History:
Bayview Village began as a small rural farming community in the 1800’s. One of this area’s first settlers was Thomas Clark, a father of seven children and an influential member of the community. The Clark house, built circa 1885, and located at 9 Barberry Place, is the only dwelling that remains from Bayview Village’s pioneer days.
The present day Bayview Village neighbourhood was planned in 1954. The design and layout of Bayview Village is very much influenced by the East Don Valley Parklands. Nearly a quarter of the space in Bayview Village is green. Most Bayview Village homes were built between 1954 and 1964. The mix of housing here includes raised and executive ranch style bungalows, split-level houses, and Georgian Revival-style homes. Most of the houses are original.
Overview:
The Bayview Village community revolves around three popular local landmarks – the Bayview Village Shopping Centre, the North York YMCA, and the East Don Valley Parklands – each of which is an integral part of this family oriented neighbourhood.
The design and layout of Bayview Village are very much influenced by the East Don Valley Parklands. Dr E.G. Faludi, the town planner who designed Bayview Village, recognized the importance of the East Don Valley Parklands when he said “We will fit the community into the landscape and not the landscape into the community.” This lofty ideal was met in Bayview Village.
Bayview Village’s winding streets and culs-de-sac are planted with mature birch, cedar, willow, spruce, pine and maple trees. Some of the Bayview Village houses are situated on ravine lots that feature views of the East Don River Valley Parklands. Several of the street names in Bayview Village, such as Citation Drive, Palomino Cres., Ravenscroft Circle recall that the area was a racehorse training stable and grounds before being developed. In the Bayview Village area, there are United, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican churches, the latter is located just outside the area’s southwest boundary.
Homes:
Most Bayview Village homes were built between 1954 and 1964. The mix of housing here includes raised and executive ranch style bungalows, split-level houses, and Georgian Revival-style homes. Most of the houses are original. Many homes have undergone renovation and landscaping to fit the park-like neighborhood. There has been increasing infill housing (newly built houses replacing the older ones) within the Bayview Village area.
There also continues to be high rise condominium development along Sheppard Avenue and in the land south of Sheppard Avenue and north of Highway 401. This development is of a completely different nature to the single-family suburban low-rise architecture found in the northern area.
Lifestyle:
Bayview Village residents do most of their shopping at the Bayview Village Shopping Centre located at the north-east corner of Bayview and Sheppard Avenues. Bayview Village is a nicely designed, intimate shopping centre anchored by a large upscale supermarket and a department store. This popular shopping centre also contains an excellent selection of fashion, gift, and specialty stores, as well as family style restaurants.
Sheppard and Finch Avenues, and Leslie Street all contain small outdoor shopping plazas that feature mostly small, independent retailers, restaurants, and professional offices. Many of these businesses include English and Chinese on their signage, reflecting the large Chinese population living in and around Bayview Village.
Sheppard Avenue also has a number of well known big box stores and a large medical center.
