Rosedale is a wonderful community to live in. I know. I have been lucky enough to own a home here for 25 years.
I live in the south of Rosedale near the Castle Frank Subway (a 5 minute walk) on Hawthorn Avenue, which runs north from Dale Avenue, and is one street west of Castle Frank.
I can walk to Bloor and Yonge in under 20 minutes, and get on to the Parkway in a flash. I can avoid traffic at almost any time of the day, and rarely spend more than 20 minutes in the car to go anywhere I want to go, even the airport. The street I live on is quiet and wonderfully tree- lined, and the neighbors are friendly and mixed. A number of young families live on the street as well as a contingent of folks who have been here a long long time. People tend to nod and smile as they walk the area...quite different from in the downtown core.
In this south east corner of Rosedale, Nanton & Powell are similarly north/south quiet streets, while Glen Rd, Castle Frank, Elm, Maple, and Dale are slighly more busy, but very nice streets as well.
Glen is a long north/south Road that cuts through the centre of Rosedale, starting at Dale and winding up past Summerhill, right to the Railway tracks that separate this community from Moore Park. (you know, the other side of the tracks) Rosedale west of Glen Road is closer to Yonge Street, considered preferable by some, and a drawback by others. What is perhaps nicer about the eastern part of the community is that it has more trees ravines and parks than the western section, especially in the area between Yonge and Mt Pleasant.
North Rosedale, between Glen Road and Mt Pleasant and from Whitehall south to Highland has some of the prettiest streets in the city, and perhaps the Country. Douglas Drive is wide and leafy and backs onto the park in spots. Whitehall is a little too close to the tracks. There are several duplexes on the street. Bin-scarth has some lovely houses, and the U of T Chancellor's residence on Highland is spectacular. To the east of Glen, Beaumont has some special residences, including the former home of Gordon Lightfoot and the sprawling residence of the Catholic Archbishop/Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. There are some beautiful homes as well surrounding Chorley Park. All of Rosedale is considered "Heritage", but this area was never in question.
As Rosedale gets closer to Yonge it takes on a different character- more of a midtown feeling than an oasis in the heart of the city. Some folks find it special to be able to stroll to the shops and restaurants of midtown-west Rosedale offers that.
Governor's Bridge is at the north east corner of Rosedale ending at Bayview Avenue. Just to the south of Nesbitt Drive between Douglas Crescent and Bayview is a new development of homes called Governor's Estates. They are about 5 years old and sell for well over 1 million. Just to the north of Nesbitt, on the other side of the "tracks" is Bennington Heights.
Rosedale is a sprawling Community but it is brought together in several ways. The Summerhill Market is one. It has high end produce and a large selection of prepared foods similar to places like Bruno's and Pusateri's. You know you've arrived when one of the Cashiers says "shall I just put that on your account? " and you say,"no thanks I've just bought another bank and I have wads of cash".(more in Addresses)
Rosedale Public School is another community focus. Although a large number of kids in the area go to private schools, R.P.S. has a good reputaion, and draws a lot of students to its doors. Branksome Hall is a very popular school for girls, right at the corner of Elm and Mt Pleasant , and those who don't go there in the lower grades sometime make the switch from the public system in Grade Nine. Branksome attracts students from all over the world, including a large number from Rosedale.
Perhaps the strongest unifier in the community is Mooredale House. It combines Moore Park and Rosedale in its umberella of activities and facilities. Rosedale Park is wonderful, with tennis courts, a hockey rink, soccer fields, baseball diamonds and numerous kids leagues, all organized by Mooredale House. The House also keeps busy providing all kinds of activities on site for adults as well as providing a large outdoor swimming pool available to its members at a reasonable cost. Lots of fun!!!
Houses in Rosedale are quite pricey, but not the most expensive in the city. A renovated detached 3 bedroom on a good street with a private drive would sell for over a million dollars even in this slow market. However a good 4 bedroom home with high end finishes could cost well under two million. And right now houses needing significant renovations seem to be going at bargain prices.
What is hard to put a value on is the convenience of living in the centre of the city without feeling any of the hustle and bustle of what is happening a short walk away. It is truly an oasis. It is,in my opinion, the most desirable community in the city. It is more diverse and probably a little less expensive than Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, and Moore Park, it is far more convenient to the city than Post Road, it is more peaceful than Lytton Park, Yorkville, or the Annex, and because of the ravines and greenery the air feels fresher here.
Come, and see for yourself!
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