An Opportunity To Transform A Vintage Bungalow Steps To The New Oakwood Station

One of the greatest lures of Toronto is that it is comprised of a collection of neighbourhoods, each with its own vibe and characteristics, lending incredible texture to the overall fabric of the city as a whole. One such neighbourhood is Oakwood Village just south of Eglinton Avenue West, east of Dufferin in midtown Toronto; this lovely residential enclave is steps to Little Jamaica – Toronto’s first designated ‘cultural district’ – and the soon-to-be-open Eglinton Crosstown LRT with 25 new stations connecting you to all points north, south, east and west!

Welcome to 83 Clovelly Avenue!

Welcome To Oakwood Village

You may not see much evidence today, but Oakwood Village has its roots as one of the early streetcar suburbs of Toronto. With housing stock that dates from the 1920s and later, this centrally-located midtown neighbourhood has everything you need, including excellent amenities to support all pursuits of leisure and life conveniently.

Affectionately known as ‘OV’ this neighbourhood is bordered by Eglinton Avenue West to the north, Winona Drive to the east, St Clair Avenue West to the south and Dufferin Street to the west. Back in the day before Toronto amalgamated in 1998, this area was in the former City of York and was called Oakwood–Vaughan, but you’re more likely to hear it called for its nickname ‘Five Points’ for the intersecting crossroads of Oakwood Avenue, Vaughan Road, and Belvidere Avenue. How’s that for an interesting tidbit of history?

This vibrant enclave has lots to offer close to home, thanks in part to the lively Oakwood Village BIA, actively supporting local shops and restaurants, with the commercial district running from Oakwood Avenue, between Charles Breton Park and Bude Street, and the adjacent Vaughan Road businesses. Local business has long been a staple of this community, with a collection of shops and services in existence since the 1920s. When you look closely you can see this history evident in the streetscape, although it is layered with the emerging modern vibe of today’s urban living.

One of the best parts of living in a village that is part of a larger urban fabric is that your everyday life can be self-contained when you choose. The residential streets are calm enough for child’s play: biking, running, skipping rope, climbing trees, playing in the yard, and chatting with neighbours on front porches. And everything you require is a short stroll or cycle away, but if you’re going to adventure out, whether by car or by public transit, it’s all lickety-split accessible given it’s bordered by three of Toronto’s prominent arterial roads – Eglinton Avenue West, Dufferin street and St.Clair Avenue West.

Little Jamaica is a vibrant neighbourhood that lies to the north along Eglinton Avenue. It’s an up-and-coming area that blends the past with modern day; new transit lines position the area for growth, while historical significance remains a major theme. We particularly love food offerings like Judy’s Island Grill and the succulent jerk chicken at RAP’s – delish! Little Jamaica glows in personality, culture and community. With a strong bond to the past, the future for this Toronto neighborhood is bright and filled with big plans. To be a part of such a rich, vibrant and historically significant community would be a pleasure for anyone.

The welcoming and warm vibe omnipresent in this neighbourhood is because it’s an inclusive Canadian melting pot flavoured by the area’s Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Filipino and Jamaican roots. This diverse multicultural makeup is enormously appealing to singles, couples and young families (43% of the households have children), making it one of the main reasons new buyers are gravitating to the neighbourhood. Another reason is the eclectic range of existing housing, both in terms of size, condition, type (about 17% of the housing is in 5+ storey apartments and co-ownerships) and price point that is available for purchase or rent, as well as the recent trend for older dwellings to be torn down and replaced with newly constructed or substantially transformed homes, usually being 2, 2 1/2 and 3 storey executive single-family or 2-unit homes in a modern or classic contemporary style. In fact, in the past year, there have been ten sales in Oakwood Village that have garnered sums anywhere from $2,025,000 to $3,050,000. It signals this area will only continue to prosper.

Love to shop local? Doing errands is near effortless because everything is so close to home. A stone’s throw away is No Frills, FreshCo. Rexall, Shopper’s Drug Mart, the Beer Store, Canadian Tire and the LCBO. There are loads of interesting eateries and unique shops to choose from. Craving sweets? Your fresh baked goods are ready at Doce Minho Bakery. Gotta cold? Pick up soul-soothing soup year-round at The Toronto Soup Co, while everything plant-based fare is ready for you at Vegwood. Grab-and-go your coffee on the way to the park at Hunter Coffee Shop. Head out in the morning to brunch at 3 Eggs All Day; although you can get breakfast – just as it sounds – all day long there! Craving a pint? Your neighbourhood pub no doubt will be Oakwood Hardware.

How about great green space – after all, the early suburbs were originally constructed with an emphasis on supporting leisure activities. One of Toronto’s best parks is within walking distance from your front door. A 15-minute walk away is the expansive Cedarvale Park, which is a veritable hub for this community. There are tons of trails for walking, hiking and biking. There are tennis courts, outdoor fitness equipment, playgrounds, splash pad, sports field and ball diamonds, Dog owners will love the large off-leash park. In the winter, there is an outdoor rink. There are a host of smaller parkettes within a small radius too – like the Senator Peter Bosa Parkette on Vaughan Road, Laughlin Park on Atlas Avenue, CY Townsend Park on Winona Avenue and Charles Brereton Park on Oakwood Avenue – as well as the Fairbank Memorial Swimming Pool on Keywest Avenue and the Fairbank Memorial Community Recreation Centre on Dufferin Street. Just further afield – south of St. Clair west of Bathurst Avenue – is the beloved Wychwood Barns Park, that includes the converted heritage building built as a streetcar maintenance facility in 1913 and now a community centre / event venue, the Peter MacKendrick Community Gallery and office spaces for a range of arts, community and environmental organizations as well as a Farmer’s Market.

When it comes to living an urban life, accessibility is everything. For those who commute by car, you’re a few blocks from the Allen Expressway that will connect you to Highway 401 and beyond. How’s that for zippity do dah! And for those who prefer easy-breezy public transit, this property is three blocks from the soon-to-be-open Eglinton Crosstown LRT! A 5-minute walk will land you at the new Oakwood Station, which was built in an unusual cylindrical shape that makes the entire station look like a tunnel – cool, eh? The exterior of the main entrance to the station has a bright & modern-looking facade allowing it to blend in to the retail spaces on either side of it. Alternatively, a 12-minute walk to the Eglinton West Subway Station on the Yonge-University Line 1. How fantastic is that?

Have kids? There are great schools in the neighbourhood including the reputable JR Wilcox Community school just down the street, serving JK to Grade 8. A little further, but very walkable is Oakwood Collegiate with its well-regarded academic and athletic programs. And D’Arcy McGee Catholic School is a 6-minute walk west. Those seeking a private French school will be pleased to know this dwelling is near the Lycée Francais de Toronto.

A Vintage Bungalow Brimming With Opportunity

Perched on Clovelly Avenue – a quiet street 3 blocks south of Eglinton Avenue just west of Oakwood Avenue – this charming 2-bedroom bungalow (circa 1927) is ready for reinvention. Will you be the one to breathe new life into this prime property?

We love a bungalow! A housing style that dots the streetscapes in both the city and the suburbs alike, did you know bungalows first came onto the housing architecture scene in Bengal, India in the 19^th century, when India was under British rule? These single-storey, small footprint homes were initially built with the intention of becoming vacation homes which is why the bungalow design often exudes a ‘cottage’ feel. They were favoured largely because their contained and straightforward footprint could be built quickly and efficiently, and they offered just enough space for individual privacy but not so much space as to be wasteful.

Over the years, this housing style gained popularity in the United Kingdom and then later in North America as an affordable, practical dwelling. In Toronto, there are some striking examples of Victorian cottage-like bungalows in Cabbagetown and Corktown, as well as several working-class bungalows located downtown near Trinity Bellwoods Park and in Little Portugal. In fact, this housing type is common in the early suburbs of the 1920s and beyond, fanning across the city in neighbourhoods such as Swansea, South Kingsway, and Mimico to the west, East York and Leaside to the east, and north through midtown including the neighbourhoods of Oakwood Village and Belgravia to the north! These really took off in popularity thanks in part to national housing programs which helped the post-war economic recovery and provided affordable housing for returning vets. Neat, eh?

The bungalow is a great purchase for those downsizing and seeking their own slice of terra firma in lieu of buying a high-in-the-sky crackerjack box. It offers just the right amount of space all on one level, with the opportunity to vault the ceilings with an articulated roofline, add generous skylights to flood the space in sunlight and create direct access to a deck overlooking the rear garden by installing expansive sliding glass doors. Without question, it would be an amazing ‘Bungaloft’ in the centre of the city, right? You might even consider digging out the basement to create a legal secondary suite for your grandkids when they attend U of T, or for accommodations for live-in care when you’re really aging-in-place. After all, isn’t that the better option than a Long Term Care Home?

We really like the scale and proportions of this home. It starts with its deep-covered front porch that screams lemonade on a summer’s afternoon, inviting the casual chit-chat with neighbours that accompanies living local. This village feel permeates the neighbourhood even though the ‘Bright Lights Big City’ convenience and accessibility of Eglinton Avenue and the Crosstown LRT are just two blocks away!

Beyond the front door, the existing space plan includes the open inviting entertainment space, grounded with original wood floors and two charming vintage windows flanking the fireplace. The kitchen to the right is ready to become the culinary centre of your gourmet dreams – perhaps with an island from which to showcase your skills? Really, there are so many options to reinvent this space into a layout that reflects the way you want to live.

Currently two bedrooms and one washroom, one could convert the formal dining room into a third bedroom as required. The rooms are workable for those who choose to work within the existing footprint. And given the lower level is a similar size, you’ve got a myriad of options to make this additional living space too if you so choose, including digging out a portion of the rear yard so that the lower level walks out to a patio, bringing in lots of natural light and connecting it with the landscape.

Even more, there is legal front yard parking (the annual fee is $301) plus the mutual drive, which is shared with the neighbour to the east offers easy access to bring your Vespa or electric bike to the side lot.

Need some guidance? Check out ‘Dear Urbaneer: What Are The Steps To Home Renovation?’

Or Transform This Into A Contemporary Executive Residence!

Having dimensions of 25 x 120 feet with a mutual drive and legal licenced front pad parking, this property also offers the opportunity to be transformed into a 2.5 storey 4bed 3.5bath family home with over 3000 square feet of above grade living.

Although this isn’t assured, existing vintage dwellings like this are going through the planning process frequently. In fact, the majority of newer residences you see in the neighbourhood, including the very residence next door to this bungalow for sale required an application to the City of Toronto’s Committee of Adjustment for approvals to add a rear extension plus a second and third floor. In fact, it isn’t unusual in the City of Toronto to be able to increase the size of the property from 0.6 times coverage to 1.14 times coverage or more.

Here are the floor plans of 85 Clovelly residence next door, so you can see what potential exists with this property:

It’s not a complicated process, but I do encourage you to enlist the skill set of a shelter team to make an application that requested the necessary minor variances to the existing zoning for consideration and approval.

Want to know more? Check out my post called –> Dear Urbaneer: What Are The Steps To Add Onto A House In Toronto?

You can take a virtual tour of 83 Clovelly here!

This domestic package is a unique opportunity for those seeking a large lush yard, on-site parking, and a structure that can be tailored to suit!  Will this property be your blank slate or white canvas? The possibilities abound at 83 Clovelly Avenue!

Want to know more? Contact steve@urbaneer.com or james@urbaneer.com for more info!