Lambton

Your Typical Neighbour

Wise speculators have been snapping up fixer-uppers in Toronto’s Lambton neighbourhood for some time. This has led to a solid demographic of growing families whose condos didn’t accommodate them anymore, but who couldn’t bear the upward pressure driving extreme price surges in downtown homes. Double income with kids is prevailing these days, alongside long time holdouts!

What We Love

We like to think we have a unique perspective on the quality of neighbours you’re going to have here (full disclosure: Brendan and Mel used to live here), and the area is improving rapidly from a commercial standpoint. It’s the kind of neighbourhood where residents close down the street for a giant potluck each year, and being Baby Point’s little sister doesn’t hurt property values either. Nearby Junction & Bloor West Village provide all the ‘downtown’ neighbourhood feeling you could want. There are opportunities for business still lurking here as well.

What We Don’t Love

The choice of restaurants and retail within a short walk is pretty limited–you’ll need a bike ride or taxi. But there is a Loblaws for basic food needs.

The Real Estate Scoop

While there are a number of apartment buildings and condos that have popped up along major thoroughfares, the majority of the neighbourhoods in Lambton are comprised of single family homes both semi and detached, and the style of home depends on which of the three major parts of the neighbourhood you’re in. Generally the further east you go, brick and stone give way to vinyl siding, and the size of homes gradually shrinks.

Lambton is commonly thought to be divided into three pockets. Lambton Mills is the oldest section and focused around Old Dundas street. Some of the original small (but charming, and reasonably affordable) workman’s cottages built in the early to mid-1800’s can still be found here. These neighbourhoods that border the Junction are making a renaissance, and demand for older untouched homes that are being significantly renovated and re-sold as a slightly less expensive alternative to Baby Point or the downtown are having an impact on prices.

The Warren Park School area, more commonly referred to as the ‘Valley’ also lays claim to some of those workman’s cottages, but the vast majority of houses here are semi-detached brick houses that were built in the 50’s and 60’s, many of which back onto and provide beautiful views of the Humber Valley.

Last, but certainly not least, are the early 1900’s built brick and stone Tudor homes that lie North of Dundas Street in the Lambton Park pocket. We’ve chosen to separate the area north of the train tracks as the character is quite different and the tracks are a real mental as well as physical dividing line.

Schools

Public, Separate, Private and Montessori options are all around. Some are a little closer than others, but a spare set of wheels for the Nanny will have the private schools in reach with little inconvenience.

ELEMENTARY & INTERMEDIARY SCHOOLS

Lambton Park Community School
Humbercrest Public School
Warren Park Jr Public School
Lambton Kingsway Junior Middle School
Runnymede Junior and Senior Public School
Mountview Alternative School

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

James Culnan Catholic School
St. James Catholic School

SENIOR SCHOOLS

Runnymede Collegiate Institute

Transit

TTC offerings along Jane and Dundas offer relatively painless connections to the Subway. Highways are easily accessed, and Pearson Airport is shockingly close–a painless 15 minutes away.