Anybody who meandered through the Junction Arts Festival a few weeks ago could see immediately that the people who live in this west-end triangle have a heartfelt connection to the ‘hood.
Some real estate agents will euphemistically call this Upper Bloor West Village, but when the Junction’s own identity is so dynamic, why sink to this kind of rebranding?
Dundas St. West’s merchants, photographers, antiques dealers and chefs are clearly invested in keeping the momentum going.
John Pasalis of Realosophy figures that the wicked prices in Bloor West Village and High Park to the south will keep pushing people towards this former fringe.
It’s a great place for:
Housing stock: Elegant Victorian and Edwardians line the grander streets and they often come with a nice spread of land.
Antiques and collectibles: There are too many dealers to name them all, but Eclectic Revival Antique Lighting and Post and Beam Reclamation are worth a browse if you’re refurbishing your Arts & Crafts bungalow.
Parks and recreation: High Park is a brisk stroll to the south and the West Toronto Railpath Park is an example of creative urban renewal.
Dining with a vegan or a teen-ager: Rawlicious serves organic, raw plant materials while the Beet and Sweet Potato let you take the veggies home and cook them if that’s your trip.
Notorious for:
Crime: Anti-gang activist Kenneth Mark was shot to death, execution-style, in front of a pizzeria in 2009. Police called Mr. Mark’s murder a targeted hit in a generally safe area, but it brought attention to lingering social problems.
Heavy industry: The smokestacks and storage yards north of the tracks are disappearing, but much of the area is still a blight.
Harbingers of change:
The purveyors of fair trade chocolate at Delight recently took over another shop front and opened Junction Fromagerie for Ontario artisanal cheese. The dog will drag you to Tailwaggers for organic dog cookies and the kids to Little Bird Fly for clothes and toys. If you must work, take your laptop to Crema Coffee Co.
At Mjölk, well-curated Scandinavian design includes classics by Alvar Aalto and Borge Mogensen.
No sooner does a plumbing supply store close down than an editing suite and or broadcasting studio moves in.
Market values:
A grand Queen Anne-style manse house with a turret on winding Laws St. might fetch $1-million – on the rare occasions they come on the market.
A detached five-bedroom house on Maria St. is currently listed for $499,900. It will help if you like trains. In the wedge between Dundas and St. Clair you can find a tiny starter home for $299,000 in “as is” condition.
