Runnymede - Bloor West Village Toronto Real Estate

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Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
City	Toronto
Community	Toronto & East York
Changed Municipality	1998 Toronto from Toronto (former)
Government
- MP	Peggy Nash (Parkdale—High Park)
- MPP	Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale—High Park)
- Councillor	Sarah Doucette (Ward 13 Parkdale—High Park)

Runnymede is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada located north of Bloor Street West between Jane Street and Runnymede Road north to Dundas Street West. It is located directly north of the former village of Swansea and west of the High Park North neighbourhood. The immediate area around Bloor Street is commonly known as Bloor West Village after the shopping area along Bloor Street, whereas the area to the north is considered the Runnymede neighbourhood. The name Runnymede originates with the estate of John Scarlett, an early land owner in the area.

Main streets

The major streets are Bloor Street, Jane Street and Annette Street. Bloor Street, the main thoroughfare, is a four-lane arterial road, lined with mainly commercial and retail, predominately two-storey buildings with a retail first floor and residential on the upper floors. Most businesses are local stores and restaurants and there are some chains of fast-food restaurants. The businesses are organized into the Bloor-West Village Business Improvement Association. The Runnymede Library is also located on Bloor. Jane Street, which is a four-lane arterial road running north from Bloor, changes along its length within the neighbourhood, being predominantly commercial and retail around Bloor Street and Annette. Annette, in the northern part of the neighbourhood, is a four-lane arterial road, which runs east-west and is predominantly residential with some schools and the Annette Library located along the street.

Character

Houses in this neighbourhood are generally (often American craftsman style) two story brick houses, however renovations are becoming popular and many of the traditional homes are being torn down to create larger, more modern homes. The tree-lined streets in this area, which was annexed by the city of Toronto in 1909 make this a popular residential neighbourhood. Much of its development was originally due to the creation of a streetcar line along Bloor Street, which the TTC later replaced by the Bloor-Danforth subway line, built in the 1960s.

The neighourhood's first residents were largely Irish and Anglo-Saxon, followed eventually by immigrants of Eastern European origin. The ethnicity of the area, as recorded in the 2001 Census of Canada is still largely English, Irish and Scottish. The largest Eastern European groups are Ukrainian and Polish; the Ukrainian language was the most commonly spoken non-English language by residents of this community.The 2006 Census of Canada estimated the number of residents within the neighbourhood as 9,565.

Demographics

Top 10 Ethnic Origins

Ethnic origin refers to the ethnic or cultural group(s) to which the respondent's ancestors self-identified. Ethnic Origins are from the Total Responses category and may not add up to the same amount in the Regions category. Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census

 Bloor West Village shopping district

Bloor West Village is a shopping district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located along Bloor Street, it encompasses all businesses along Bloor Street between Jane Street and Ellis Park Road, consisting of more than 400 shops, restaurants and services. The mix of stores include specialty clothing stores, book stores, restaurants and cafes.

Business Improvement Association

In 1967, the new Bloor-Danforth subway line opened in the area, allowing shoppers to shop downtown instead of the businesses along Bloor Street. Competition was also developing from enclosed shopping centres. Businessmen of the district attempted to set up a business association to pay for improvements to the area, but received only partial support from businesses in the area, and not enough to pay the estimated expenses to renovate and market the area. The businessmen lobbied the Toronto and Ontario governments for legislation to compel all business owners within a designated area to pay towards improvements, as directed by an elected body. The Ontario Municipal Act was amended in 1970 and the Bloor West Village Business Improvement Association (BIA) was founded as the first of its kind in the world, first chaired by Alex Ling.

In 1980, Ling founded the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA), an organization that now represents 66 BIAs across Toronto. Ling was chairman of the Bloor West Village BIA for 24 years. The organization promotes business activity in the area by holding several annual events and festivals. It also puts efforts into the beautification of the area.

The BIA hosts:

• Annual Ukrainian Festival in September (music, foods and crafts).
• July Festival, which is a local fair of amusements and entertainment.
• Halloween Festival on Armadale Avenue, Beresford Avenue and Glendonwynne Road (family-friendly activities).
• Participates in the Toronto city-wide "Cavalcade of Lights" (December)

Available Homes

Schools

The village has a handful of public, semi-public, and catholic elementary and high-schools. High school students from this area can attend Runnymede Collegiate Institute on Jane Street or Bishop Marroco/Merton, Western Technical Commercial School, Ursula Franklin Academy or Humberside Collegiate Institute high schools located to the east.

Public schools

• King George Junior Public School is a public elementary school located on Rexford Road. It first opened in 1911, the year of King George V's coronation, it replaced Elizabeth Street School, built in 1882. The present building opened in 1964. King George houses the co-operative Humbercrest Nursery School for children between the ages of 2.5 to 4 and a Learning Enrichment Before and After School Program for children 6 to 12 years of age.
• Runnymede Collegiate Institute is a public high school on Jane Street.
• Runnymede Public School is a public elementary school on Runnymede Road. It has grades JK-8 and has around 1100 students enrolled. The school was founded in 1913 as a one-room schoolhouse.

Catholic schools

St Pius X Catholic School



St. Pius is an elementary school located on Jane Street, just north of Bloor Street.

James Culnan Catholic School

Culnan is an elementary school located on Willard Avenue and offers Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 education, with an extended French program starting in Grade 5. The current enrollment is 421 students and the principal is Lillian Ugrin.

The school, named for trustee James Culnan, was opened in 1970 with the official opening and blessing 6 June 1971. Although the main entrance is on Willard Avenue, houses on both it and Windermere Avenue were expropriated to allow for the building of the school. In 1995 the school celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special mass at St. James Church. James Culnan was a trustee for 37 years, until his death in 1964, and was knighted by Pope Pius XII in 1957 in honour of his work with the Metropolitan Separate School Board, today the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

The school has a mandatory blue and white dress code. The school's religion program teaches Catholic faith and is integrated closely to St James Parish.

Transportation

The area is served by the Bloor-Danforth subway line, with stations at Jane Street and Runnymede Road. Buses runs north from Jane Station and north and south from Runnymede Stations. Annette Street is served by a bus line from Jane Station. A night bus replaces the subway line during the early morning hours along Bloor Street.

Culture

The neighbourhood has two Toronto Public Library locations, Runnymede and Annette, and there is a nearby location in Swansea.

The BIA hosts:

• Annual Ukrainian Festival in September (music, foods and crafts).
• July Festival, which is a local fair of amusements and entertainment.
• Halloween Festival on Armadale Avenue, Beresford Avenue and Glendonwynne Road (family-friendly activities).
• Participates in the Toronto city-wide "Cavalcade of Lights" (December)

Neighbourhood issues

The neighbourhood has a history of opposing large scale redevelopment. In 1966, Romark Developments proposed the construction of a giant apartment complex at Bloor and Jane streets. The plan proposed the construction of 15 apartment buildings (one as high as 38 storeys), shopping centres and open space. The project was estimated to cost $60 million to construct. It would have ranged from Bloor and Jane Street east to Runnymede Road and north to Colbeck Street. Over 1,000 ratepayers came out at a public meeting on March 7, 1966 at Runnymede School to oppose the project.

Runnymede Theatre

A great furor accompanied the arrival of a Chapters bookstore in the late 1990s. Aside from discontent about the effect of a large bookstore undermining older local businesses, many residents were upset that the local historic movie theatre was going to be gutted to make room for the new store. However, the arrival of Chapters allowed restoration of the historical Runnymede Theatre. At the time Chapters was the only company willing to make the $5 million investment necessary to restore the building

Real Estate in Runnymede - Bloor West Village Neighbourhood

The official High Park area ends at Bloor for purely municipal reasons, but its topography— knolls and hills and vales—continues into High Park North. Most of the houses were built between the 1880s and 1920s, and though many are quite grand, only a few have been divided into units; other residences were built modestly, or as duplexes, making this yet another (Jane) Jacobian community. The main event is the lively Bloor West Village, one of the few Toronto “villages” to live up to its name.

HOUSING STOCK: Victorians with small lots are common in this neighbourhood. New condos on Gothic Avenue mix it up.

BARGAIN ZONES: Following the curve of Dundas Street West away from the park will keep you in a lower price bracket but, unfortunately, in a higher traffic area with a bit more noise.

THE VERDICT: This neighbourhood is still reasonably priced, with sales in the high $400,000s and low $500,000s fairly common.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:

The Coffee Tree Roastery This yummy-smelling 20-year-old independent roastery and café acts as a social centre. 2412 Bloor St. W., 416-767-1077.

Max’s Market A community anchor since it opened 11 years ago, this jam-packed prepared food paradise is where locals find antipasti and quality cheese. 2299 Bloor St. W., 416-766-6362.

Schools - Runnymede - Bloor West Village Neighbourhood

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