Roncesvalles Real Estate, Toronto

Roncesvalles neighbourhood in Toronto. Popular communities include South Parkdale, High Park Swansea, Little Portugal, High Park North, Dufferin Grove.

Roncesvalles has 81 homes on the market. Of the 21301 total properties listed in Toronto, Roncesvalles makes up just 0.4%. The average asking price of a property in Roncesvalles is $1,353,863, with an estimated mortgage of $4,586 per month. That is 1.1 times less of the average asking price of $1,427,656 in Toronto. Properties listed in Roncesvalles are an average of 456 square feet, with 1.9 beds and 2 baths. Roncesvalles has 17.3% apartments relative to all the other listings in this neighbourhood.

Roncesvalles Neighbourhood Guide

Roncesvalles, otherwise known as Roncesvalles Village, is a community in the City of Toronto that is centred on Roncesvalles Avenue. It is just east of High Park which is north of Lake Ontario.

Its unofficial borders are Bloor Street West to the north, Lansdowne Avenue/rail corridor to the east, Lake Ontario/Queen Street West to the south and High Park to the west. Although this neighbourhood was first known as 'Howard Park,' a majority of this area was previously within the boundaries of Parkdale and Brockton villages and in the 1880s, was annexed into Toronto.

Real estate in Roncesvalles has a somewhat European feel and small-town ambience. This community is very well liked by young families who are thankful for the convenience of the site just west of downtown. The close propinquity to High Park waterfront walking and bicycle trails, easy access to public transportation, as well as the Roncesvalles shops and restaurants also make this neighbourhood desirable.

Among real estate in Roncesvalles, there is an annual Polish Festival, which takes place in the neighbourhood every September and attracts thousands of people. Roncesvalles Avenue is blocked off for this fest which includes Polish dancers, children's games and rides, as well as polka bands and lots of food and refreshments.

Homes

Since this neighbourhood is predominantly residential, homes for sale in Roncesvalles may be available on the MLS. There is a commercial strip down the entire length of Roncesvalles, which is made up mostly of small businesses, churches and institutions. To the west of Roncesvalles, the region is almost completely residential minus St. Joseph's Health Centre and a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar barn.

In this West End neighbourhood, East of Roncesvalles along the CN and CP rail lines lies an older manufacturing area that is in transition. More than a few of the properties along Sorauren Avenue have been changed into loft-style condos for sale in Roncesvalles. A TTC bus garage was once situated along Sorauren Avenue; however, this property has been switched into Sorauren Park. Two other old industrial structures along Wabash are owned by the City of Toronto, and are lined up for a future community centre. One of the buildings now serves as a clubhouse for the Park.

Culturally speaking, this neighbourhood is known as the heart of the Polish community in Toronto with prominent Polish institutions, businesses, as well as St Casimir's Catholic Church on Roncesvalles Avenue. The businesses along Roncesvalles have started the Roncesvalles Village Business Improvement Area and host a yearly Polish Festival.

History

In 1850, Roncesvalles was first settled by Colonel Walter O’Hara who was a soldier in the British army prior to moving to Canada. He was injured and seized by the French in the Roncesvalles Gorge in northern Spain which is where the name Roncesvalles comes from.

Since O’Hara was firstly from Ireland, he named the streets here; Constence, O ’Hara, Geoffrey, Marion and Sorauren after his family members, and Fermanaugh where the O’Hara clan originated.

The construction of the current-day community was stimulated by the street-car, which came around in the early 1900s. Roncesvalles was a family-oriented community right from the beginning. Nearby manufacturers offered jobs to the many British immigrants that settled here. Following WWII, an influx of Eastern Europeans, mainly Poles, came to Roncesvalles.

Transportation

MLS listings might make mention that daily errands do not require a car in Roncesvalles as it is the 14th most walkable neighborhood in Toronto with a Walk Score of 91.

However, public transit is available as streetcar service is runs on Queen Street, Dundas Street and Roncesvalles Avenue, with stops at many subway stations along the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines. The Lansdowne bus stops at the Lansdowne subway station on the Bloor-Danforth line.

Go Transit has a station at the Crossways, on the north-east corner of Bloor Street West and Dundas Street West. Commuters can also access Union Station from this line. Commuters are roughly a 15-minute drive from the downtown core.

Retail and Schools

Roncesvalles real estate agents know that there are a myriad of small businesses in the community which are mostly independently operated and owned. The shopping here includes grocers and organic specialty stores, health food stores, cafes and restaurants, pharmacies and specialty gift shops. Additionally, clothing and shoe boutiques, book and music stores, video stores, art shops, hardware stores and law offices can also be found within the community.

The previous S.S. Kresge store is now a Royal Bank but was built in 1936 and has its original Kresge signage. Roncesvalles is very well known for the large number of small restaurants, cafés and specialty food shops of various cuisines. There are several bakeries and delicatessens, as a matter of fact; there are about 387 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in Roncesvalles. People in the neighbourhood can walk to an average of 9 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in 5 minutes.

Entertainment

When it comes to entertainment attractions, Roncesvalles real estate agents know that there are many located nearby. High Park is within a short walk west of this community. Visitors to this park can take part in a variety of sport opportunities, from tennis to fishing in Grenadier Pond. There is also a very well liked children's playground and a zoo. Walkers, joggers and nature lovers can enjoy the many trails that cross this park.

Additional parks include Sorauren Park, at the northeast corner of Sorauren and Wabash, and the Charles G. Williams Park at the southeast corner of Sorauren and Wabash. The Keele Community Centre on Glenlake Avenue includes an indoor pool and the High Park Library on Roncesvalles Avenue features programs for children and adults.