What Are The Best Neighbourhoods in Toronto For Families?

The City of Toronto has officially recognized 140 neighbourhoods in Toronto. We’ve ranked the top 11 best neighbourhoods in Toronto for families to live.

For young couples who are expecting kids or those who already have kids, choosing the best neighbourhood in Toronto to raise kids is very important. The best neighbourhoods to raise your family in Toronto should have great school districts, proportionally enough parks and amenities, day care facilities and also great transit.

This is a helpful ranking for the best places in Toronto to raise a family:

11. The Beaches

Known for its laid-back vibe, beautiful beaches, and boardwalk, The Beaches is an ideal locale for families who love outdoor activities and a tight-knit community feel. The area boasts excellent schools, quaint shops, and family-friendly cafes and restaurants, making it one of the best places to live in Toronto for families looking for a serene, yet vibrant, lifestyle.

10. Leaside

Leaside is another top choice for families, known for its high-quality schools, abundant green spaces, and excellent recreational facilities. This neighborhood offers a perfect blend of residential calm and urban convenience, with a variety of shops and services within easy reach. Its community-centric atmosphere and safety make Leaside one of the best family neighborhoods in Toronto.

9. Davisville Village

Davisville Village is celebrated for its accessibility, friendly community, and abundance of family-oriented amenities. The area features numerous parks, playgrounds, and a selection of highly regarded schools. With its central location, families in Davisville Village enjoy easy access to downtown Toronto while benefiting from the neighborhood’s peaceful and welcoming environment.

8. Bloor West Village

Bloor West Village is renowned for its European charm, excellent schools, and vibrant shopping district. This neighborhood is a favorite among families for its accessibility to High Park, Toronto’s largest public park, which hosts a variety of outdoor activities and events throughout the year. The strong sense of community and diverse cultural events make it a dynamic and enriching place for families to reside.

7. Lawrence Park

Offering spacious homes and an abundance of green space, Lawrence Park is among the most affluent and best places to live in Toronto for families seeking tranquility and luxury. The neighborhood is known for its prestigious schools, lush parks, and quiet streets, making it an ideal setting for families looking for a suburban feel within the city.

6.Wychwood

Wychwood is definitely one of the best neighbourhoods in Toronto for families. One of the best features of this Toronto neighbourhood is its great access to public transit, including the TTC streetcar line and St. Clair West Subway Station.

Wychwood is not in the centre of the city, but it has great access to- downtown. Besides, there are so many restaurants and cafes in this area, making it ideal for families to enjoy a meal outside of their homes.

One of the advantages of living in Wychwood as a family is that the house sizes are good value compared to today’s Toronto standards.

Besides, families will have the great opportunity to enroll their kids in great schools such as Oakwood Collegiate Institute, ÉS Toronto Ouest, Hillcrest Community School, É Élém Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, and many more.

The great news for families is that the Wychwood area is also filled with parks and recreation options as well, such as Frankel – Lambert Park, Hillcrest Park, Wychwood Barns Park, and Marian Engel Park.

Talking about recreation, Wychwood Barns Park also has the best farmer market in the city. The Artscape areas here consist of community theatres, playgrounds, an ice rink, and picnic tables, making it great for having a fantastic family time.

5. York Mills

Number 5 in the list of the best neighbourhoods in Toronto to raise a family is York Mills.

York Mills is the home of some of Toronto’s top schools. York Mills Collegiate Institute and St. Andrew’s Middle School are the top schools in York mills. York Mills is a very family friendly neighbourhood with lots of parks and greenery.

There are several ravines and parks all across the York Mills area. The nicest park that your family can enjoy there is the Edward’s Garden. Edwards Garden is one of Toronto’s most serene spots!

York Mills has great access to Highway and public transit. There are buses covering most parts of york Mills and take the residents to the York Mills – Yonge subway station. Getting on major highways ( Don Valley Parkway and Hwy 401 ) is just a few minutes drive. The area has lots of amenities that a family can enjoy and need.

4. Bloor West Village

This cozy neighborhood is close to literally everything that Toronto has to offer. It’s a great place in Toronto for families to raise their children, and also for parents to work and live their life. Bloor West Village has a good variety of Restaurants and Cafes that can entertain you and your family.

St Pius Catholic School and Swansea Public Schools are two major schools in that neighbourhood. The Bloor West village across the most renowned Toronto park, High Park. You can take the kids there to play, or simply go there for a walk. It’s the walking destination for many dog owners in the area. During the spring you can enjoy the famous Cherry Blossom and tons of other sceneries that High park offers families.

Access is the great part of living in Bloor West village. You’re a few minutes from the Green Line ( Bloor Danforth Line ) Subway and a few minutes drive to Gardiner Expressway.

3. Bedford Park

Bedford park is north of Lawrence Park ( one of Canada’s wealthiest neighborhoods ) and it’s the border between Midtown and North York area. Bedford park is the home of some of Canada’s top schools. The schools in this area are Bedford Park public School, John Wanless Junior Public School and Blessed Sacrament Catholic schools.

Bedford park has a variety of parks and greenery, a great place to raise a family. It has great public transit access by having bus routes and also being minutes away from the Lawrence Subway station, which can take you to Downtown Toronto within a few subway stops. If you need to take Yonge St, or Avenue Rd or a major highway like Hwy 401, that would be the matter of a few minutes drive wherever you live in Bedford Park.

Read More : The Best Places To Live in Toronto

2. Riverdale

Riverdale is another great place for families in Toronto. It’s a large neighbourhood east of Don Valley Parkway, South of Danforth, spreaded all the way to Lake Shore Blvd. It’s one of the very well established neighbourhoods in Toronto.

There are many good schools in Riverdale. Among them are Withrow Avenue Public School and Riverdale Collegiate Institute. There are very nice parks in this neighbourhood that your family can enjoy, like Withrow park and the famous Riverdale Park. Riverdale park and it’s beautiful view of Toronto’s Skyline has been featured in many photos of Toronto, including instagram selfies!!

Access is not an issue when you live in Riverdale. You are minutes drive away from Lakeshore Blvd, Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway. If you need to use the transit, you’ll have Queen St or Dundas St Street cars, and or Green Subway Line Stations on Danforth Ave, north of Riverdale.

1. Yonge & Eglinton

Yonge and Eglinton has been ranked Toronto’s #1 neighbourhood by Toronto Life Magazine. Yonge and eglinton is not only a great place to live, it’s also perfect to raise a family. Starting by the schools, Manor Montessori School, Greenwood College School, and Sunnybrook school are among the schools that you can send your kids, depending on your home address in that area.

The area has many parks and amenities. Apart from the Yonge and EGlinton intersection that is currently under construction for the LRT project, there are nice parks in the other parts of the neighbourhood that you and your family can enjoy.

Yonge and Eglinton has great access to both Public transit and Highways. Within a few minutes drive you can get to Don Valley Parkway. And LRT and Yellow Subway Line both pass Eglinton Ave and Yonge St intersection. Whether you need to go to Downtown Toronto, or Uptown, you can do so within a few subway stops.

The area is very amenity rich, many stores, restaurants, bars, shopping centres and you name it. It’s a mini downtown in Midtown Toronto, yet when you can enjoy both Condo living and or House living.

Read More:Top Toronto Elementary Schools

Conclusion:

TOronto has become a global city in recent years and many families moved to Toronto from across Canada or the Globe. Finding the best places in Toronto for families is one of the goals that home buyers have. A Toronto real estate agent can help you with finding a home for your family in any of the family friendly neighbourhoods in Toronto.