NESTED Favourite Neighbourhood Blocks In Bloor West Village

A small village in a big city, Bloor West Village ,Toronto (or BWV as locals call it) comes with a promise of easy living on multiple levels, whether you’re a family, young professional, or an empty nester.

Bloor West Village was also named, multiple times, by Toronto Life as the top neighbourhood in Toronto to live in. That’s based on things like safety, accessibility, access to healthcare services, and even more.

I’m Kathy Essery, one half of Nested Real Estate. And, as a true local who lives, runs a business and raises my family right in Bloor West Village, I couldn’t agree more.

When it comes down to it, I know every corner of this area like the back of my hand. That’s why I want to share with you my top five favourite blocks of the Bloor West Village community:

1. Durie Street and Colbeck Street

This has to be one of the best, if not the best, locations to access the heart of Bloor West Village.

Specific to the shopping strip, it’s far enough from Bloor to avoid major traffic or parked bars, with just a one-block stroll to the strip.

Durie Street also offers a great access point to the best of BWV’s everyday staples, including Snappers Fish Market (the salmon here is incredible!), Bloor Meat Market (a neighbourhood staple since 1929), multiple greengrocers including Fresh & Wild, banks, coffee shops, and so much more.

2. Beresford Avenue and Macgregor Avenue

A super special pocket of BWV, with strong community vibes, loaded with young families and tons of kids, offering an incredible support network, for you and your little ones!

At Beresford and Macgregor, you’ll find smaller detached homes and super sweet semis, most dating back to early 1900, loaded with character and charm, and many of which have been beautifully renovated and maintained.

A big draw for many young families here is the highly-ranked school district of Runnymede Public School, which is a quick seven-minute walk away.

3. Beresford Avenue and Ardagh Street

Living near this corner will be a breeze for access to the Runnymede Subway station, either via Runnymede bus or just a casual 10-minute walk.

Head a few meters south and you will find Beresford Park (definitely a neighbourhood gem!) which has a large playground, sandpit, splash pad, picnic space and plenty of shade.

There’s even something for your fur babies on the west side of the street — an off-leash dog area! From the park, you can take a short stroll down the tree-lined street of Beresford to Baka Cafe and enjoy a great breakfast or coffee on the patio (which is amazing for people watching!)

4. Annette Street and Jane Street

The recent neighbourhood transformation winner is Annette between Runnymede Street and Jane Street.

Hands down the most-transformed pocket of BWV, quickly proving that heading down to Bloor isn’t always necessary. Personally, I live at Annette and Jane and have everything I need at my fingertips.

Many daily staples are right here, including Queen Margherita Pizza, Mad Mexican, Canary, and Canarry & Fox Micro Market, Coriander Girl, and The Regular — Coffee house and Wine Shop (which has quickly become my favourite neighbourhood spot).

We also have the old-time neighbourhood favourites – Baby Point Hardware and Butcher By Nature!

5. Evans Ave

A unique street in BWV for a few reasons, the main one being that it’s a short street that only runs a couple of blocks (from Annette Streety to Colbeck) naturally becoming low traffic and quieter.

Here you will find a lush streetscape (beautiful both in summer and winter) and generally larger homes including wider semis and grander detached homes.

Evans Avenue is also located on the west side of Bloor West Village and closer to the Humber River, which offers great cycling and walking trails.

Your Bloor West Village Experts

As local experts, we always focus on providing a unique, on-the-ground perspective to the neighbourhoods in the west end that we call home.

This was our exploration of Bloor West Village, if you’re interested in calling this unique Toronto neighbourhood home, please feel free to get in touch with us today.

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