Welcome To The Junction Toronto
Toronto’s The Junction is a testament to the saying: “Fall 10 times, get up 11.” Formerly recognized as its own independent city (known simply as “West End”), the area has seen highs and lows–from a booming railway & manufacturing hub (Heintzman Piano Company, Canadian Cycle & Motor co; Canadian Pacific) to the deeply-felt depression of the late 1800s.
Culturally speaking, the Junction was first adopted by Irish Catholics who found the overcrowded tenement housing in Cabbagetown and Brockton underwhelming. The burgeoning local meat industry also drew flocks of Italians, Polish, Macedonians, and Croatians. Today we continue to see this influence, particularly in ‘Little Malta,’ the area found along Dundas near St. John’s Road.
Probably the most famous facet of the Junction’s Toronto history involves its nearly 100-year banning of alcohol; the heavily enforced prohibition lasted (incredibly) all the way until the year 2000. (Drinking and drunken fights among the working class rail and meatpacking industry workers had become a problem by the turn of the century).
Today, on any given day, residents of the area can be found at a variety of cafes (Cool Hand of a Girl), pubs (Hole in the Wall, Indie Ale House), restaurants (Nodo, Dirty Food Eatery), boutiques (Mjolk), and parks. A reflection of its working-class roots (and perhaps because of the end of prohibition), there is no shortage of pubs and unique start-ups in this entrepreneurial, and just down-right awesome, part of Toronto. It was even named one of the 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world by Time Out magazine.
The Junction is the perfect place for you if you’re looking for a neighbourhood that avoids ‘cookie-cutter’ and embraces the idiosyncratic. This off-the-cuff quality has attracted a fun variety of residents and created a strong sense of community and identity. Classic brick stone residential homes, revamped industrial-finished lofts, and new builds are all available in the area – making the options as unique as the people who inhabit them.
Related: How to Pick Your Next Toronto Neighbourhood: 88 Things to Consider
Properties For Sale
Your Typical Neighbour
Your Junction neighbour is very likely family-oriented. Artists priced out of other neighbourhoods are also looking here, as well as young professionals who want more space than a ‘closer to downtown’ option affords them. Your neighbour may also have a basement apartment or rent out part of their home as an income property!
What We Love
The happening café, restaurant and furniture and design scene in the Junction is fantastic, and the strong sense of community likely translates into neighbours you’ll either genuinely like (or at least will fake it for the sake of the hood!)
What We Don’t Love
There’s a lingering grittiness in pockets of the Junction that have yet to transition. Not so pretty now, but likely to be popular conversion spaces in the not too distant future. Transit can also be somewhat less convenient than more central ‘hoods. If you’re considering a home close to the tracks (it’s still a rail junction!), be sure to check it out while trains are moving – these are heavy freight lines, and the vibration and noise can be significant.
The Real Estate Scoop
This neighbourhood has lagged slightly behind past increases in property values that swept the most popular Toronto Neighbourhoods. That’s the good news. The bad news? Its’ history as a better value option may not last all that much longer.
The Junction rivals Roncy for the strong sense of community held by the locals. The relative proximity to High Park, the popularity of the local YMCA and (count ’em) four local parks, a well-programmed local library and a number of highly regarded schools are all contributors to the popularity of the neighbourhood.
Gorgeous, large century homes dominate the south part of the neighbourhood. Many of the aesthetically pleasing Queen Anne and Arts and Craft style homes include second or third apartments, increasing accessibility for buyers. Smaller Victorians on narrow lots are more common in the north side of the neighbourhood, but are no less popular among buyers (and can be more affordable than their equivalents farther east).
Schools
Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood has numerous schools and most have excellent reputations.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
St. Cecilia Catholic School
Annette Street Public School
Indian Road Crescent Public School
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Transit
Transit options from the Junction Toronto abound and none are too far away from the Bloor Subway line. Options for drivers to downtown include both Dundas and Bloor, though neither is especially efficient during rush hour, which these days is, well… most hours. To head north it’s only a short drive north to pick up Black Creek, which turns into the 400 and gets you to the 401 faster than you’d expect.
Property Statistics in The Junction Toronto
Detached Houses - Statistics
Q4 2024
$1,269,000
Average Price
8
New Listings
6
Properties Sold
19
Average Days on Market
105%
% of Asking Price
semi-detached - Statistics
Q4 2024
$1,307,000
Average Price
7
New Listings
7
Properties Sold
48
Average Days on Market
103%
% of Asking Price
townhome - Statistics
Q4 2024
$1,098,000
Average Price
4
New Listings
3
Properties Sold
12
Average Days on Market
105%
% of Asking Price
Condos - Statistics
Q4 2024
$792,000
Average Price
26
New Listings
13
Properties Sold
29
Average Days on Market
103%
% of Asking Price
All Properties - Statistics
Q4 2024
$1,036,332
Average Price
52
New Listings
31
Properties Sold
30
Average Days on Market
103%
% of Asking Price
Source: TRREB Statistics
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