We Love The Village of Yorkville Park

City Living, Yorkville / Summerhill / Rosedale

Of all the amenities that really heighten the urban lifestyle, having lush quality green space ready and waiting for locals and visitors alike to use is always near the top of the list. Whether it’s finding a spot to uncurl with a book under a leafy tree, spending time with the family taking in whatever the season offers or having somewhere to stroll , there is no denying the appeal (and necessity) of a neighbourhood park!

 

 

One of our long time faves is the Village of Yorkville Park, located on the south side of Cumberland. This park embodies the whole green concept of “reduce reuse recycle”. It is built upon a repurposed parking lot, infusing this decidedly urban enclave with some much needed picturesque and theraputic greenery.

 

 

This isn’t just any old park. It’s awarding winning, having collected hardware with the American Society of Landscape Architects Award, the City of Toronto Urban Design Award of Excellence and the International Downtown’s Association Award of Merit.

In the 1950s, a block of Victorian row house were torn down to create space for the new east-west subway line. Area residents and businesses had lobbied for its construction for years (two decades in fact) and were finally granted permission to build the park in the early 1970s. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the park construction actually got underway with a design competition.

 

 

The concept was simple, but revolutionary – to create landscaping that wasn’t just about placing greenery in an urban setting, but rather about creating landscaping that could be seen as a work of art.

 

 

There is a definitive Yorkvillian vibe to this park, with luxe details and emphasis on the finer points. It is divided into 11 sections, representing different Canadian landscapes. A selection of the materials and environments that you’ll see there are upland forests, marshes, groves, prairies, orchards and rock. “The” iconic rock that sits outside of the Bay St. Station was transplanted from the Canadian Shield. Hardscaping performs an architectural function and lends artistic flair.

 

 

You’ll find pine and, maple, birch, alder and crab apple trees, among other varieties; you’ll also find marshy wetland and a man-made waterfall. Most notably, it meshes a good selection of unusual, exotic plant life and attractive greenery into the urban landscape, with concrete in and around.

We particularly love the slabs of Canadian Shield which ground the Canadiana spirit with its site!

 

 

This is a popular spot at lunch hours and on the weekends, as folks bring a grab-and-go lunch or a coffee and press pause at one of the many curved  benches that encircle the trees or tables and chairs and unwind. It is near a number of high-end habitats, retailers and eateries that Yorkville is famous for.

The park is home to a number of special events throughout the year, like the Bloor-Yorkville Icefest, Bloor-Yorkville Holiday Magic and Summer Music in the Park, just to name a few.

 

 

Click here to read “Toronto Parks: Village of Yorkville Park” and “Village of Yorkville Park- a Green Space Gem”  and “Village of Yorkville Park Toronto” for more about this park’s history.

 


 

Thanks for reading!

 

– Steven

Steven Fudge, Sales Representative
& The Innovative Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage – (416) 322-8000

– we’re here to earn your trust, then your business –

Celebrating Twenty-Five Years As A Top-Producing Toronto Realtor

 

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