Annex Real Estate, Toronto

Annex neighbourhood in Toronto. Popular communities include Casa Loma, Palmerston Little Italy, Kensington Chinatown, Church Yonge Corridor, Trinity Bellwoods.

Annex has 539 homes on the market. Of the 21208 total properties listed in Toronto, Annex makes up just 2.5%. The average asking price of a property in Annex is $2,563,702, with an estimated mortgage of $8,685 per month. That is 1.8 times of the average asking price of $1,424,267 in Toronto. Properties listed in Annex are an average of 961 square feet, with 1.7 beds and 2 baths. Annex has 28% apartments relative to all the other listings in this neighbourhood.

Annex Neighbourhood Guide

The traditional borders of this neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, east to Avenue Road, south to Bloor Street and west to Bathurst Street. It is recognized by the City of Toronto as a broader neighbourhood which includes the adjacent Yorkville and Seaton Village areas. Situated near the University of Toronto, Annex has an increasing rate of seasonal renter turnover, and its residents vary from university students to long-time tenants.

Annex displays many versions of a distinctively Torontonian type of house that was well-liked by the city's elite in the late 19th Century. Models of this style, dubbed “Annex-style house” have endured in the earlier aristocratic areas down Jarvis and Sherbourne Street as well as in the University of Toronto campus.

E.J. Lennox is attributed for these designs as he was the most well-known architect in the city of Toronto during the late 19th Century. Annex style houses adopts elements from the styles of the British Queen Anne as well as the American Richardson Romanesque. These houses characteristically feature big, curved Romanesque arches alongside Queen Anne style ornamental items like turrets.

Attics are accentuated in the external architecture. The homes are predominantly made of brick, however a number of houses also integrate Credit Valley sandstone. The city’s wealthiest denizens wanted large houses, so they had them built custom. With time, the affluent residents moved out of the neighbourhood and many of the houses were converted into apartments.

Homes

Annex is, for the most part, residential, with one-way, tree-lined streets that are home to Edwardian and Victorian houses and mansions built between the late 19th and early 20th Century. Although newer additions have been included in the 1950s and 1960s, real estate in Annex is in demand because a majority of the houses in this neighbourhood have unique features and deep history. Large, character homes are a breath of fresh air away from cookie-cutter condos and apartment buildings. Furthermore, Annex is thriving with culture and it has a population density of about 8,500 people per km² which is 10 times that of the expansive GTA.

The span of Bloor Street amid St. George and Bathurst is a pulsating combination of a mixed-use and social area, presenting Toronto with an extensive variety of services from moderately priced restaurants to independent retailers. The buildings in which these establishments are housed oftentimes consist of residential units on the upper floors.

History

In the 1790s, European settlement began in this area when land assessors planned out York Township. The vicinity east of Brunswick Avenue developed into part of the village of Yorkville, whereas the section west of Brunswick became part of Seaton Village. In Yorkville, on the year 1883, it agreed to annexation through the City of Toronto. A developer named Simeon Janes, produced a subdivision in 1886 which he named the Toronto Annex. In 1887, Annex district became part of Toronto and Seaton Village united with Toronto in 1888.

The Spadina Expressway was proposed in the 1960s and if built would have separated Annex in half. Fortunately, Annex area inhabitants, alongside other groups of residents, effectively opposed its construction.

Transportation

Getting around Annex is not a challenge; public transportation is readily available in this neighbourhood. In order to serve the residents and visitors of this area, there are 4 Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway stations: Bathurst, Dupont, Spadina, and St. George.

The St.George and Spadina stations serve as junction stations, permitting passengers to travel via the subway north-west as well as east-west. Moreover, Toronto is a city with streetcars, and services run through Annex south from Spadina and Bathurst stations. In addition, bus service operates on Davenport Street, Dupont Street, Avenue Road, Spadina Road, and northward on Bathurst Street.

Retail and Schools

The Annex neighbourhood is highly desirable and is known for having a booming cultural scene. Clubs, community centres and cinema can all be found in Annex. Home to Tranzac; the Toronto Australia-New Zealand Club and a documentary films theatre known as the Bloor Cinema. Houses of worship are also prominent in the Annex; there is a Jewish Community Centre as well as Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church, which hosts many neighbourhood events.

For night owls, stores are open late and select restaurants stay open well past midnight. Many of the area's amenities like retail businesses; restaurant and entertainment venues are geared towards the demographics of young, university students. Homes for sale in Annex have an advantage since the Yorkville area is located nearby. It is Canada’s fashion capital housing major retailers such as Gucci, Prada, Holt Renfrew and more.

Entertainment

Annex is host to many entertainment attractions and museums including the Bata Shoe Museum, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art and the Royal Ontario Museum. To visit Toronto Landmarks, check out Honest Ed's or University College, 15 Kings College Circle. For some fun, the Fringe Theatre Festival is an annual event which includes dance, comedy, drama, and other productions displayed in Annex.

Restaurants and bars are abundant in and around Annex; some of the more well-known ones are Panorama, the Labyrinth Lounge, and Fresh: By Juice for Life. No matter the price range, from budget to high range, establishments are not scarce in Annex.