RIVERDALE

THE AREA

Toronto’s Riverdale was a small rural community until the Grand Trunk Railway began steaming through here in the 1850’s. The railway brought industry and employment opportunities to Riverdale. It also attracted a pool of labourers who built the first homes in Riverdale.

There were the street games: “duck on the rock, crack the whip, horseshoes, hide-and-seek, kick the can, and catch and tag.” Then there was the watch for the neighbourhood ice man, wherein the kids would pick up stray pieces, and suck on them like popsicles. They would stand under the railway bridge at Queen and DeGrassi when the steam engine passed by, and become enveloped in steam and smoke. They would pick strawberries at the Playter farm, and eat corn at a roast in The Valley. Many kids were barefoot from May 24 until September, joyfully squeezing mud in between their toes, and being filled with the nomadic delight of being wide-ranging kids in the reverie of nature.

THE VIBE

A creative vibe established by the neighborhood’s resident artists and the pulse of Riverdale.  Some would describe the area as a bit Bohemian due to the eclectic and artsy businesses along Queen Street and mingling of people from all walks of life.

Rich in culture, heritage and art, the area has tons of unique eateries, cafes, shops and attractions – just across the bridge from Toronto’s downtown core along Queen Street East from the iconic Queen Street Viaduct ‘Riverside Bridge’ to just east of the world famous De Grassi Street .  The world famous De Grassi Street has been an integral part of Canadian arts and culture and a much celebrated part of the Riverside community. 

REAL ESTATE

The makeup of Toronto’s Riverdale is happily a polyglot of colours, history and heritage.  Mostly Victorian and Edwardian-style modest row, semi-detached and detached brick homes, built primarily between 1880 and 1924.  The Gluzberg Toronto Property Management team love the character and charm they possess.  We find it exciting because we are the people to save them.  Riverside is home to many historic sites. 

More and more homes are being upgraded and renovated into luxury property simultaneously with the conversion of old industrial warehouses along Carlaw Avenue into loft condominiums, and the redevelopment of a number of former commercial and industrial sites into modern mid-rise condominiums.

Property prices in Riverdale have skyrocketed in recent years. If you are hoping to make Riverdale your next neighbourhood, be prepared to move quickly. Demand in Riverdale is high.  When listings do come up, they tend to disappear rather quickly.