You’ve heard of Bloor West Village, but have you heard of Upper Bloor West Village?  Well, you have now! This slightly hidden pocket of Runnymede Rd, Dundas St and Jane St, is located right in the middle of some of the more well known areas in the west end like Baby Point, Bloor West Village Proper and The Junction. Read on to find out the top 5 reasons this north of Bloor neighbourhood should be your next destination for putting down roots.

1) Strong community vibes

A house with good bones is great, a lovingly maintained house is even better. A home in a solid community with engaged neighbours, is the dream!  Upper Bloor West Village has all of this and more. The Community in this neighbourhood is a stand out in a city of this size.  Warm, welcoming neighbours, organizing amazing street parties in the summer, co-ordinated garage sale days in the fall,  and a very well-attended Facebook group keeping the community up to date and connected on the comings and goings of their neighbourhood.  This is the type of area where you’re front walk-way will be shovelled for you when you come home from work, packages left unattended on porches are brought in by thoughtful neighbours.  Did you leave your garage door open?  Don’t worry, someone will let you know or even close it for you, if they can.  In short,  this is a community that truly looks out for one another.

3) Accessibility to the west and beyond

Have you heard of a walk score?  Upper Bloor West Village takes the gold medal for walk scores.  Everything you need is within a 5-15 minute walk, including the TTC.  Subway stations and bus routes connect you to the rest of the city and even further west as far as the airport, if you’re heading that way. So what can you walk to? A popular Loblaws, an LCBO, Beer Store and various boutique shopping strips including The Junction, Annette Street and Bloor West Village.  If taking transit isn’t the way you like to roll, this part of town has some of the easiest access to major highways.  Coming back from Cottage Country? Avoid the congestion on the Gardiner, and get home sooner as your exit is before it gets busy. Easy access to the highway also means you can cut across the city without getting caught in the busy downtown streets. This pocket is extremely well connected.

3) Restaurants, coffee shops and shopping

This is what we’re all here for, right? Upper Boor West Village is a small town within a big city, a micro community. Located right in the middle of everything the west end has to offer.  10 minutes walk to the Junction shopping strip as well as Bloor West Village shopping, which we love, read about our favourite BWV boutiques here.   This area is home to some stellar restaurants,  butcher shops and green grocers,  Butcher By Nature located at Annette and Runnymede has everything from organic butter and grass fed meats to prepared foods, ready to eat or to cook at home. Campo restaurant takes the cake for fabulous Italian food, and for something a little more casual, Queen Margherita Pizza is our go-to.  To get your coffee fix, you can head to The Regular, one of our favourites that also happens to be just up the street from our Nested office, grab a coffee and come say hi!

★ For more wine & dine options in the Bloor West Village area check out:

• Brunch in Bloor West Village: Our Top Picks
• Our Favourite Patios in Bloor West Village
• Where To Get Your Coffee In Bloor West Village

4) More bang for your buck

Looking to buy a house? There are more opportunities to get into the housing market without much compromise.  Many of the homes in this area likely tick all the boxes on your list.  The main artery through this area is Annette Street.  Just two blocks south you are in a significantly higher price point.  Historically, this economic divide was based on the school district.  Over the last few years, the local elementary public school, King George Public Junior School has gone from having no rating with the Fraser Institute, to a current rating of 8.2.  This high number surpasses some of the more well known and highly regarded schools further south. If that isn’t a sign of significant change in the area, we don’t know what is!

5) Green space and fresh air

Toronto as a whole is very unique in that it is a major city yet still has plenty of  greenspace.  This is none more evident than in the west end.  All the neighbourhoods in this area are primarily quiet and residential, bordered by a major artery with all the big city perks Toronto is known for.  With so many amazing parks nearby, Upper Bloor West Village is a perfect example of this uniqueness.  Surrounded on all sides by the likes of High Park, Beresford Park, Lakeshore, and so close to one of our favourite parks Humber River, you really can have the best of both worlds; city life and country life.

★ To learn more about the greater Bloor West Village area read:

• Our Top 5 Favourite Neighbourhood Blocks In Bloor West Village Toronto
• West End Schools: Our Guide to Bloor West Village
• Bloor West Village Neighbourhood Guide

Ready to call Upper BWV home? Check out our latest listing at 15 Morland Rd!

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