Condos for Sale in Scarborough, Toronto, ON

In 2008, the Toronto Star published a list of potential mottos for the Scarborough Area. While “We’ve got the stuff, we never bluff, we are Scarborough, a diamond in the rough” is a bit corny — and slightly too long in our opinion — this phrase does get at the heart of what Scarborough is all about.

What the words “rough” and “bluff” are referring to is the area’s pièce de résistance, the natural landscape known as the Scarborough Bluffs. In fact, Scarborough takes its name from a seaside town in eastern England, which also happens to be known for its limestone bluffs.

The Bluffs is an escarpment, meaning a large cliff that separates two areas of differing elevations. Above the Bluffs sits the large residential and commercial area known as Scarborough, with a beach and the shore of Lake Ontario situated below. And while Scarborough residents can head to virtually any part of the bluffs in order to enjoy some quiet time in a park, those hoping to do some sunbathing will want to head straight to Bluffer’s Park Beach.

Scarborough’s waterfront locale also attracts seafaring types to the area. A number of yacht clubs have set up shop just west of Bluffer’s Park Beach, including the Cathedral Bluffs Yacht Club, the Scarborough Bluffs Sailing Club, and the Highland Yacht Club, to name a few.

The area may be bound by water on its southern side, however there’s much more to Scarborough than just beaches and cliffs. The area reaches as far east as the Rouge River, and all the way north toward Steeles, while the western boundary can be found along Victoria Park Avenue.

The multicultural reputation associated with Canada as a whole can truly be visualized in Scarborough. More than half of the population of Scarborough is foreign-born, and the area continues to attract newcomers to this day. Residents living in Scarborough condos for sale, regardless of their own ethnicity, can enjoy tasting the flavours of faraway places like Sri Lanka, India, China, and the Caribbean. An American economist even went so far as to say that the world’s best ethnic food can be found right here in Scarborough.

Beach? Check. Authentic world cuisine? Check. What about a national park? That’s right, Scarborough really does have it all. A large portion of the area is a government-run park known as the Rouge National Urban Park. Rouge Park is free to visit, although there are fees for those who plan to camp out. Even with the cost of a campsite, though, it’s worth it to not have to drive three hours north.

Toward the end of the 20th century, much of Scarborough was transformed from rural land to suburban communities. One event in particular attracted developers to the area: the completion of the Scarborough subway line in 1985.

Between the 24 distinctive neighbourhoods that together make up the area, Scarborough condos for sale are luckily not all that hard to come by. There are over 250 condos that are either already built or in the process of being constructed, with more going up every year.

The Upper Beaches Condos is about as close as it gets to the beach, and this longstanding building has units that will please all types of buyers. Suites in the building start at around 700 square feet, with the largest spanning approximately 1,500. As for buyers interested in Scarborough condos for sale near the 401, some great options include Platinum Rouge Condos in the Rouge neighbourhood and Markham Gardens Townhomes in Malvern & White Haven.

As far as Scarborough condos go, buyers hoping to live a zero-waste lifestyle (or close to zero) have one great option. Mayfair on the Green I Condos made the news in 2016 for its waste reduction efforts: residents agreed to compost more and throw away less trash, even going so far as to collect cooking oil in containers provided to them by their superintendent.

And then there are the Scarborough condos for sale that are so far west, they’re practically in the East End. Prospective buyers hoping to minimize their commutes into the city can opt for a suite in buildings close to Victoria Park Avenue, like the Fallingbrook Lofts in Birch Cliff or the Wilshire on the Green Condos in Clairlea & Golden Mile.

Although Scarborough condos for sale can be quite far from downtown Toronto, this doesn’t stop residents from visiting often — or even commuting daily. Even residents without cars of their own can reach the downtown core in no time, thanks to the Scarborough subway line.

Once at Kennedy Station, passengers can transfer onto the Bloor-Danforth line, from which they can ride east into the centre of Toronto. When moving in the other direction, travellers can head as far as McCowan Station, after which they can transfer onto a bus in order to complete their journeys. And prospective buyers hoping to stay in the area a long time should know that there are plans in place to extend the Bloor-Danforth line into Scarborough, with the new 6.2 kilometres of track due to replace the existing Scarborough line completely.

As for those who drive, Scarborough residents have plenty of options for driving around the area — and for exiting it altogether. For one, drivers can use the 401 to travel east toward Pickering, Ajax, and beyond. Those heading into the city, on the other hand, might opt to take the 401 toward the Don Valley Parkway.

Kingston Road is also useful for anyone living in the south end of Scarborough, in neighbourhoods like Scarborough Village & Guildwood. Using this major road, drivers can drive east into The Beaches, at which point they can transfer onto Lake Shore Boulevard East.

The Locals: Completely representative of the multiculturalism Canadians are so proud of.

Code of Conduct: Scarborough locals should be particularly kind to their neighbours, as many of them are new to the country.

What You’ll Find: Cliff-side beaches and an urban national park.

What You Won’t Find: Homes with startlingly high price tags.

The Homes: Condos new and old.

Sealing the Deal: The mouthwatering food you can only get in Scarborough — or by travelling halfway across the globe.