Welcome to my blog on housing, culture, and design in Toronto! This is where I share my insights and experiences on almost every aspect of the Toronto Real Estate Market – and life here in The Six!
Have you ever cycled down Oakwood Avenue – which runs south from Eglinton Avenue West – to see what new art installation has appeared? Designated an Arts District by the City of Toronto in 2018, thanks in great part to the active mix of cultural communities and creatives that call the area home. The neighbourhood flies its Arts Flag proudly, primarily promoting various artists (and the creation of art!) through specialized installations and local exhibits, as well as incredible murals and street art!
Below, we’ve featured just a sampling of the artists (and their works) that are inspiring, provoking critical thought, and creating a unique vibrancy in this community.
Here is multidisciplinary artist Curtia Wright’s vibrant mural, “Celebrating Queer Black Lives,” currently at 529 Oakwood Avenue. It was commissioned by LOMA Marketing Agency and supported by the Nia Centre for the Arts and the local community.
* Video courtesy of STEPS Public Art on YouTube
From forgotten spaces to street-side benches, another artist who’s made a splash on Oakwood Avenue is Leone McComas.
“As part of I HeART Main Street, the Oakwood Village BIA commissioned artwork from the artist, Leone McComas, who, after the BIA’s call for donations of street furniture from the community, painted one bench and one picnic table in bright floral motifs to make their CafeTO parkette more inviting for those enjoying the space.” – Artworxto
The Moonlight Murals Collective – specifically, artists Yasaman Mehrsa, Melika Saeeda, Ghazaleh Rastgar – painted ‘Weaving The Future’ on Oakwood Avenue. Notably, it won the Community Engagement Award in Ontario in 2021. (The photo below is courtesy of Yasaman Mehrsa & the Moonlight Mural Collective.)
More recently, in August 2024, artist Sarah Waithe finished her mural entitled “Roots” at 504 Oakwood Avenue. Youth and community members living in the Vaughan-Oakwood neighbourhood were asked, “What does community mean to you?” The mural is inspired by their responses, which conjure images of hope, resistance, unity, and resilience. See the sensational completed work below:
Next time you’re cycling Oakwood Ave, keep your eye out for two upcoming works of art: one at 373B Oakwood by Leyland Adams, and one at 673 Oakwood by Julia Prajza & Chrissy Kuiack!
Oh! And we would be remiss not to mention the 4.9 metre steel palm tree at Oakwood & Vaughan in any conversation about Oakwood’s art scene. It’s intended to symbolize the roots put down by the Caribbean community in the area. Neat eh? It was part of an overhaul by the City of the entire traffic island, including the bus bay.
Much thanks is also owed to the Oakwood Village BIA for their sponsorship of art projects and contests, not to mention their campaigning and steering much of the neighbourhood’s economic and cultural development. You can read about them here, explore their initiatives, and peruse a calendar of upcoming events (like ‘Oakwood Ignites!’).
Oakwood Avenue is headed in the direction of becoming a cultural thoroughfare (like Ossington Avenue); “mature in character and spirit” the area is in the midst of gentrification, and residents are crossing their fingers that this positive change continues. – National Post
All it takes is a spark; a little care, colour and creativity in a community can go a long way to inspiring others and creating a more vibrant, nourishing neighbourhood for all!
Wouldn’t it be neat to live a dynamic urban life where you’re engaged by inspiring and provocative art every time you step out into your community? How about living just a 7-minute stroll from the soon-to-be-open Oakwood Station on the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT?
If that sounds like your jam, we’d be delighted to show you our fresh-to-market listing: A Sensational Sun-Kissed Semi In Oakwood Village, offered for sale at $799,000!
Located just south of Eglinton Avenue West and one block west of Oakwood Avenue, this heart-grabbing 2-storey 3-bedroom character dwelling (built in 1926) possesses all the charm and beauty you’d expect from a well-maintained Edwardian home. It’s steps to the shops of Oakwood Village, a 7-minute walk to the soon-to-be-open Oakwood Station on the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and a 7-minute stroll to the Fairbanks Memorial Swimming Pool, Park & Recreation Centre!
Situated on a 17.5-foot x 110-foot fully fenced lot with a generous patio, raised planter bed, and charming storage shed, the property shares a mutual drive with its neighbour to the north. This semi-detached brick-and-frame dwelling encompasses 1158 square feet on two levels above grade, plus an additional 501 square feet below grade.
Have questions? Interested in booking a private viewing? It would be our pleasure to assist. Contact James Ormston by email (james@urbaneer.com) or phone (647-388-1357).
Here’s another listing we SOLD in the neighbourhood – An Opportunity To Transform A Vintage Bungalow Steps To The New Oakwood Station. Just two blocks south of Eglinton and the new Oakwood Station on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT!
If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy these other Urbaneer articles:
Graffiti Alley Is Toronto’s Laneway Louvre
Reggae Lane In The Heart Of Toronto’s Little Jamaica
The Best Place For Culture Enthusiasts To Live In Downtown Toronto
Are You An Architectural History Buff? We Adore The Dazzling Distillery District!
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Since 1989, I’ve steered my career through a real estate market crash and burn; survived a slow painful cross-country recession; completed an M.E.S. graduate degree from York University called ‘Planning Housing Environments’; executed the concept, sales & marketing of multiple new condo and vintage loft conversions; and guided hundreds of clients through the purchase and sale of hundreds of freehold and condominium dwellings across the original City of Toronto. From a gritty port industrial city into a glittering post-industrial global centre, I’ve navigated the ebbs and flows of a property market as a consistent Top Producer. And I remain as passionate about it today as when I started.
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