlook the dazzling Toronto skyline, and highly coveted penthouses offer views of the shimmering lake in the distance. These glass and concrete giants tower over treelined streets and some of Toronto's grandest hard-to-get Victorians. Locals gasp at the thought that Yorkville is often referred to as the “Beverly Hills” of Canada. While the area is known for its upscale shops and restaurants along the posh “Mink Mile," that's where the comparison to the glitz and glamour of LA's Beverly Hills ends. Instead, Yorkville is far more subtle with opulent boutiques and restaurants cloistered along the red brick sidewalks on Yorkville and Cumberland, and charming secret gardens, hidden lanes and courtyards preserve the neighbourhood's hallowed history.

The Story

Yorkville began as the first stagecoach stop on Yonge Street at Bloor. The Red Lion Inn was a convenient stay for those travelling on Ontario’s primary route leading to the Scollard Street and Davenport Road markets. Founded in 1808, Yorkville and the inn were central to Canada and Toronto’s history, including the plotting of the 1837 Rebellion led by William Lyon MacKenzie.

Builder, businessman, and Yorkville’s first reeve and postmaster, James Dobson is credited for Yorkville’s initial growth after purchasing land to lay out lots along the west side of Yonge. The sites of his post office and general store are now Town Hall Square. Two other notable names tied to Yorkville and Toronto history are Joseph Bloor and William Botsford Jarvis who purchased and subdivided land into small lots in 1830. The new side streets were designed for “those interested in living in the cleaner air outside of York" and account for the serenity of the area today. In 1883 a bolstering number of residents and businesses lead to the village's desire to be annexed by the City of Toronto.

European immigrants and stagecoaches stopped at the many hotels and taverns located south of Davenport, between Yonge Street and Avenue Road. Joseph Bloor Brewery aided in the area's development in the 1830s by damming Severn Creek to generate water power, and in 1867, Yorkville Brewery added a 15-horsepower steam engine line.

The area was also prime brick-making land, where The Yorkville Brick Yard, located in today's Ramsden Park, took advantage of the clay and sand deposits to produce Yorkville’s distinct, yellow-toned brick used on St. Michael's and St. James Cathedrals.

Yorkville became a bohemian hub for Toronto's flourishing art and music scene in the 1960s. Stately Victorians that had seen better days became affordable real estate where avant-garde coffee houses, galleries, and nightclubs like the Riverboat Coffee House were iconic spots for cultural events and gatherings. By the 1970s, Yorkville’s prime location became highly desirable real estate for gentrification and soon upscale high-rises, office towers, restaurants, and boutiques replaced Toronto's bohemian establishments.

The Convenience

With a walkable score of 100, Yorkville’s convenient location at the Yonge/Bloor line offers public transit in any direction. A short drive down University to the Gardiner serves drivers heading further afield. Residents have everything needed to lead a chic, stylish lifestyle within minutes of their exclusive homes. Without a mall or plaza in sight, haute couture along the Mink Mile and upscale boutiques on Yorkville and Cumberland are matched with equally exclusive gastronomic experiences where gourmet dining and cocktails with the glitterati are considered the norm.

The Residents

Yorkville is home to the predominantly Eurocentric “rich and famous” seeking ultra-chic permanent and short-term residence. From start-up moguls to polished professionals and avant-garde business owners to top-tier executives, it’s not just celebrities and artists attracted to Yorkville’s exclusive vibe. With over 22% earning well above the $300,000 mark, In Yorkville wealthy empty nesters downsize to high-end boutique condos, and the nouveau riche rub elbows with old-money families.

The Best Part

Despite Yorkville’s 100% bougie vibe, it somehow manages to be pretentious and unpretentious at the same time. Wealth isn’t brazenly flaunted other than obvious signs like double-parked luxe vehicles and dog walkers donning chi-chi designer clothes.

The Worst Part

That same bougie vibe makes the area ultra-exclusive and out-of-reach expensive even for buyers with respectably above-average incomes.

The Real Estate

With some of Toronto’s most luxurious addresses, Yorkville's average housing price seems almost affordable at first glance. However, the crazy price range starts with small luxury studios in the $700,000s and skyrockets to over $18 million for a super-prestigious penthouse or small-scale mansion, so the real-world prices are uber-expensive. Victorian-style detached and semi-detached heritage homes dominate the side streets, while arguably Toronto’s most exclusive condos offer high-rise living with unmatched views, designs, and amenities.

The Schools

Toronto's most illustrious private schools make up for the lack of public schools in Yorkville's catchment area bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east, and Avenue Road to the west.

Elementary

• Cottingham Junior Public School | 85 Birch Avenue | (JK to Grade 6)
• Jesse Ketchum Junior and Senior Public School | 61 Davenport Road | (JK to Grade 8)

Senior

No TDSB secondary school within its own borders

Private

• De La Salle College | 131 Farnham Ave | (Grades 5 to 12)
• Branksome Hall | 10 Elm Avenue | (JK to Grade 12)
• Upper Canada College | 200 Lonsdale Road | (JK to Year 12)
• The Bishop Strachan School | 298 Lonsdale Road | (JK to Grade 12)
• The York School | 1320 Yonge Street | (JK to Grade 12)