Moving to Leslieville: Tips, Tricks, and Advice

Toronto is the biggest city in Canada, and the fastest growing city in North America. It’s also one of the most diverse cities out there, generally welcoming to people and businesses of all types. If you’re new to the city, you might be surprised at how much emphasis us Torontonians place on our neighbourhoods. There are 140 official neighbourhoods in Toronto, and even more “unofficial.” Each one has its own origin and individual culture, and choosing which one to move to will open up unique worlds of dining, shopping, and resources.

Today we’ll be talking about our favourite neighbourhood, and home of Envision Realty, Leslieville. We love this friendly, colourful neighbourhood, and want to share some tips, tricks, and advice for moving to Leslieville.



The History of Leslieville

Often we forget that Toronto’s neighbourhoods are call backs to small villages and communities that grew up during settler times. Understanding the history of an area is a fun exercise in getting to know it, so we’ll start there. Leslieville was a small village in the 1850s, which grew up around the Toronto Nurseries, which resulted in many of its original inhabitants being gardeners. As time passed, there were also a number of other industries flourishing in Leslieville, such as brick-making, metal processing, and tanning industries.

Eventually, Leslieville moved away from industrial work, and the original factory workers moved as well. With the dust settling on the pollution of industry, a more middle-class population with a focus on creativity took to the land. 

A variety of new restaurants began to dot the streets and condos eventually rose from a few of the older buildings. Despite its new, up and coming neighbourhood feel, Leslieville is still populated by mostly middle and working-class citizens.

Today, Leslieville is a hub for Canada’s film industry, and it’s not uncommon to see film crews clustered along the side of a street on any given day. There are several notable condo developments crawling up to eventually boost the population, and new dining experiences appear regularly down Gerrard Street.

Leslieville borders East Chinatown, a small area down the edge of Broadview and Gerrard sporting traditional Asian supermarkets mixed with newer storefronts. At its west end, you’ll find Little India, Gerrard’s home for all markets, foods and textiles from South Asia. Nestled between, Leslieville proper is a home for a whole host of hip bars and trendy eateries. For the more day-to-day necessities, visit Gerrard Square Mall, and if you need groceries on the cheap there’s always the No Frills at Carlaw. Due to the diverse nature of the area’s population, you’ll find all sorts of ethnic treats carried even at this chain grocery store.

Ready to move to Leslieville yet? Let’s talk about how.

Envision Realty is happy to help you with your move. Located right at the intersection between Dundas and Carlaw. We’re very familiar with the area and we’ve done our best to spread our roots so serve the community as best we can. Check out this page for information on how to contact us to assist with your search for the perfect Leslieville home!

If you’re buying, make sure you’re pre-approved for a mortgage, which will help speed things along. The average amount of days it takes for a Toronto property to sell after it’s placed on MLS is 20-21 (as of June 2019) In Leslieville that time drops to an average of 10 days or even as low as 6 depending on the type of property you’re looking for. Doing your research and financial chores ahead of time will give you a leg up on the competition, as when you find that perfect home, you’ll have to move fast. Our own Salar Taba is also a mortgage specialist with True North Mortgage, and can help you out with that.

 

If you’re buying or renting on a tight budget, we would suggest moving to Leslieville in fall or winter. Summer seasons draw a flurry of attention in the market, and prices tend to be higher. There are a couple condo developments currently going up now that you could look into, such as The Poet Condos, Elevate at Logan, Wonder Condos, and the Lofthouse condos. There are also a number of currently existing condo buildings along Carlaw, and if your timing is right, it’s a wonderfully convenient and gorgeous place to take up residence.

The Leslieville area has a near-perfect walk score, allowing you to leave your expensive car behind. Steetcars and buses criss-cross every other block. While Leslieville isn’t currently connected to the subway line, it likely will be in a few years when the downtown relief line comes through. For now, streetcars 506 (Gerrard) and 501 (Queen) run from one end of the city to the other, making transit a breeze. If you aren’t bringing a car with you, we suggest keeping the lines of the TTC in mind when planning your move to Leslieville.

Want more inspiration to move to Leslieville? Look no further than the many restaurants, bars, and wonderful shops. Leslieville prides itself on its huge collections of cute cafes, comfortable pubs, and an excessively wonderful amount of brunch venues. BlogTO is a great resource for looking up what’s new and hot in the area. There are too many options to even list when it comes to eateries!

Leslieville is also incredibly friendly to artists, and there are many gorgeous murals dotting its streets. Just a walk down the average road can often be a sight to behold. There are also a couple of Arts Market locations, which allow local artists to sell a wide variety of unique goods.

If you have a pet or love the outdoors, Leslieville also has plenty to offer. In the north west side, you can visit the small but cute Gerrard Carlaw Parkette Dog Park or Hideaway Dog Park. Towards the east is the large Greenwood Dog Park. Leslieville is also home to a number of regular parks as well, its largest being Jimmie Simpson Park, Matty Eckler Park, and again, Greenwood Park. The area is fantastically green. The homes along the quieter streets of Leslieville sport fantastic Victorian architecture and tall, mature trees that speak towards the neighbourhood’s long history.

Woodbine Beach is just a short ride away on the TTC, and we’re close enough to Toronto’s downtown core to bike there. It’s a great alternative for young professionals looking to be where it’s all at when compared to areas like Silicon Valley, with much cheaper prices and a massive active hub for technology and growth downtown. With its multicultural and multifaceted landscape, Leslieville is a great place to make your new home.

For more information on moving to Leslieville from even farther away, here are some resources. If you’re new to Ontario in general, we recommend checking out settlement.org for legal and logistical advice for your moving arrangements and getting acclimated. If you’re coming from a whole other country, the Government of Canada’s website provides many helpful pieces of information as well.

We hope we’ve managed to shed a little light on why Leslieville is so great, and given you some tips on moving here. If you need any more help or advice, please contact us at Envision Realty. You’ll be stopping by Ed’s Real Scoop and checking out the view from the Broadview Hotel in no time.