The Kingsway

In the early 1800’s, the Kingsway neighbourhood was the former Clergy Reserve lands. This area was deeded to the Church of England, and the church leased this property to farmers.

Beautiful Flowers In front of Home

In 1908, the Clergy Reserve lands were acquired by Robert Home Smith. Mr. Smith was the visionary who planned the entire Kingsway neighbourhood before it was created! Mr. Smith’s vision was to establish an English style garden suburb of the highest integrity, and beauty.

By 1912, the Kingsway Park neighbourhood was subdivided, and marketing began. Unfortunately World War I broke out and the houses being built were unable to sell. This changed in 1924 when the Bloor Street bridge was built, and there was easy access to this area. Many of the first residence were Northern Ontario mining executives, and Toronto businessman. Most of the residence were personally acquainted with Robert Home Smith.

Today, the Kingsway is known as one of Toronto’s finest neighbourhoods. It’s located in Toronto’s forest setting, the Humber River Valley. This very well planned, and designed neighbourhood was designed for families. Houses in the neighbourhood are good size, but affordable. The location is great, you can find schools, shopping, churches, and recreation all in walking distance! As said earlier, the Kingsway is located in Toronto’s Humber River Valley, and as you would expect, the streets are filled with large oak and maple trees, creating a beautiful natural habitat.

The Kingsway Shopping Strip

Most of the houses in the Kingsway neighbourhood were built as part of a separate plan of subdivision called “Kingsway Park”. These houses have some of the best examples of Old English classical style in all of Toronto! These homes feature: stone exteriors, tapestry brick patterns, elaborate stucco, half timbering designs, solid oak doors, leaded glass windows, fanciful bay and oriel windows, decorative wrought iron railings, and porch lamps. A few of the older houses in the neighbourhood are built with Victorian and Edwardian architecture, but the majority are Old English classics.

The Kingsway Park community is friendly, and very decorative. Throughout the nieghbourhood you can find: lighted trees, distinctive flags, beautiful flowers, wrought iron benches, waste receptacles, coach lanterns, as well as distinct flags, and banners.

The shopping district is located on Bloor Street West. The village theme of the shopping district is a natural extension of the Kingsway neighbourhood. It offers the Kingsway Park residence a wide variety of shops to choose from, including:

• Restaurants

• Specialty shops

• Chain stores

• Home furnishing/design shops

• Landscaping shops

• Hobby and craft stores

• Antique stores

• Art galleries

• Professional services

• Medical services

You can find pretty much everything you need, close to home! There is an annual event known as the Taste of The Kingsway Festival, which is held every September in the shopping district. There’s plenty of food and entertainment for the entire family to enjoy! There are over 30 Kingsway restaurants ready to serve you delicious samples of International cuisines, beer, and wine. There’s also a few events, such as: a fashion show, a dog show, a boxing ring, Harvest Market, artisan and crafter pavilions, clowns, a midway and face painters for the children, merchant demonstrations, community exhibits, featured performers, and that’s just to name a few events.

Kingsway English-style Home

It’s easy to keep busy when you’re in the Kingsway neighbourhood, here are some ideas:

• If you’re a nature enthusiast, then check out one of the nine nearby parks! The two most popular parks for the Kingsway residence are Central Park, and Home Smith Park. Central Park includes: two bowling greens, two tennis courts, and a large baseball diamond. Home Smith Park offers a beautiful ten kilometre paved trail that links cyclists, in-line skaters, walkers, and joggers to the Martin Goodman Trail on Toronto’s waterfront.

• You can further your education, no matter what level you’re currently at. There are plenty of schools in the area, but here are a few of Toronto’s finer schools: Humbercrest Public School, Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, and Western Technical-Commercial School.

• There’s four public libraries that all offer Kingsway residence a variety of services. Services are offered to children, teens, and adults. Everyone is encouraged to visit the local libraries, and see what they’re all about!

• You can find five recreational centres in the Kingsway area. Some activities you can participate in include: aerobic and aqua fit programs, pool and health club, public skating and organized ice hockey leagues, as well as ball hockey leagues for children and adults.

• Public transit is available for anyone who wishes to venture out of the Kingsway area. You can choose from two subway stations that both offer fast and reliable service. The Royal York and Islington subway stations are both located on Bloor Street for your convenience. Toronto’s business and entertainment districts are ten minutes away, and the airport is also approximately a ten minute drive from The Kingsway neighbourhood.

The Kingsway Park neighbourhood was formerly known as the Clergy Reserve lands (in the early 1800’s). Eventually the land was deeded to the Church of England, and finally it was acquired by Robert Home Smith in 1908. Mr. Smith turned the Kingsway into one of finest neighbourhoods! This very well planned, and designed neighbourhood was designed for families. A few of the older houses in the neighbourhood are built with Victorian and Edwardian architecture, but the majority are Old English classics. While staying at the Kingsway Park you can: take advantage of the nearby shopping district, check out one of the nine nearby parks, further your education, visit one of four public libraries, or take a swim at the local recreation centre. The Kingsway Park neighbourhood is one of Toronto’s finest neighbourhoods.