5 Family Friendly Neighbourhoods In Toronto

Living in a major city, especially one as populous as Toronto, comes with several advantages. One such advantage in Toronto is the abundance of unique and diverse neighbourhoods, both at the edge of the city and scattered throughout its interior. From here, finding the right locale to call home is all about prioritizing your needs, wants and “dealbreaker” items. 

When looking for a family-friendly neighbourhood, the city is far from short on options. Parents and growing families will no doubt have many specific criteria in mind, but some common and general items include things such as: 

• Proximity to schools, churches, daycare centres
• Proximity to community centres, recreation facilities, sporting arenas and other local entertainment areas 
• Proximity to parks and other local greenspace
• Local public transit access, walkability, overall convenience for day-to-day mobility 

Your most immediate and critical needs will also depend on the stage your family is in. Parents of infants and young children will have different priorities than parents of older children who are at the secondary and post-secondary school level and beyond. 

Commonly, families at all stages will keep local area safety foremost in mind. So things like local crime statistics and proximity to local emergency services like police and fire, are always high on the list for parents on the hunt for their next family home. 

Fortunately, in a city as vast and varied as Toronto, there are several excellent areas to start from that have been unofficially designated as the “most family-friendly neighbourhoods” in the city. This gives families a jumping off point to begin their search and narrow down their top areas of interest. 

To get you started, we’ve assembled 5 of the most family-friendly neighbourhoods in Toronto; Bloor West Village, The Beaches, Roncesvalles, Leslieville and Davisville Village.

Bloor West Village

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Situated between the communities of Swansea and Runnymede, Bloor West Village is known for its tree-lined streets, quiet atmosphere, charming business area and character-rich homes. 

Local retails shops and restaurants offer residents entertainment at their doorstep, while also just being a quick community to downtown Toronto. 

The summer months in this family-friendly neighbourhood showcases the true energy of this community, where visitors will see dogs enjoying their daily walks, kids playing, new parents on the move with their babies in strollers, the sounds of ice cream trucks and all the ambiance you’d expect to find in a family-rich community – and so much more!

One of the primary local attractions in this well-known Greater Toronto Area community is of course, High Park. Toronto’s largest park, this tourist attraction is beloved by locals as well and known for its abundance of natural landscapes as well as interior attractions and activities. 

The Beaches

Image Credit: adobe stock images

Whether you call it “The Beach” or “The Beaches”, this Toronto area is beloved by tourists as much as residents, this east-side neighbourhood is well-known as one of the city’s best “family-friendly” spots. 

This area draws a lot of attention for its many annual events, which offer fun family activities for all. Some of the most popular events include the International Jazz Festival and the Annual Toronto Beaches Film Festival. With a plethora of water-side trails and parks, Woodbine Beach tends to be the top pick for family outings in the area.

There are countless fun and family-friendly activities for families to enjoy in The Beaches. To name a few:

• Afternoon park visits – Kew Gardens in particular is a public park spanning 6.5 hectares, and also offers visitors a flower garden to explore, art installations, wading pool, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and playground – not to mention their seasonal events, like the Christmas tree lighting and carolling held in the winter 
• Strolls with the family along the boardwalk or through vibrant Queen Street East, where the true small-town beachy charm of this area really shines through 
• Getting out on the water with the family via one of the many local water activities companies that operate throughout the beaches here – paddle boarding is a great way to try something new as a family, while allowing everyone to go at their own pace and pick up some new water skills along the way 

Roncesvalles

Image Credit: Flickr

Known as “Roncy” amongst the locals, Roncesvalles is a major draw for young families, who appreciate the energy and balance of the area, named for the commercial strip Roncesvalles Avenue. Reisdents appreciate the access to local conveniences via local small businesses, nearby schools and regularly-run public transit. 

Locals don’t have to venture far to get to enjoy some of the city’s most up-and-coming shopping, dining and locally-owned businesses, as north along Roncesvalles Avenue will lead you onto Dundas Street West and into The Junction, which is also regarded as another one of Toronto’s best areas for families. 

Some of the dominant selling features for families exploring this area include:

• Cyclist and pedestrian friendly 
• Plenty of local small and independant businesses 
• Charming backdrop of Victorian-style heritage homes
• Home of Sorauren Farmers Market
• Located right next to Toronto’s largest park, High Park  

Leslieville

Offering a uniquely vibrant and cultured energy in the city, right across the Don Valley Parkway you’ll find the community of Leslieville. Lush with tree-lined residential streets and a welcoming and supportive community spirit, evident in their support of local small businesses. The area has a definite charm without compromising access to local conveniences and major retail destinations like the Eaton Centre. 

Families will appreciate the many parks and parkettes in the area, with playgrounds and designated activity spots for kids where they can get outdoors and interact with other community residents. 

Three local park favourites amongst residents here include Jimmie Simpson Park, Withrow Park and Greenwood Park: 

• Jimmie Simpson Park is a 2.6 hectare greenspace and sportsfield just by Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre, making this a popular pick amongst locals looking for one-stop-shop for family entertainment in all seasons. 
• Withrow Park is an 8 hectare park and sports club featuring two baseball diamonds and a multi-use sports field, two outdoor tennis courts, volleyball court, wading pool, children’s playground, off-leash zone for dogs and even an artificial ice rink, found at the center of the parks’ grounds. 
• Greenwood Park is a 6.2 hectare park and has bragging rights as the City’s first park to offer a covered outdoor artificial skating rink. The park also features two lit baseball diamonds, a multi-use sports field, community garden, children’s playground and splash pad, and a 35m shallow pool (measuring 2 m at its deep end) with a pool deck and deck seating.  

Davisville Village

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Located in midtown Toronto near Davisville Avenue and Yonge Street. Parents appreciate that this area is host to several reputable and high-ranking schools, such as Davisville J.P.S. and Hodgson Senior Public School, to name a few. 

The area also allows for quick transit and commute to the downtown core, making access and proximity to the city’s conveniences another perk of this area, which feels snugly-tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the urban city scene.  

Per Wikipedia, the area of Davisville has undergone some major growth in recent years, citing the following:

• Davisville outperformed the Toronto real estate market in general in 2015 and 2016 (to the date of this entry) 
• The average price of a detached home at the time of entry (2016) was $1,365,749 – a 16% increase over 2015 – attributed to local schools, access and proximity to transportation, as well as local shopping and restaurants available 

The reality of life in Toronto is that every corner you turn, you discover something new. Even life-long Toronto residents find themselves surprised by the city the longer they live here. When it comes to family-friendly neighbourhoods, the same is true. As the city continues to grow and change and shift, old neighbourhoods take on new faces and new places crop up. This means for that for city dwellers, old and new, there is always a place that holds potential to become “home base” for your family. 

This is also where the expertise of one of our Royal LePage Your Community real estate professionals can make all the difference. Having someone to help make you aware of the current status of certain areas – not to mention the future growth and potential of up-and-coming areas – will work to narrow your areas of focus and point you and your family in the right direction. Not only for your immediate needs, but also with future considerations in mind. 

Check out some of our recent blog posts for more information and resources on the many areas we serve:

• 6 Takeaways from the Toronto Market Report for April 2022
• Why It’s a Great Time to Invest in a Toronto Condo
• 8 Things to Know About Toronto 
• A Guide to Buying a House in Toronto 

Curious to know more about Toronto – and the many other communities that Your Community Realty serves? Check out our Community Information page for more information and active local listings today!