Homes for Sale in Yonge and St. Clair, Toronto, ON

Yonge and St. Clair is about as ritzy as midtown Toronto gets while still feeling decidedly urban. The residential buildings and single-family homes in the neighbourhood are occupied by middle-to upper-middle-class residents, which is not surprising considering Yonge and St. Clair’s proximity to Rosedale and Forest Hill South.

On top of being more posh than other midtown locales like Yonge and Eglinton, this neighbourhood is slightly slower-paced and smaller in scale. Both Businesses and Yonge and St. Clair condos are concentrated along Yonge, with residential streets stretching toward Avenue Road to the west.

On Yonge, fashionable storefronts and classic Italian eateries cater to polo-shirt and pearl clad patrons. The ‘Five Thieves’ can also be found here — upscale specialty food shops where residents can stock up on quality bread, cheese, meat, fish, and produce.

Bagel preferences are typically unwavering: those who prefer Montreal style will never go for anything else, while others would prefer it if the thin, sweet, chewy type went back to its city of origin for good. Thankfully residents living in the Yonge and St. Clair neighbourhood have access to both: Kiva’s is the go-to spot for those who prefer Toronto-style bagels, while Montreal bagels can be procured at Bagel House, which satisfies carb cravings 24-hours per day.

Other notable businesses in the neighbourhood include the Rosedale Diner, which has been serving up elevated comfort food since 1978. Plus, it must be good if Guy Fieri chose to spotlight the restaurant on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Whether hosting or attending a dinner, stopping in at the local LCBO — inside a former train station — is never a bad idea. Alternatively, rainy days may call for a trip to the Cineplex Cinemas, which also happens to be the chain’s head offices.

The Yonge and St. Clair neighbourhood is as attractive as its classy residents would expect it to be. Street Art Toronto Program commissioned a public art piece was in 2016, with the final design taking into account the opinion of community members. The eight-storey mural by an artist named Phlegm (yes you read that right) adorns the side of a building at the intersection of Yonge and St. Clair. In the mural a woman overlooks the cityscape below, her body filled in with various architectural structures meant to represent other neighbourhoods in Toronto.

A handful of buildings in Yonge and St. Clair were constructed as early as the 1970s and 80s, including The Westclair, The Dorchester, and Granite Place. Rather than falling into disrepair, these Yonge and St. Clair condos have fared exceptionally well over the years. Like a good wine or an artisanal cheese, they only get better with age.

One of the most notable condos in the neighbourhood has to be the Imperial Oil building: Imperial Plaza. Built in 1957 to hold the main offices for Imperial Oil, the design was originally entered in a contest for the New City Hall building. The façade is clad in luxurious limestone, and its 2014 conversion into condos also resulted in an LCBO and a grocery store opening up on the ground floor.

While the neighbourhood has drawn the attention of affluent prospective buyers for decades now, it hasn’t stopped attracting attention from developers. With a number of contemporary Yonge and St. Clair condos already in the works, the growth of this neighbourhood shows no signs of slowing.

One of the major benefits of living in Yonge and St. Clair is the access residents have to the subway. The Yonge line stops at St. Clair, Summerhill, and Rosedale as it makes its way south through the neighbourhood and toward the downtown core.

Drivers can use Yonge to head straight into downtown neighbourhoods like Yorkville and the Financial District. Alternatively, Aylmer Avenue can be used to reach Bayview Avenue, which carries drivers south into the city’s east end or north toward an on-ramp for the Don Valley Parkway.

The Locals: Well dressed and well fed.

Code of Conduct: Starting one’s day with a bagel hot from the oven is always an option here.

What You’ll Find: Classy boutiques with even classier prices.

What You Won’t Find: Cool new restaurants and bars filled with hip, young patrons.

The Homes: Strapping condo towers that have stood the test of time.

Sealing the Deal: It’s like the midtown version of Yorkville, minus all the tourists.