The intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue is one of the central business districts outside Downtown Toronto located right at the heart of the mid-town. Maybe that’s what makes Yonge and Eglinton a lively neighborhood with a vibrant community. If you love nightlife and plenty of community resources during the day, the Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood with all the perfect amenities could be one of your top options to live in. Let’s explore this area more and find out about the lifestyle in Toronto’s Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood.
History of Yonge-Eglinton
In the early 19th, the Yonge-Eglinton neighbourhood was first developed by European immigrants. This modern financial district of Toronto was once known as the farming village of Eglinton which was in fact part of the largest cattle grazing region in Upper Canada. In 1884, rapid housing development happened right after the Metropolitan Street Railway began operating. This railway was a horse-drawn streetcar route that attracted many people. The development of this area continued until 1954. The Yonge subway line opened its northern terminus at Eglinton and made this eclectic and exciting area more popular for important businesses. These days some condo buildings and business towers in Yonge & Eglinton have direct access to the TTC.
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Demography of Yonge-Eglinton
Yonge-Eglinton has a population of 11,595 people with a median age of 37.7 years. 69% of its population include married couples and 44% of them are families with kids. This shows this area is one of the best neighborhoods in Toronto for families. Yonge-Eglinton has an exceptional livability score of 86/100. The cost of living is 24% higher than the Toronto average and the real estate prices are 74% higher than the Toronto average. However, the rental prices are equal to the Toronto average in Yonge-Eglinton. Maybe that’s the reason why nearly 75% of residents are renting in this area.
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If you have children and you are planning to live in the Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood, you can consider these high ranked schools in the area: ÉSC Père-Philippe-Lamarche catholic school, Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School, Oriole Park Public School, Havergal College for girls and Upper Canada College for boys. There is also a Northern District Library in the neighborhood. Your children can also enjoy playing in the 3 parks and 2 playgrounds in this area.
Houses in Yonge-Eglinton
You should know that Yonge-Eglinton was selected as one of the best neighborhoods in the Greater Toronto Area. The ranking included a combination of housing, crime rate, transit, health, entertainment and employment in 2017 by Toronto Life. What else do you expect from a neighborhood to offer you?
As a Toronto real estate agent, I can tell you that although Yonge-Eglinton is known as a hub for young families and professionals living in modern condos, this mixed neighbourhood also has some great detached homes. While you are walking on the quiet side of Yonge-Eglinton, you can find very nice single-family detached homes alongside large trees and well-kept lawns. Whether you are looking for a pre-construction condo for investment or a lovely house with a beautiful backyard for children, Yonge-Eglinton can satisfy you anyway!
What to do in Yonge-Eglinton
The lively Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood has been one of the top destinations for tourists to visit and millennials to live in Toronto. This area is famous for its upscale shopping centers and five-star restaurants. Maybe, just the presence of a multi-level Yonge Eglinton Centre offering dozens of stores, dining options and a cinema seem sufficient. Yonge-Eglinton centre is located right on the northwest corner of Yonge and Eglinton and it can provide the residents with all the amenities and services they need. Let’s go through more exciting places in this neighborhood.
The Yonge Eglinton Centre has over 65 stores and services. These stores include Tim Hortons, Sephora, Indigo Books, Urban Outfitters, Rexall drugstore, and GoodLife Fitness, which is the largest health club company in Canada. This thriving business core with a walk score of 95 gives you a perfect chance to find your favorite spots in the area.
If you like having a picnic with your family or taking a long walk in a beautiful green space, you will love the Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood. The area has two major parks to enjoy. The first one is Eglinton Park which is a 9-hectare park located just a few blocks west of the Eglinton Subway Station. So you can easily meet your friends over there and use all the recreational services. You can enjoy five multipurpose sports fields, four tennis courts, a children’s playground and a wading pool in summer. And also enjoy the two artificial ice rinks in this park in the winter.
The other wonderful green spot in the neighborhood is Oriole Park. It is a newly revitalized 2.9-hectare park that is very kid-friendly, even has toddler equipment. Oriole Park also has a clubhouse, baseball diamond, two tennis courts, sandpit, junior splash pad, wading pool and open space play areas. There are also 2 bike trails in the park and a picnic site to perfectly satisfy the needs of the neighbourhood’s diverse population.
With one way streets and no turns, you better skip driving a car and navigate by foot or bike. Try to start your day by shopping along Yonge, having coffee on a cozy patio and enjoy your evening by having dinner with friends in the best restaurants of the city.
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Where to eat in Yonge Eglinton?
If you are a big fan of delicious Middle Eastern food, Tabule will be one of your absolute favorite places. It is located just south of the Yonge and Eglinton intersection. This place has a wonderful combination of warm décor, Lebanese dishes and a lovely ambience. They have many vegetarian options on the menu. You can start your night with Hummus or Babaganuj serving with fresh baked-in-house pita bread. Don’t forget to try the fresh Fattoush Salad and the Kunafa Ashta for dessert. And remember, if you go there on Saturday nights, you can also enjoy belly dancing.
Messini Authentic Gyros may seem like a small, fast-food style eatery, but the smell of slow-roasting pork basted with exciting spices will blow your mind. They have plenty of generously proportioned dishes, but their signature is the perfect gyro wraps served with fries right in the pita. The gyro recipe dates back at least 30 years. It is located at 2311 Yonge St.
However, one of the most notable spots for relaxing and enjoying Italian food in the Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood is Grazie Restaurante located at 2373 Yonge St. This vibrant space offers you the spirit of Italian culture and cuisine.
At Grazie, you will enjoy authentic, homemade-style Italian food, experiencing excellent pizza and pasta. Don’t miss the Cozze Portofino, mussels steamed with your choice of white wine sauce or light tomato sauce. Their friendly staff offer you the best tiramisu, wine, salad and pasta in the area and you just need to relax and enjoy.
However, if you are a macaron lover like me and looking for a cozy café in the Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood during the day the best place is the Social Blend. This lovely filled with passion and knowledge about coffee and Korean-inspired desserts. You can bring your date or business meetings over there and make sure of having a good experience. The Social Blend offers you more than just a cup of coffee.
Yonge-Eglinton neighborhood with all the parks and sports to socializing and group activities has also great access to public transit. The intersection is right on the Yonge subway line and has a great access route to Mount Pleasant and Avenue Road.