Willowdale West Real Estate, Toronto

Willowdale West neighbourhood in Toronto. Popular communities include Willowdale East, Newtonbrook East, Newtonbrook West, Bayview Village, Lansing Westgate.

Willowdale West has 254 homes on the market. Of the 23733 total properties listed in Toronto, Willowdale West makes up just 1.1%. The average asking price of a property in Willowdale West is $1,245,701, with an estimated mortgage of $4,220 per month. That is 1.2 times less of the average asking price of $1,461,216 in Toronto. Properties listed in Willowdale West are an average of 855 square feet, with 2.1 beds and 2.1 baths. Willowdale West has 31.9% apartments relative to all the other listings in this neighbourhood.

Willowdale West Neighbourhood Guide

Willowdale West is a lively urban district in North York, Toronto, featuring plenty of luxury condo buildings, custom built homes and glimmering office towers. Furthermore, a newly renovated shopping centre and theatre complex, a sleek civic centre, a world-class aquatic centre and a highly renowned Centre for the Performing Arts which hosts local and world class entertainment can all be spotted in the neighbourhood.

Real estate in Willowdale West is decorated by beautiful tree-lined streets and a blend of older and newer houses. The primary housing stock was built in the 1910s, 1940s through the 1950s and is comprised of enchanting bungalows and charming 2-storey brick homes. Conversely, there is a tendency in this neighbourhood for people to buy smaller houses, demolish them and build custom homes. Even though a lot of the initial homes still can be found in the community, more often than not, new homes are being built.

The lots in Willowdale West are spacious which appeals to homebuyers. On the other hand, there is a large number of condos for sale in Willowdale West in addition to townhouses. This North York community is surrounded by wonderful scenic spaces including access to Downsview Park and Mitchell Field Park. The recently rebuilt Earl Haig Secondary School can also be located in Willowdale West and attracts families with young children thanks to its’ outstanding academic reputation.

Homes

Willowdale West is a multi-cultural community with over half of its residents being immigrants. The geographic position of the neighbourhood makes Willowdale West homes for sale all the more favourable because of its proximity to many amenities. This community houses single-family homes as well as condo townhouses and high-rise condo towers.

The homes differ in age from the original 1910 construction to the 1950s and styles consist of one and two-storey homes. Willowdale West is the first neighbourhood that applied the term “monster home” when Torontonians described the lavishly large two-storey homes that were substituting the modest original houses.

Besides the abundance of large lots and residential opportunities in this neighbourhood, access to proper schools is another motive why people admire this North York community. The close by Earl Haig Secondary School is greatly esteemed for its Claude Watson Arts program where students can major in dance, drama, music or the visual arts.

History

The History of Willowdale West began with Jacob Cummer who immigrated from the United States to Canada in 1797 and originally settled in the community. He was an extremely victorious businessman who was a self trained veterinarian, doctor in addition to an entrepreneur. Given his great status, the region was formally known as Kummer's Settlement by his neighbours.

David Gibson, a notable land surveyor, was another leader in this district. He helped form the "Willow Dale" post office which was given its name after the many willow trees that once graced the vicinity. Members of the Gibson clan were still living in the Gibson House in the 1920s when the residential subdivision of Willowdale started to come into existence.

The Gibson House (5172 Yonge Street) was established in approximately 1851, is still standing in its original location and is now a historic museum.

Transportation

Willowdale West real estate agents MLS listings might make note of the fact that most errands can be accomplished on foot in this neighbourhood. However, public transit is also available.

Bus service runs along Sheppard, Finch and Bayview Avenues and links passengers to stations on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. The Bathurst Street bus connects with the Bathurst station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. A York Region GO Transit bus terminal can be found at the Finch subway station for commuters traveling north of the city.

Yonge Street cuts right through the centre of Willowdale West offering a quick and simple access route both into and out of the city. On-ramps to Highway 401 are suitably located off Bayview Avenue and Yonge Street, south of Sheppard Avenue. Additionally, Willowdale West has about 2 car shares from Zipcar.

Retail and Schools

Willowdale West condos rely heavily on the conveniences offered inside the buildings and outside as well. Within the neighbourhood, there are about 210 restaurants, bars and coffee shops and residents can walk to an average of 9 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in 5 minutes.

The nearby Yonge Street shopping district offers a mix of small retailers, big box stores, unique specialty stores, fast food joints, small shopping plazas and a large shopping centre. This eclectic shopping district also offers an international selection of restaurants including Middle Eastern, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Greek foods. Plenty of food markets are also available in the area.

The Bayview Village Shopping Centre is within close proximity to Willowdale West and is known for its premium selection of clothing stores and restaurants.

Entertainment

Within Willowdale West there are plenty of entertainment attractions and recreational opportunities. The nearby North York Civic Centre includes the Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre and the North York Central Library. Neighboring the civic centre is Mel Lastman Square, which includes a spacious amphitheatre, a reflecting pool which serves as a skating rink in the wintertime and more.

Adjacent to Mel Lastman Square is the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts which presents the Art Gallery of North York, the George Weston Recital Hall, and the Studio Theatre. The Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club is situated across the street from the civic centre.

The Mitchell Field Community Centre (89 Church Avenue) offers an ice arena, indoor pool, a gymnasium and more. Tennis courts and baseball diamonds can be located at Bayview Village Park. Willowdale Park, also has tennis courts and the neighbourhood is home to many children's parks.