Lawrence Park

Welcome To Lawrence Park

Welcome to Toronto’s Lawrence Park neighbourhood!

Lawrence Park is an expensive Toronto neighbourhood that is known for its family-oriented community, beautiful homes, greenery and prime location. Bordered by Yonge Street to the west and Bayview Avenue to the east, ‘LP’ runs from Blythwood Ravine on the south to Lawrence Avenue on the north.

Once ranked the wealthiest neighbourhood in all of Canada (in 2011) Lawrence Park residents are generally well-heeled professionals, single families and the socialites of Toronto. It’s not hard to see why people have been so willing to invest and settle down in the Lawrence Park area, as it consistently maintains its garden suburb qualities that set it apart from many Toronto neighbourhoods.

Planning of Lawrence Park began in the early 20th century. It was originally planned as one of the city’s first garden suburbs. The area came to fuller development after World War 2. Today, the thoughtful planning of the area can easily be seen in its scenic properties and abundance of parkland, ravines and green space. Lawrence Park is now considered by many to be a ‘residential park’ and heritage community.

Lawrence Park houses are a mix of Tudor revival, Georgian, Colonial and English Cottage designs. Generally, homes are older and were built between 1910 and the late 1940s. In recent years there has been some neighbourhood upset at ‘monster homes’ that have been built on land where heritage properties once stood. This has bothered some ‘LP locals’ who feel these homes don’t match the scale and look of traditional Lawrence Park housing.

Families who live in Lawrence Park have the opportunity to send their children to a wide range of top-notch local schools all within arm’s reach. Schools that are in high demand in the area include: Crescent school (an all-boys private school), Crestwood school, Sunny View Junior & Senior schools, Blythwood Junior school, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute (high school), The Toronto French School, Bedford Park Public school, and SOLA (School of Liberal Arts (private school). More mature residents wishing to continue studies are also very close to the Glendon College of York University.

What makes Lawrence Park so special is not its abundance of wealth but its tight-knit community. This is an area where neighbours are on a first-name basis. Socially it is a hive of activities and get-togethers. Children of families in the area generally know each other and it is not uncommon for them to form life-long friendships in this community that encourages togetherness and where locals often settle down and stay for some time.

Living in Lawrence Park also has the benefits of being close to the Yonge Street shopping district, Alexander Muir flower gardens & Blythwood Ravine Park, city restaurants and cafes–even a golf club (Rosedale Golf Club is just around the corner). The interior of the neighbourhood is well-kept, quiet and seemingly hidden from the outside hustle while placing residents close to major commuter roads (Yonge Street, Mount Pleasant), TTC (Lawrence subway station, Yonge streetcar) – not bad, not bad at all.