Homes for Sale in Dufferin Grove, Toronto

History:

The Dufferin Grove district was first settled by the Denison Family, who emigrated to Canada from England in 1792. The Denisons were active participants in Toronto’s early military and political affairs. Their country villas were Toronto landmarks, that had titles such as “Dover Court”, “Rush Holme”, and “Heydon Villa”. In 1834, with the city encroaching at their doorstep, the Denisons decided to clear the dense forest covering their property, and began cultivating this land. The fertile soil in the area yielded abundant crops and brought the Denisons great wealth. However, by the 1880’s, the value of the Denison estates lay in housing development not agriculture. Thus rows of crops were gradually replaced by rows of houses and the current neighbourhood was developed.

Overview:

The neighborhood is very green, with many trees and some of the largest gardens and yards in Toronto, and it has a very active nightlife, with many “hip” and urban restaurants scattered along Bloor and College. There are also many small independent specialty shops like bakeries, smoothie shops, and bike stores. The main streets of the neighborhood are Bloor, College, and Dufferin Streets. Dufferin, a four-lane arterial, is mostly residential with the exception of the Dufferin Mall on the west side south of Bloor. College Street is a four-lane arterial road, with a mix of commercial storefronts and residences.

Dufferin Grove is a popular family-oriented neighborhood located in downtown Toronto. This neighborhood has excellent amenities including a popular community park, a shopping center, excellent schools, and convenient access to public transit. Dufferin Grove Park has received lots of media attention in the past for its pivotal role in revitalizing the Dufferin Grove neighborhood and creating a strong sense of community among residents of this neighborhood. This park is basically a community center without any walls! It is so popular that local residents affectionately refer to it as their Big Backyard.

Homes:

The neighborhood is predominantly two or three-storey detached or semi-detached homes at a medium density. The majority of Dufferin Grove houses were built between 1890 and 1930. Dufferin Grove’s semi-detached and detached houses are larger than those found in most downtown Toronto neighbourhoods. The architectural style of the homes in Dufferin Grove ranges from early and late Victorian to Edwardian and English Cottage style designs. Dufferin Grove is a popular family-oriented neighbourhood due to the size of the houses and the amenities, including a popular community park, a shopping centre, schools and access to public transit.

Lifestyle:

The Dufferin Mall is anchored by national department stores and includes over 100 retail outlets, plus medical and dental offices. The Mall also has a family place play area for toddlers and a youth learning centre that includes reading programs, arts and crafts, and storytelling. Street shopping for everyday household needs is plentiful on Dundas, College, and Bloor Streets.

Living in Dufferin Grove

For young couples and young-ish families, Dufferin Grove is a cool and arguably trendy neighborhood. It’s armed with an impressive cultural diversity, good schools, eclectic shops, independent bakeries and cafes, and awesome restaurants, the homes are well-kept and very attractive, but aren’t paired with high rents and the incomes of families here are pretty much average. Community gardens are big, as is organic produce and fabulous coffee. For commuters, Dufferin Grove is about 15 minutes from downtown when traffic isn’t too terrible and takers of transit have the option of using Dufferin and Ossington Stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line, a few buses, and the streetcars to get into the city from home.

Living in Dufferin Grove is very popular for families buying a home, and those looking for a project-house to renovate. There are also two elementary public schools in the area – Ossington Old Orchard Public School and Dewson Street Junior Public School, making this a newly sought-after area for those starting a family yet want to be close to Toronto’s Downtown Core.

Who Lives Here

Hip, young families with or without kids. There’s a huge Portuguese population in Dufferin Grove, too, being that the southwest corner is attached to the neighborhood called Little Portugal.

Its perfect for Middle-income families with kids who will appreciate the independent and sometimes quirky small businesses in the area, who want a relatively easy commute to work downtown and are seeking good schools for the kids.

Neighborhood

Dufferin Grove Park is one of the most unique in the city because of the services it offers to residents of the community. Of note, the community oven, the community garden, a campfire, and its music programs. There’s a farmer’s market during the summer that sells mostly organic produce, much of which is grown right in the neighborhood, located across from Dufferin Mall, the biggest shopping center in the community. The nightlife is concentrated along Bloor – check out Disgrace land or Drift Bar – and on Dundas, plus a few more along with College, especially the Caledonian.

Named after the neighborhood, Dufferin Grove Park is a 5.3 hectare park on Dufferin Street just south of Bloor Street West with large, beautiful mature forest canopy, whose colors are brilliant at this time of year. The park features a multipurpose sports field, basketball court, picnic area, wading pool, children’s playground and reflexology footpath. The park is also home to the very popular Organic Farmer’s Market that takes place every Thursday all year from 3pm to 7pm.

Where to Eat and Drink in Dufferin Grove?

There are many great reasons Time Out paid attention to Dufferin Grove, and we have to believe the food and drink scene is right at the top of that list. There is no shortage of places to eat and drink in Dufferin Grove – especially drink. So before you start your bar-hopping-Saturday-night, stop at one of these spots to satisfy your cravings and build a good base, because you’ll need it. Trust.

If you’re looking for a more traditional spot to dine, make your booking at Enoteca Sociale on Dundas West. With an incredible wine list and a gnocchi dish that will have you ordering seconds, you won’t be disappointed with your decision to dine here. Another great spot that’s on nearly every must-eat list is SoSo Food Club – this new Chinese snack bar focuses on cuisine from mainland China – order the lamb biang biang and the lobster in XO Sauce.

When your belly is full but your thirst is still strong, a bar-hop in Dufferin Grove is the perfect casual weekend night. Some must-stops include: Burdock – a Bloordale brewery, Three Speed – a bar with a great selection of suds as well as craft cocktails (and one of the best patios in the city), Track & Field – where an indoor bocci ball court and shuffleboards await. And finally, Laylow Brewery – this two-year-old spot just happens to be Toronto’s smallest brewery, making delicious super-small-batch beers that are a must-try on any bar hopping evening.

Parks, Recreation & Culture

Dufferin Grove Park is close to the hearts of many west enders. This beloved outdoor space is all about community, and that warm feeling extends into the colder months. The rink, which features two ice pads (one for hockey and one for leisure skating), is a very friendly place to be on a cold day.

Inside the cozy clubhouse, you’ll find skaters of all ages enjoying hot chocolate, soup, slices of organic bread, and other treats from the snack bar. There are toys and board games at hand for visitors with kids, and on-site staff is available to sharpen skates. 

Bloor-Gladstone branch of the Toronto Public Library, in the north end of Dufferin Grove

Dufferin Grove Park is the most innovative community park in the city. It includes a community bake oven, a music circle, a campfire, a community flower and vegetable garden, live theatre, a summer music festival, arts and crafts classes, and a naturalization project. It also has traditional recreational facilities, including tennis courts, a basketball court, a wading pool, an artificial ice rink, and a playing field. The West-End YMCA at 931 College Street has a gymnasium, a swimming pool, and community programs. The Bloor/Gladstone Public Library also offers community-based programs.

Need to get some shopping done? Ever since Dufferin Mall underwent massive renovations, they’ve added considerably to the shopping options in the area and there are now more than 120 different retailers calling it home.

Transportation

The Dufferin bus connects passengers to the Dufferin subway station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line, while the Dovercourt and Ossington buses connect passengers to the Ossington subway station, also on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The College and Dundas streetcars connect passengers to stations on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. Motorists can be downtown in five to ten minutes and the Gardiner Expressway is approximately fifteen minutes away.

Schools:

Dufferin Grove has 10 Public schools, 7 Catholic schools, and 1 Private in this neighborhood, your kids can get a great education.

PUBLIC SCHOOL

Dewson Street Junior Public School

Address: 65 Concord Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 2N9, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-9120 | Fax: (416) 393-9123 | Email: Dewson@tdsb.on.ca

ÉS Toronto Ouest

Address: 330 Lansdowne Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 3Y1, Canada | Telephone: 416 532-6592

É Élém Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau

Address: 65 Grace St, Toronto, ON M6J 2S4, Canada | Telephone: 416 397-2097

É Élém Charles-Sauriol

Address: 55 Pelham Ave, Toronto, ON M6N 1A5, Canada | Telephone: 416 651-4630

Alexander Muir/Gladstone Ave Junior and Senior Public School

Address: 108 Gladstone Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 3L2, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-9140 | Fax: (416) 393-9142 | Email: AlexanderMuir_Gladston@tdsb.on.ca

Brock Public School

Address: 93 Margueretta St, Toronto, ON M6H 3S4, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-9245 | Fax: (416) 393-9247 | Email: Brock@tdsb.on.ca

Bloor Collegiate Institute

Address: 1141 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H 1N1, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-1420 | Fax: (416) 393-1424 | Email: Bloor@tdsb.on.ca

King Edward Junior and Senior Public School

Address: 112 Lippincott St, Toronto, ON M5S 2P1, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-1320 | Fax: (416) 393-1319 | Email: KingEdward@tdsb.on.ca

Perth Avenue Junior Public School

Address: 14 Ruskin Ave, Toronto, ON M6P 3P8, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-1410 | Fax: (416) 393-1403 | Email: Perth@tdsb.on.ca

Shirley Street Junior Public School

Address: 38 Shirley St, Toronto, ON M6K 1S9, Canada | Telephone: (416) 393-9270 | Fax: (416) 393-9274 | Email: Shirley@tdsb.on.ca

CATHOLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL

Deutsche Schule Toronto

Address: 980 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M6H

St. Helen Catholic School

Address: 1196 College St, Toronto, ON M6H 1B8, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5208 | Fax: 416-397-6142

ÉÉC du Sacré-Coeur-Toronto

Address: 25 Linden St, Toronto, ON M4Y 1V5, Canada

St. Anthony Catholic School

Address: 130 Shanly St, Toronto, ON M6H 1L9, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5210 | Fax: 416-393-5793

ÉSC Saint-Frère-André

Address: 330 Lansdowne Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 3Y1, Canada 

Pope Francis Catholic School

Address: 319 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5347 | Fax: 416-397-6002

St. Mary Catholic Academy

Address: 66 Dufferin Park Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 1J6, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5528 | Fax: 
416-393-5498

St. Josaphat Catholic School

Address: 55 Pelham Ave, Toronto, ON M6N 1A5, Canada | Telephone: 416-393-5291 | Fax: 416-397-6296