Homes for Sale in Yonge and Bloor, Toronto, ON

While categories and boundaries are becoming blurrier and blurrier everyday, Bloor Street has consistently felt like the border between midtown and downtown Toronto. Stretching from Avenue Road to Parliament, and covering the blocks just south of Bloor, Yonge and Bloor is technically the northernmost downtown neighbourhood in the city.

The intersection has as much diversity as it does character; restaurants along Yonge reflect the myriad of ethnicities found in Toronto, meaning locals can find everything from Indian to Caribbean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Greek, and more.

Along Bloor, however, high-end shopping overtakes dining options. The stretch of Bloor between Avenue and Yonge is known as the ‘Mink Mile,’ as the exorbitant cost of leasing retail spaces here has attracted — and bankrupted — luxury boutiques to the street. It only makes sense that Toronto’s own Rodeo Drive is found in the Yonge and Bloor neighbourhood: right next door are Yorkville and Rosedale, some of the most expensive areas in the city.

This neighbourhood has always been at the forefront of transportation innovations. The city’s very first subway line carried passengers along Yonge, from Union Station to Eglinton and back. The terminal at the corner of Yonge and Bloor was initially called Bloor Station, until the construction of the Bloor-Danforth line in 1966, from which point on it became known as Bloor-Yonge.

More recently, Yonge and Bloor has become one of the first three intersections in the city to have a “pedestrian scramble” crossing: all vehicles stop while pedestrians take their turn to cross the intersection in any direction, including diagonally. And on a couple of Sundays each year during the warmer months, sections of Yonge and Bloor go completely car-free. The annual event, known as Open Streets TO, attempts to promote physical activity, foster civic participation, and encourage residents to explore the streets on foot.

In the 1920s, residents living in the area would gather to watch vaudeville shows and films at Loews Uptown Theatre. Today, live performances can be found at the CAA Theatre on Yonge Street, while those in the mood for a blockbuster film can head over to the Cineplex Cinemas Varsity and VIP in the Manulife Centre.

Yonge and Bloor condos for sale attract all kinds of buyers, though young professionals tend to make up the bulk of them, as vibrant nightlife and dining options are a big draw.

Multi-residential buildings certainly outnumber single-family homes in the neighbourhood, which is home to around 40 Yonge and Bloor condos, in an assortment of different building styles.

More impressive than the number of condos in the area is the scope of the largest ones: One Bloor Condos at 1 Bloor Street East, for example, is 75 storeys high and home to nearly 800 units. Some of the homes in the building span up to 5,500 square feet, and the tower itself is now the tallest building in the country. One Bloor surpassed First Canadian Place — which has held the record since the mid-1970s — by a mere three floors.

While it may not be ‘supertall’ like One Bloor, the Residences at Windsor Arms is another distinguished condo in the neighbourhood. The upscale residences sit atop the Windsor Arms, which happens to be one of the most exclusive hotels in Toronto. None of the suites are smaller than 1,300 square feet, and the largest of them all span approximately 6,600. And for those who don’t necessarily have millions to spend, there are plenty of more affordable contemporary Yonge and Bloor condos nearby, as well as some older, more low-key buildings like Rosedale Glen and 1166 Bay St.

Whatever you’re looking for, there are almost always a great variety of Yonge and Bloor condos for sale or rent.

As previously mentioned, both the Bloor-Danforth line and the Yonge line are accessible from the Yonge and Bloor neighbourhood. In fact, Yonge-Bloor Station — which connects the two lines — is the busiest in the city: more than 400,000 passengers visit the station on an average weekday. Condo residents in the area have no shortage of transportation options to choose from, and walking is often a reasonable way to get around.

The Locals: Those who recognize that by living on the border between midtown and downtown, they have access to two completely different worlds.

Code of Conduct: While the Mink Mile may be best for window-shopping, Yonge Street is certainly ideal for sampling new cuisines.

What You’ll Find: Luxury boutiques and affordable, eclectic food.

What You Won’t Find: A plethora of single-family homes.

The Homes: Mainly multi-residential towers, including Canada’s tallest.

Sealing the Deal: The ability to visit midtown Toronto, without having to traverse too much downtown traffic on the way.