Average sales price freehold (2009): $449,782; (2010): $489,769

Lowest price sold (2009):$168,000; (2010): $273,000

Highest price sold (2009): $827,000; (2010): $975,000

Average sales price condo (2009): $372,892; (2010): $382,418

Postal code: M4M and M4L

Boundaries: Gerrard St E — Lakeshore Blvd E; Coxwell Ave – Carlaw Ave

Subway Stations: Pape, Donlands, Greenwood and Coxwell

Appointed as the New Queen West, Leslieville is undergoing rapid gentrification. The neighbourhood is now known as one of Toronto’s hippest places to shop and dine. There are still plenty of old corner stores and mom and pop shops nestled in between more modern establishments, but the atmosphere is very fresh.

Along Gerrard, is the India Bazaar — a strip between Greenwood and Coxwell, crammed with restaurants, cafés, and miscellaneous stores catering to the South Asian communities.

The neighbourhood as a whole still has some challenges though. In 2007, Toronto police raided the Hell’s Angels headquarters along Eastern Ave. At the foot of Leslie is the massive Ashbridges Bay Sewage Treatment Plant — making it occasionally unpleasant for residents living on the south side of Leslieville, especially when there’s a southerly wind.

Real Estate: Leslieville is a cheaper alternative to its neighbour to the west, Riverdale and neighbor to the east, the Beaches. It draws in families who want the ‘east end’ vibe on a smaller budget.

The housing stock is similar to that of Riverdale; the standard brick semi is a common sight north of Dundas.

Small worker’s cottages are popular further south, while clusters of new red brick townhouses are popping up along Queen St E.

Parks: The Maple Leaf Forever Park, at the southeast corner of Queen and Leslie has historic significance. It is the site where Alexander Muir, composer of the famous anthem ‘The Maple Leaf Forever’, was inspired by a maple leaf that had freshly fallen from a tree onto his jacket.

Hot Spots:

It’s The Icing on the Cake – 1238 Queen St E
It’s The Icing on the Cake in Leslieville bakes custom crafted cupcakes, desserts, bread and other baked treats

Bone House – 946 Queen St E
The Bone House features 85% Canadian made and 100% eco friendly products for pups.

Brayham Contemporary Art – 1318 Queen St E
Brayham Contemporary Art presents an ambitious exhibition program bringing the work of important national and international artists to Toronto

736 Dundas St East

A small industrial loft conversion, known as the Tannery Lofts, was built over 100 years ago. The original use for the building was to manufacture soap; however it was re-purposed and most recently used by the Adam Beck Cigar Box Manufacturing Company. Oddly enough, the loft conversion was named ‘The Tannery Lofts’, which is nothing more than a marketing ploy, since the building has never been associated with the production or storage of leather.

Specs: The building is quite small, with only 5 stories and 36 units. The units themselves are also very small, with cramped layouts and minimal storage space (particularly the 1 bedroom units). The developers kept the loft authentic with features such as sandblasted exposed brick walls, high wooden ceilings, large industrial windows, industrial doors and exposed ducts, yet managed to incorporate new finishes such as granite kitchen counters and engineered hardwood floors.

Amenities: None. No owned parking spaces either. The building is located next to the D.V.P., and the street car runs along Dundas 24 hours a day.

Average sales price freehold (2009): $573,871; (2010): $606,429

Lowest price sold (2009): $183,500; (2010): $225,000

Highest price sold (2009): $1,010,000l; (2010): $956,000

Average sales price condo (2009): N/A; (2010): N/A

Postal code: M4K

Boundaries: Hogarth Ave – Gerrard St E; Logan Ave — D.V.P.

Subway Stations: Broadview, Pape and Chester

Significantly more expensive than its neighbor to the south, North Riverdale is nestled in a prime location — bordering on the subway line and the D.V.P.  North Riverdale is home to an architectural landmark – the Don Jail. The prison is historically significant as it was built before the Confederation —however, it is now considered ‘an overcrowded dungeon’, and described as ‘an insult to humanity’. Further east along Gerrard, between Broadview and Carlaw, is East Chinatown, a smaller version of Spadina’s Chinatown. North Riverdale is also known for Riverdale Farm, a largely wooded area with an actual farm and farmer’s market.

Real Estate: North Riverdale attracts families with children, as the houses are bigger and so are the lots. 2 ½ story semis dominate the leafy streets, but it’s common to see detached homes here and there. Verandas are an apparent trend which can be seen on a large number of homes in the area.

Parks: Withrow Park boasts an off-leash dog area, a fenced and dog-free children’s playground and summer wading pool, a clubhouse for indoor classes and community group use, plus plenty of outdoor space for sports and recreation including tennis, tobogganing, hockey, baseball and soccer.

Hot Spots:

Lil’ Baci — 892 Queen St E
With a selection of creatively dressed pizza pies and microbrews, Lil’ Baci’s Pizza offers a slightly upscale twist to the classic pizzeria.

Pan on the Danforth — 516 Danforth Ave
This eatery delivers a unique take on Greek Mediterranean cuisine by eschewing the limited, conventional dishes associated with Greek dining.

Bad Dog Theatre Company — 138 Danforth Ave
The Bad Dog Theatre is an improv comedy club in Toronto with shows most nights of the week, improvisation workshops, and acting classes.

Average sales price freehold (2009): $480,585; (2010): $532,902

Lowest price sold (2009): $212,000; (2010): $331,000

Highest price sold (2009): $715,000; (2010): $827,900

Average sales price condo (2009): $423,310; (2010): $387,445

Postal code: M4M

Boundaries: Dundas St E — Lakeshore Blvd E; Carlaw Ave — D.V.P.

Subway Stations: Pape and Chester

South Riverdale has rebounded drastically since the 70’s and, for the most part, is now entirely gentrified. The neighbourhood pulls in young professionals mostly couples looking for a condo alternative, as the value of homes in the area is still relatively low – and the concentration of cafes, antique furniture shops and contemporary restaurants is high. South Riverdale is also known for the film studios along Eastern Ave, the Pinewood studio is one of the largest, with over 250,000 square ft of production space. At the most southern end of South Riverdale are the Port Lands — a vast industrial park, but also home of Cherry Beach and Tommy Thompson Park

Real estate: Many of the houses in South Riverdale were built between the 1880’s and the Great Depression, and so the architectural style complements that era.

However, the neighbourhood has seen the rise and fall of prosperity.

In this day and age, there is very little architectural consistency — the area is filled with a mix match of styles: some homes are colourful, some dull, some are grand, while others are small worker’s cottages.

For the most part, the houses in this neighbourhood (especially between Dundas and Queen) are charming, and have a ton of character.

The Broadview Lofts is a true loft conversion, originally used by Rexall as a drug warehouse. This magnificent building features original exposed brick walls and wooden ceilings — truly raw and authentic.

Parks: Tommy Thompson Park is located on a man-made peninsula, known as the Leslie Street Spit, which extends 5 km into Lake Ontario and is over 500 hectares in size. The park represents some of the largest existing natural habitat on the Toronto waterfront. Recreational activities include nature-watching, hiking, cycling, running, rollerblading and fishing.

Hot Spots:

The Opera House — 735 Queen St East
The Opera House is a unique and intimate concert venue still holding all the charm of its original 1900’s vaudeville theatre architecture.

Mercury Espresso Bar — 915 Queen St East
The comfy unpretentious spot serves only fair trade and organic coffee and uses 100 per cent biodegradable take-out cups.

Dangerous Dan’s — 714 Queen St East
Dangerous Dan’s prides itself on its heart-attack inducing menu, which boasts such options as the coronary burger special.

Average sales price freehold (2009): $1,155,111

Average sales price condo (2009): $537,590

Postal code: M4V

Boundaries: Chaplin Cres — C.P.R Tracks (Marlborough Ave); Avenue Rd — Yonge St

Subway Stations: Davisville, St. Clair and Summerhill

Deer Park dates back to 1837, when the Heath family purchased 40 acres of land and established the area which is now widely known as Yonge and St Clair. In those days, the land wasn’t yet developed and deer were a common sight. By the late 1800’s, the land was subdivided and sold; the neighbourhood began to develop. Nowadays, the Deer Park is known as one of Toronto’s upscale neighbourhoods, with exceptionally beautiful houses, reputable establishments like Upper Canada College and well dressed residents driving expensive cars.

Real Estate: The residential architecture in this neighbourhood varies from street to to street, but many are reminiscent of the Tudor Revival style— a lot of the houses feature prominent cross gables, decorative half timbering and narrow windows.

The red brick rowhouses with arched windows and black roofs along Cottingham and Alcorn are quite charming.

The Carlyle on 55 Delisle offers residence the same elegant lifestyle, without the hassles of homeownership. The boutique condo has only 12 floors, and close attention to construction detail gives off a true sense of luxury.

Parks: Oriole Park is located at the north end of Deer Park. The heavily used park has its own active junior baseball league, tennis courts, picnic benches and barbecues. The new addition of the Neshama Playground considers a progressive layout design and equipment elements that address a broad range of challenges and meet the needs of all children. It is one of the few parks that give disabled children a chance to play alongside able bodied children.

Hot Spots:

Didier — 1496 Yonge St
To dine at Didier is to be reacquainted with the classics of French elegance with impeccable technique and the finest Canadian, organic ingredients.

Dove Spa — 1375 Yonge St
A hidden uptown gem, Dove Spa is calm, spacious and gracious on the inside — white modern zen.

Bruno’s Fine Foods — 1560 Yonge St
Purveyors for over 30 years of quality meat, fish, fresh produce, gourmet groceries, catering and gift baskets.

Average sold price freehold (2009): $628,526; (2010): $729,180

Lowest price sold (2009): $401,000; (2010): $447,500

Highest price sold (2009): $1,100,000; (2010): $1,275,000

Average sold price condo (2009): N/A; (2010): N/A

Postal code: M4X

Boundaries: Rosedale Valley Rd — Gerrard St E, Parliament St — D.V.P.

Closest Subway Station: Castle Frank

Cabbagetown was given its name in 1840, when poor Irish immigrants fled the potato famine in Ireland and settled in the area. They lived off of the cabbages they planted in their gardens. The significantly historic area has seen a lot of change over the last century, in the early 1900’s it was one of Toronto’s biggest slums until the 1970’s when it was gentrified by affluent professionals. Presently, the quaint neighourhood is home to many of the city’s musicians, artists and writers. Also a designated business improvement area, Cabbagetown hosts the annual ‘Cabbagetown Festival’ bringing the neighbours together and stimulating local business.

Real Estate: Some of the nicest heritage-designated Victorian, Gothic Revival and Queen Anne architectural-style houses can be found in Cabbagetown. It’s rare to see these gems for sale, but they’re worth well over a million.

The smaller dead end streets just south of St. James cemetery are lined with hundred year old houses that are both stately, and remarkable, unlike any other neighbourhood in the city. Residents of the neighbourhood take great pride in their homes, and it’s common to see gorgeous gardens and well decorated lawns surrounding the houses.

Parks: Riverdale Farm is located between Sumach and Bayview. The scenic 7.5 acre park has an actual farm and farmers market. Admission is free, and visitors can also wonder around the pathways, wooded areas, and gardens.

Hot Spots:

Jet Fuel – 519 Parliament St.
This fun café is famous for its coffee, music and offbeat characters.

OMI – 241 Carlton Street
Sushi lovers rejoice. An Asian minimalist dream, the restaurant is a creative vision.

Sweet Creamery – 521 Parliament Street
Sweet Creamery is Cabbagetown’s home for delicious gelato, ice cream and pastries.

Average sold price freehold (2009): $650,274; (2010): $739,821

Lowest price sold (2009):$350,000; (2010): $405,000

Highest price sold (2009): $1,118,000; (2010): $1,440,000

Average sold price condo (2009): $338,567; (2010): $333,329

Postal code: M4Y and M4X

Boundaries: Bloor St E — Gerrard St E; Church St — Parliament St

Closest Subway Station: Sherbourne, Wellesley and College

The streets of St. James Town are lined with rental apartment buildings, which are home to mostly newcomers to Canada. The area isn’t really known for much — other than being one of Toronto’s poorer neighbourhoods – and doesn’t have much to offer in terms of restaurants and entertainment. Directly to the south is Moss Park, an area that is hampered by crime; directly to the north (separated by Rosedale Valley Rd and a thick ravine) is Rosedale, one of Toronto’s most affluent neighbourhoods.

Real Estate: There are very few freehold homes in the area, but the few that do exist are mainly rooming houses — houses with 6-12 tiny bedrooms which tenants rent while the other facilities, bathroom and kitchen, are common areas shared by all the tenants. These houses don’t go up for sale often, but when they do — they’re still a significantly large investment to anyone willing to purchase.

The Verve is a new condo development on Homewood Ave, by Tridel. The condo incorporates Tridel’s “Naturally Better” program, which is designed to offer residents an environmentally sustainable and energy efficient building.

Parks: South of Carlton and Jarvis is Allan Gardens — one of the city’s oldest parks, established in 1858, and indoor botanical garden. Admission to the botanical garden is free, and the park is dog-friendly — owners are free to let their dogs run around without a leash.

Hot Spots:

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar Mansion – 515 Jarvis St
The Mansion Keg is a particularly stunning Keg restaurant location, set in an historic Gothic Victorian Revival building.

Average sold price freehold (2009): $426,710; (2010): $459,576 (2011): $482,777; (2012): $486,367

Boundaries: Rogers Rd – Davenport Rd, Dufferin St – GO train tracks

Closest Subway Stations: St. Clair West, Dufferin, and Lansdowne

Corso Italia is known as Toronto’s second Italian community, following Little Italy, although the neighbourhood has a much stronger Italian presence. Corso Italia is designated as a Business Improvement Area, the residents and independent business owners collaborate to stimulate the neighbourhood economy. The annual Corso Italia street festival draws in a large crowd every year, and all the shops and cafes along St Clair West keep people coming back.

Real Estate: Not only is there a large inventory on the market each year, but the neighbourhood has an incredibly wide range of mismatched architecture —  post war, early 20^th century two story semis, modernist, and there are practically as many semi detached homes as there are semi detached homes.

Many of the outdated homes have been bought by flippers looking to make a profit.

Parks: Earlscourt Park is at Caledonia Road and St. Clair Avenue West. This park feature a lighted atrificial turf soccer field, a lighted mutil-purpose sports field and track, a ball diamond, four tennis courts, basketball court, volley ball court, an off leash dog park, a children’s playground, a wading pool and many walking paths.

Hot Spots:

Ecoexistence — 21 Vaughan Rd.
Ecoexistence is an eco-friendly life-style store, focusing on products to help consumers make healthier choices.

Ferro Bar and Café — 769 St. Clair Ave. W.
Since 1993, Ferro has grown from a local residential favorite, to being one of the city’s favorite hip Italian eateries.

Twice as Nice — 683 St. Clair Ave. W.
A must-stop for new parents, Twice as Nice specializes in new and used baby equipment at reduced prices.

Average sold price freehold (2009): $346,746;  (2010): $399,562;  (2011): $465,969; (2012): $536,572

Average sold price condo (2009): $319,830; (2010): $330,309; (2011): $369,470; (2012): $378,847

Postal code: M6H and M6G

Boundaries: Davenport Rd – Bloor St W, Christie St — GO train tracks

Closest Subway Stations: Bathurst, Christie, Ossington, Dufferin, Lansdowne and Dundas West

Bloor St West, between Christie St and the GO train tracks, boasts a high concentration of mixed used residential and commercial buildings. The strip of shops doesn’t have much curb appeal, with random businesses — coin laundry, dental offices, dollar stores, etc., many of which are in poor state of repair. Dovercourt Park was founded in 1870, by English immigrants who built shacks out of tar and paper — as they were too poor to afford stronger building material. The village was originally called Shantytown.

Although Wallace Emerson is zoned for residential and business uses, it’s the Wallace Emerson Community Centre at the heart of the neighbourhood that gives the area a family oriented vibe. A lot of the land between Dupont and Davenport is still post industrial development; warehouses and automotive operations line Geary Ave.  However, as gentrification moves slowly further west, noise and pollution gradually declines. The residents of Wallace Emerson are for the most part Portugese, however, a large Ethiopian population is also present in the neighbourhood.

Real Estate: The neighbourhood is filled with fixer-uppers, perfect for eager buyers looking for that ‘blank canvas’. The majority of houses here are two-storey semis, and most of them have a different style of architecture then their neighbours on either side.

Many of the detached houses have already been torn down and flipped — and they’re easy to spot. In general, the lots are small, the houses are built so close to each other and the streets aren’t very ‘leafy’ — resulting in noticeably less curb appeal.

There are less than a handful of condos in the area, but offer a wide range in price. Eleven Christie offers buyers affordable units, but attracts mostly students. The Bartlett Lofts are one of Toronto’s first loft conversions, with exposed brick walls, staircases and industrial windows — but with only 13 units in the building, they rarely go up for sale.

Parks: Dovercourt Park is a relatively small compared to Christie Pits Park, but it backs on to the Boy’s and Girl’s Club, and it’s usual to see local kids running around. It has a small baseball diamond, tennis courts, a basketball hoop and a playground.

Wallace Emerson Community Centre is equipped with a complete fitness facility, an indoor 25 metre pool with large window for viewing, and dance/yoga studios. The park next to the Centre has an ice rink with changing facilities, as well as a playground.

Hot Spots:

Madras Masala – 796 Bloor St W
This small Indian restaurant is best known for its casual atmosphere, friendly service and spicy dosas.

The Black Horse Pub and Grill – 928 Bloor St W
It’s easy to spot this historic tavern – a horse head protrudes from the brick-and-glass faí§ade. It is a quiet and unassuming restaurant offering enjoyable ambience, drinks and food to local wanderers.

Churrasqueira Aveirense — 1184 Bloor St W
Churrasqueira Aveirense is as authentic a Portuguese dining experience as you can find on this side of the Atlantic. The large space is comfortably designed reflecting its country of origin including large TVs for football coverage.  

Ciro’s — 1316 Bloor St W
Ciro’s is a small west end bar that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. They they have an intimidating beer list chocked full of world class ales.

Average sold price freehold (2009): $506,155; (2010): $561,573; (2011): $622,637; (2012): $797,855

Average sold price condo (2009): $281,153; (2010): $327,004; (2011): $331,679; (2012): $361,191

Postal code: M6H

Boundaries: Bloor St W-College St; Dovercourt Rd-Roncesvalles Ave

Closest Subway Stations: Dundas West, Lansdowne and Dufferin

Dufferin Grove is a working class neighbourhood with two central focal points: the Dufferin Mall, west of Dufferin St and Dufferin Grove Park, on the east side. These two neighbourhood attractions play a key role in creating a community feel. Families spend Saturday afternoons at the mall, scurrying from H&M to Winners, while the youth of Dufferin hang out at the park, either playing basketball or sitting on benches surfing the internet on their laptops. Although the area is still not as alluring as its eastern neighbor Little Italy, Dufferin Grove is attracting first time buyers as the real estate prices are relatively lower.

Real Estate: The three major residential streets running through the Dufferin Grove are Dufferin, Dovercourt and Gladstone, which have the highest inventory and turnover of homes. These semis tend to be generic and look their age for the most part, but as the neighbourhood changes — so do the houses.

Tucked away on quieter streets like Rusholme and Havelock, you will find a number of finer homes. The stately Victorians and Edwardians are quite lovely, and usually well maintained — some of these have sold for close to $2 M.

The Church Lofts on Dovercourt have garnered a lot of attention. What was once a century old church is now a loft conversion with 28 stunning units, which went on sale in 2010. The units are a rare find with many boasting stained glass windows, octagonal skylights and soaring steel trusses.

Parks: Dufferin Grove Park features a large playground, a pizza oven, a basketball court, and an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter. There is also an organic farmers’ market at the park on Thursday afternoons from 3-7 o’clock. The Park has also been set up with wi-fi internet making it a great spot to hang out.

Hot Spots:

Arabesque — 1068 College St
It’s a perfect spot to spend an afternoon over a cup of tea, a place to lounge with a favourite book, or to have lunch with friends, eating authentic dishes from the Middle East.

The Common — 1071 College St
The Common is an unassuming cafe that pumps out some of the best espressos in the city. Long tables and benches make for a communal feel.

Print Fine Vintage — 834A College St
This tiny store has a collection of designer clothing by Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent and Pucci but also vintage pieces from the 1940s to 1970s.