LESLIEVILLE began as a small village back in the 1850's. The village grew up around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie and sons, after whom this neighbourhood is named. Today it is quickly emerging as one of the city's hippest new neighbourhoods and is the headquarters of Toronto's film industry.
Leslieville Toronto
**SEE BELOW FOR CURRENT NEIGHBOURHOOD SOLD STATISTICS PLUS RESTAURANT REVIEW ENTRY FORM**
Leslieville's first public school principal was Alexander Muir, who composed "The Maple Leaf Forever". Muir's poetic verse was inspired when a brilliant autumn maple leaf fell from a Leslieville tree onto his jacket. That maple tree is still standing today and has become Leslieville's most famous landmark, designated by an historic plaque at the intersection of Laing Street and Memory Lane. Residents have a sense of pride in their quiet east end neighbourhood, evidenced by the historic street signs and family run businesses.
In the fine tradition of Alexander Muir, local schools include:
-Duke of Connaught School
-Leslieville Jr. School
-Roden Jr. School
-Bruce Jr. School
-Pape Avenue Jr. School
-Morse Street School
-Bowmore Public School
-Riverdale CI
-Monarch Park CI
-Eastern Commerce CI
-Danforth CI
Leslieville still feels a bit like a small village. Its cozy houses, quaint stores, and tree lined streets, seem surprisingly serene and peaceful considering the neighbourhood's close proximity to downtown Toronto.
Maple Leaf Park Leslieville
Leslieville's older houses along Queen Street, and south to Eastern Avenue were built in the late 1800's. They include architecturally interesting Ontario Cottages, Second Empire row houses and Victorian houses. Its second generation of houses, north of Queen, were built in the early 1900's. This district includes modest detached and semi-detached houses as well as a large number of bungalows.
Leslieville's main shopping district runs along historic Queen Street, where the old diners and hardware stores that used to dominate are being pushed out by more trendy shops. Most of these stores are small, independently owned and cater to the specific needs of the local residents. Renewed interest in the neighbourhood has attracted popular restaurants, shops, galleries, antique stores and bakeries to the area - chic restaurants like Bonjour Brioche and Hello Toast draw patrons from around the city.
Leslieville homes 1
The area on Gerrard Street East between Greenwood Avenue and Coxwell Avenue is known as the ‘India Bazaar'. This is the commercial centre of Toronto's East Indian community and also the largest ethnic market of Indian goods, fashions, fabrics, jewellery and food in North America. The smell of incense and the sound of music provide an exotic backdrop to the shops on this street. The clothing stores sell imported silk fabrics, and the restaurant vendors barbecue spicy corn on the cob out on the sidewalk. The traditional grocery stores & restaurants of Chinatown also increase the diversity of the neighbourhood.
Much of Leslieville's recreation centres around children. The waterfront is nearby, as are numerous parks including Greenwood Park with its artificial ice rink, pool, playground and three baseball diamonds. The city's best birding spot is the Leslie Spit. Other nearby parks include:
-Withrow Park
-Riverdale Park
Ashbridges Bay Park on the south side of Queen is the hub of summer activity in Toronto and features volleyball, an Olympic pool, restaurant, pub and facilities. As well, the S.H. Armstrong Community Recreation Centre on Woodfield has an indoor pool, fitness & meeting rooms, and a craft room.
There are three public libraries: The Riverdale Branch at 370 Broadview Avenue, the Jones Branch at 118 Jones Avenue and the Gerrard/Ashdale branch at 1432 Gerrard St. E.
Leslieville homes 3
Leslieville is well served by public transit which operates bus or streetcar routes on Carlaw, Jones, Greenwood, Coxwell, and Eastern Avenues, as well as Queen and Gerrard Streets. Most of these bus routes link up with stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorists can be downtown in minutes. Lake Shore Boulevard, the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway are also close by.
