WILLOWRIDGE-MARTINGROVE-RICHVIEW
Average 2008 sale price: $430,183
Percentage change from 2007: -1
Property crime: average
Crime against people: average
Commute to King and Bay: 22 km
Closest subway station: Kipling
Once a farming centre that provided produce, meat and dairy products to the city, the area's last farm was sold to developers in 1956. Subdivisions now cover the former farmland. Willowridge and Martingrove are not as sought-after because apartment blocks have hampered development; Richview is where the more elite addresses lie. A lot of original owners are still comfortably established here. There are many schools in the area-Kipling Collegiate, Father Serra Catholic School, Hilltop Middle School, Dixon Grove Jr. MS, Park-field Junior School—and it borders much more expensive housing to the south, as well as popular schools, such as Richview Collegiate.HOUSING STOCK: This planned community was built mostly in the late 1950s and early '60s, and houses—a mix of two-storey Georgian Revivals and bungalows—are large but not ostentatious (roughly 2,000 square feet), with plenty of elbow room between lots. There are some semi-detached homes closer to Highway 401.
BARGAIN ZONES: Willowridge and Martingrove offer relatively cheaper options than Richview. A rule of thumb: the closer the home is to Royal York Road, the more expensive it is.
THE VERDICT: It's snuggled close to highway on ramps and there aren't many destinations within walking distance, so the neighbourhood has a private, even slightly sleepy feel to it. Residences in Richview are mostly for the well-established homeowner, though some dodgy-looking apartment blocks on Martingrove make people more likely to move on than to invest in long-term improvements. Richview is a sensible Alternative to the very expensive houses that are further south, near St. George's country club.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOT: Better Living Natural Foods Health-conscious west enders in search of better living shop here for natural foods, organic produce and hearty whole grain loaves, as well as natural beauty and bath products. 1500 Royal York Rd., 416-249-1895.