One of the best features of the original City of Toronto – long regarded as ‘the city of neighbourhoods‘ – is how the fabric of our urban landscape is like a colourful patchwork quilt of domesticity. Each neighbourhood pocket, woven into the threads of the others surrounding it, has its own unique qualities according to its geography, cultural placemaking, and history, creating the patina and character that makes each of them special and Toronto so vibrant.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Dovercourt Village. This enclave is full of families and young entrepreneurs, including those who prefer a ‘pedestrian village’ aesthetic with cute Mom & Pop storefronts, kids playing street hockey, and tree-lined avenues.
Literally from corner to corner and street to street, within its’ boundaries of Bloor, Geary, Ossington and Dufferin Streets, we’ve adored this area for the past decade because of its progressive, liberated vibe, and its intermingling of cultural communities.
Founded in the 1870s, the first residents were originally poor immigrants from England living in dozens of small cottages. Annexed by the old City of Toronto in 1912, which resulted in city services being extended to help stimulate its growth and development, this area developed higgledy-piggledy with a mixture of land uses. The main thoroughfare of Bloor Street – between Montrose and Dufferin – consisting almost exclusively of mixed-use residential and commercial buildings has been branded ‘Bloorcourt Village’ by the Business Improvement Association. (Be sure to check out two of our favourite food purveyors in the ‘hood; spice up your life at La Tortilleria, and bank some serious snack time at Field Trip Cafe!)
Businesses on Dovercourt Road at Hallam Street – literally steps from the front door of the property we’re featuring below – also have their own BIA called the ‘Dovercourt Village BIA’. The boundaries stretch from Dupont south to Shanly and east-west from Salem to Ossington Avenue. Residents appreciate – and regular visitors notice – the slow but sure betterment of the community thanks to various BIA initiatives.
As someone who put down roots on College Street west of Bathurst in the mid-90s – steps from 3 adaptive reuse conversions I did the concept, sales & marketing for, and made my homes and the HQ for Urbaneer.com over a couple of decades (I have much love for The Button Factory at 200 Clinton Street, The Banquet Hall at 62 Claremont, and The Movie House at 394 Euclid Avenue), if you or someone you love is looking to purchase today with an eye to the future, there is no better time than now to lock down a property near Dovercourt Village. This wee collection of storefronts has all the right ingredients to become a hip urban village of retail, cafes and services to serve the exponential densification coming on Dupont, Dufferin and Bloor over the next few years (we have a new blog coming soon on this subject). In the meantime, who wouldn’t want to live around the corner from a local bakery, a bodega, and a coffee shop?
To the north, between Dupont and Davenport on Geary Avenue, is an emerging post-industrial redevelopment. Limited manufacturing remains, but many of the warehouses and storage facilities are being gentrified into contemporary art galleries, fantastic breweries, restaurants, and creative office spaces. While the Canadian Pacific Railway operates a mainline between the two thoroughfares, a large amount of former industrial space has been converted into more contemporary uses. Five years ago it was called Toronto’s ‘Williamsburg’ (à la 2 Broke Girls) by the website Torontoist (now Daily Hive), in a piece called “Is Dovercourt Village Toronto’s Next Big Thing?”
Keep an eye out for the continuing development of Galleria On the Park and other mixed-use and high-density housing coming to the area. Much of it is outlined in our 2020 post entitled, ‘A Brief History On The Old & The Emerging New Dupont’. With all these new housing units coming, the storefronts on Dovercourt near Hallam will evolve into a charming destination for locals. Not to mention, all of the people living in this new high-density housing will be eyeing freehold properties like Hallam with envy! (See our new listing at 117 Hallam at the end of this post!)
The beauty of Toronto’s patchwork quilt of neighbourhoods is that you don’t have to have everything you need and love in one enclave. In fact, Dovercourt Village is all the richer for its proximity to several other sought-after neighbourhoods, like Christie Pits, Bloorcourt Village, Wallace-Emerson, & Dufferin Grove. For example, the residents of Dovercourt are a short stroll to Clay & Paper Puppet Theatre in Dufferin Grove Park, some fantastic karaoke spots in Little Korea to the east, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Junction Triangle to the west. Even closer, on Bloor Street, you’ll find many cafes, restos, boutiques, and purveyors of extraordinary delights. That’s one of the benefits of living near the centre of it all: you’re surrounded by other great pocket communities that only serve to support and strengthen your daily life.
Day-To-Day Dining & Discoveries
Daily errands are a breeze, too. A Guardian Pharmacy, Shoppers Drug Mart and a LCBO are located nearby on Bloor Street; while Farm Boy, Loblaws and Fresh Co. grocers have storefronts on Dupont. Plus, there are some very cute classic corner stores steps away on Dovercourt that you can run to for last-minute items like milk, bread, and fresh flowers. We also love the mandate of Fiesta Farms – a nearby independent grocer and garden centre focusing on locally farmed products!
Are you a zombie without your morning java? Try Masa Deli & Espresso Bar on Dovercourt Road for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich! Also, check out Contra Cafe, where you’re likely to leave with a sweet-smelling fresh-baked loaf too! When dinner time rolls around and you’re craving something filling – like Italian – we recommend Trattoria Taverniti North (the pizza and polenta chips are particular faves!). For something lighter and snacky, check out OMG Cafe & Tapas and South Pacific for great Chinese. For dessert, you really can’t beat the delectable offerings and groovy atmosphere at Better Days Donuts! All four of these purveyors are on Dovercourt Road.
If you’re taking your friends out for a drink, Rooms on Dupont is a standout. We love the laid-back vibe and the guest DJs that play a set while you enjoy a delicious negroni! But our favourite spot for a pint in this neighbourhood is Blood Brothers Brewing, which is an industrial-chic taproom (with some great pub fare) up on Geary Avenue. It feels like you’re at home among a family of like-minded brew lovers when there.
What’s your shopping style? Mall or cute boutique? You’ve not only got ample choice for all of these – but you’ve got convenient access as well. Within a 20-minute stroll is Dufferin Mall – a shopper’s paradise with over 120 retailers including Walmart, Winners & Marshalls – and it’s even faster to the independent boutiques and bakeries on Bloor Street. Looking to grab a bite or meet with friends for coffee, drinks or a hang-out? No need to make plans – just wander out your front door south to Bloor Street with its selection of eclectic eateries, not to mention some stellar ‘buy local’ produce and butcher shops.
Play, Ride, Learn!
Is fitness and contemplation part of your everyday life? Just steps away on Bartlett is Dovercourt Park – a 2.4 hectare park featuring a lit ball diamond, two outdoor tennis courts, a wading pool and two children’s playgrounds. Located at the northeast corner of the park is the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club. A bit further away – a 12-minute walk – is the well-known Christie Pitts Park, offering a pool and splash pad, three baseball diamonds, a multi-sport field, basketball and volleyball courts, an ice rink, a children’s playground, and a community garden. How’s that for a stacked lineup of fun?!
If you love seasonal organic produce, a 20-minute walk will bring you to a fab farmer’s market at Dufferin Grove Park. This one’s a predominantly treed green space that also boasts an ice skating rink, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a community pizza oven! It’s a great spot to commune with nature, but if you’re not looking to unplug completely, and need to get a little work done, they have Wi-fi. Plus there are loads of other inventive activities that take place throughout the year organized by the ‘Friends of Dufferin Grove Park’. When it comes to green spaces, you’re spoiled for choice living on Hallam Street!
Been a while since you spent an afternoon hanging out in a library? This one is well worth your afternoon (and a few more). The Gladstone Library is not only chock-full of reading and multimedia material and family & community programming, but it’s a visual marvel as well, thanks to its $119 million renovation. Loads of natural light, free Wi-Fi, comfy chairs and snacks? Throw in a good book, and it sounds heavenly.
For those who commute by public transit, you can ride the 63 Ossington Bus Southbound for 2 minutes to Ossington Station – or you can walk there in just 10 minutes! Having a subway station so close to home is a major boon. Once you’re on the Bloor subway line, every corner of the City is available to you! If you’re a cyclist, you can take the bike lanes on Hallam to Bartlett or Shaw, which then connect you to the rest of Toronto’s cycling network! Need a car occasionally, for a Costco or Ikea run perhaps? There’s an Enterprise Car Rental Service just steps south at 947 Dovercourt Road!
Finally, it’s noteworthy how extremely family-friendly this neighbourhood is, with a supportive, connected community. While there are amenities and services aplenty, there are also many great schools, which are of incredible value (both literally in terms of preserving and increasing your asset value and in terms of simplifying life for parents). For the elementary and middle school crowd, Dovercourt Public School is a hop-skip-and-jump away – just 6 minutes down Hallam Street on foot! How convenient is that?! For high schoolers, Bloor C.I. is a bit further out – either a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bus or cycle. Both of these schools are ranked well among the city’s educational institutions!
If you’re in the market for a new home that offers flexibility & opportunity at a fair price, properties like this on – nestled in the heart of Dovercourt Village – are definitely worth your family’s consideration!
We call it: A Fantastic Flex House In Dovercourt Village – NOW SOLD!
We’re delighted to introduce you to this charming Flex House nestled on a 21 x 118 foot lot with laneway access to a quaint 2-car garage (plus it has approval for an as-of-right laneway dwelling!) Constructed in 1910 with a later 2-storey extension built on the rear of this dwelling, this residence possesses oodles of curb appeal.
Offering an intelligent flexible space plan, this property can be used in its current iteration as two 2-bedroom suites, or easily converted into a 3+1 bed, 2 bath residence with main floor family room. Need more space? This property has the as-of-right approvals for a 2-storey laneway dwelling of about 1350 square feet! Well-situated, well-proportioned, and welcoming, this residence is an ideal opportunity!
Contact James Ormston (james@urbaneer.com) or Steven Fudge (steve@urbaneer.com), with any questions.
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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.
Consider contacting me at 416-845-9905 or email me at Steve@urbaneer.com. It would be my pleasure to assist you, and yours.
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Serving first-time Buyers, upsizers and downsizers, and people building their long-term property portfolios, our mandate is to help clients choose the property which will realize the highest future return on their investment while ensuring the property best serves their practical needs and their dream of “Home” during their ownership.
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Thanks for reading!
-The Urbaneer Team
Steven Fudge, Sales Representative
& The Innovative Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage – (416) 322-800
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