Toronto’s York Mills Neighbourhood

As an area with high end amenities and luxury homes, it is not far-fetched that Toronto’s York Mills neighborhood would be known as “millionaire’s mills”. Located between two busy streets, Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue, the York Mills neighborhood has become a major high end neighbourhood for Toronto’s upper class.

Toronto’s York Mills is a very accessible neighbourhood. Its proximity to major streets (Yonge and Bayview) and major highways, and Toronto’s main Subway line that can take you to Downtown Toronto within less than 20 mins, have made this area an ideal location for families!

History of the York Mills

Although the shiny office buildings have long replaced the mills of this neighborhood, York Mills is still named after its history. The first part of its name, “York” came from the name of Toronto’s ancestor which was “Town of York”.  The second part of its name, ”Mills” originated from the grist mills which were once actively working from 1804 until 1926.

The whole area had a toll gate, 3 churches, a distillery, a post office, a tannery and one school. There was also a local bar and hotel in this neighborhood, which is still working as the Miller Tavern located at 3885 Yonge Street. In 1953, the Metropolitan Toronto was created after York Mills was divided from York Country and joined other municipalities.

Demography of York Mills

The total population of York Mills neighborhood is 19,341 individuals with the median age of 44.8 years old. 78% of residents of York Mills are married couples. 35 % of the population include Chinese, West and South Asian residents. The cost of living in this neighborhood is 95% higher than the Toronto average and the housing in York Mills is 366% higher than the national average. The important point is that the crime rates in York Mills are 69% lower than Canada’s average rate.

Architecture of York Mills

The old houses of York Mills were built during the late 1920’s to the 1960’s. You can still find marvelous Tudor style manors as well as English Cottage and contemporary style houses in the neighborhood. Most of the ranch-style Cottage houses in York Mills were gradually replaced by modern large homes or luxury condo apartments.

St. John’s Anglican Church 

One of the renowned landmarks of the neighborhood is St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church. This 200 year old church has been a trusted place to worship, pray, learn and gather for the residents. This church was built in 1816 on land donated by Joseph and Catherine Shepard. It was a little log church which was completed in 1844 and became the oldest parish church in Toronto.

In 1843, the old wooden church was replaced by a Gothic style brick building in a 12 by 18 meters dimension with a tower and organ loft. This current white brick building was renovated and grown over the years to provide a brighter and open worship space and a welcoming foyer for the residents. The barrel organ of St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church is one of a few of its kind in Canada. It was sent from England and installed in 1847. It was operated for 69 years, until a pipe organ was installed in 1930.

Read More : Top Toronto Landmarks

Miller Tavern

At 3885 Yonge Street, one of the oldest bars in Toronto is located. The three-story historical building of Miller Tavern was built in the 1860s. The hotel had a barn for horses and catered to gamblers. But it was remodeled in 1930 to create a new prestigious dining establishment and renamed to The Jolly Miller. Now this red brick Georgian Survival style building has a bar lounge, casual fine dining and one of the city’s largest outdoor patios.

The most prominent architectural features of Miller Tavern include the plinth, quoins, jack arches, ornate pendant frieze and its gabled roof with boxed eaves. Now you can enjoy one of the best surf and turfs in the neighborhood serving in a beautiful heritage building with a comfortable patio and cozy open portico.

Best schools in York Mills

There are 8 public schools in the neighborhood. One of the highest ranked schools is the Harrison Public School located at 81 Harrison Rd. It ranks better than 98% of schools in Toronto and provides educational programs for kindergarten to 5th grade. Dunlace Public School is another high ranked school in York Mills which also provides kindergarten to 5th grade programs. This elementary school ranks better than 99% of schools in Ontario.

Related articles: Top 10 Toronto elementary schools

There are also Owen Public schools, York Mills Collegiate Institute and a French language secondary school of École Secondaire Étienne-Brûlé. For those families who have children in different grades, York Mills neighborhood has many good options for the best education.

Recreation in York Mills

York Mills has a lot of green space and many recreational facilities. There are also two golf courses in the area for golfers.

York Mills Center

This four-story shiny building is a commercial complex located at Yonge Street and York Mills Road. The complex is made of four different buildings. First building was built in 1986 with 5 stories, the second building was also built in 1986 with 5 stories, the third building was built in 1989 with 7 stories and the fourth one was built in 1990 with 4 stories. All four buildings are connected.

It has many amenities, retail shops and dining spaces under a sunlit glass top atrium. York Mills center has fitness clubs, high quality day care programs for children 15 months to 12 years, 700 ​ parking spaces, EV charging stations, and many cafes and restaurants. The residents can easily access this center using TTC buses and Subway.

Don Valley Golf Course

Don Valley Golf Course is a fairly challenging 18-hole course which was officially opened on August 1, 1956. The golf course underwent an extensive restoration and modification program in 1993. Now this exciting natural setting has a licensed restaurant, 142 car parking lots, 3 washrooms and change rooms, fairly difficult 18 holes and rental equipment.

They have private and semi-private lessons for adults and juniors at Don Valley Golf Club.  The staff are so friendly, the landscape is stunning and the facilities are wonderful. This well-maintained course with reasonable price looks like a hidden gem right in the city. Regardless of your skill level, the challenging holes and multiple elevations of Don Valley golf course will challenge every golfer.

Windfields Park

Windfields Park is a 25 acres of green space which was once the home of E. P. Taylor. The bridge, trail, and path in this preserved heritage site has been upgraded. Now, it houses the Canadian Film Centre and Banbury Community center. The park includes the Banbury Tennis Courts, multiple play structures, washrooms and bike trail. The Banbury Tennis Club offers programs for players of all ages, it also has interleague play for adults in 4 lit tennis courts.

Where to eat in York Mills

Having good schools, high-end shops and spectacular recreational facilities are not the only positive features of York Mills neighborhood of Toronto. You can enjoy the variety of restaurants and cafes in this neighborhood with any taste.

Auberge du Pommier is a wonderful French restaurant located at Yonge Street. Their menu includes French and European cuisines, vegetarian friendly, vegan and gluten free options. The charming atmosphere of Auberge du Pommier restaurant makes it a perfect place for friendly gatherings, business meetings or special occasions.

Their commitment to provide excellent service is reflected in their wonderful traditional French cuisines, with innovative North American influences. They host corporate and social events for private dining serving world-class French cuisine with elegant French décor. You can also enjoy your date night on a perfect patio drinking the best wine choices.

Babel restaurant is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant located at York Mills Rd. You can find the Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey culinary influences in their food. Hummus and eggplant are inseparable items in many dishes. They also serve fresh juice beverages and wonderful wines. There are many vegetarian friendly options on their menu.

If you are looking for a fresh taste of good coffee and the wonderful smell of bakery, you better visit the Second Cup. This cozy renovated place with lovely staff and little fireplace is located at York Mills Rd. This lovely will be your favorite once you taste their excellent espresso and croissant or their perfect frozen yogurt.

Read More : The Oldest Toronto Streets

York Mills Real Estate Agent

As you know, York Mills is one of the most expensive and, at the same time, fastest-growing neighbourhoods in Toronto.

Most homes in this area are single-detached homes with 3 or 4 bedrooms, but you can also find a range of large apartments and townhouses. When it comes to the architecture, potential buyers can find Tudor-inspired manor houses, English Cottage style designs, as well as contemporary styles.

Most residents in this neighbourhood are university grads, executives, as well as business and health professionals.

Buying a Toronto home in an expensive area like York Mills is highly tricky. The reason is that the potential buyers are putting a large amount of money into their new home, and they expect it to be perfect. According to statistics, the average sale price in York Mills Neighbourhood is about $3,200,000.

In other words, buyers in such areas are much stricter than in many other areas in the city, and they expect everything to be perfect.

In this situation, perfect guidance by an expert real estate agent can be very helpful. Ari Armani, with an impressive experience of working as one of the best Toronto real estate agents, is the person who can help you find a great property in this area.

Transportation in York Mills

The kind of artificially-made environment, large buildings and vast commercial activities has made this Toronto neighborhood highly reliant on private cars for daily activities. Around two third of the population use their cars as the primary transportation mode.

The close proximity of Highway 401 to this area is a benefit as it makes access to other areas of Toronto easier.

Public transport has not been reported as the primary method of commute in this Toronto area. York Mill’s residences claim the land around main roads, so there is no space to make paths for pedestrians and walking is not an attractive option.

Only 3 percent of the population choose walking as their commute option. Therefore, York Mills is highly auto-dependent.

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides public transportation. Line 1 Yonge-University of Toronto Subway, some bus routes, York Mills Subway Station and Oriole GO Station in the northeast are among the services provided in this Toronto neighborhood, so you don’t have to worry about it at all. You can reach anywhere in a blink as there are multiple transportation options.

20 minutes is enough to reach Downtown Toronto by car. The access to freeways and major roads is excellent and the amount of parking space nearby is noticeable.

Reasons that Make You love York Mills

The number of gorgeous Toronto homes, dense green streets with stunning views are only some options to attract you to this area.

The natural beauty and greenery along with luxurious houses are the main characteristics of this region. York Mills Centre is a commercial complex perfect for finding latest items or window shopping.

York Mills Shopping Centre

The address is on 291 York Mills Rd, North York, On M2L 1L3, Canada. You can find the hours on its website on weekdays and the weekend.

This center is located on the TTC Younge line and you will find the entrance of the station in the complex.

The access to Highway 401 is easy and direct.

There are on-site food courts with lots of dining options for different tastes.

For the ease of parking,700 parking spaces and EV charging stations are available on-site.

Conclusion

The peaceful tranquility and natural beauty of York Mills makes it one of the best Toronto neighborhoods for families. Everything is perfectly managed in this area, you can find the best schools and high-end shops and fascinating recreational facilities. If you are thinking about moving to this lovely neighborhood, you can use the experience of a top Toronto real estate agent who knows the York Mills in and out.