Bickford Park

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Bickford Park
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      History:

      The Bickford Park neighbourhood is named after Colonel E. Oscar Bickford, a former Toronto businessman and politician. Bickford, a wealthy landowner, owned what is now the Bickford Ravine Park. His widow Emily A. Bickford sold this property to the City of Toronto in 1908, for $44,250.
      In 1913, the Elizabethan Recreation Centre was built at the north end of Bickford Park. This playground was named after the “Lizzies”, a collection of local sports teams that achieved nationwide fame at all levels of amateur sport, particularly in baseball and basketball. The Centre’s name was changed in 1990 to The Bob Abate Community Recreation Centre in honour of the “Lizzies” popular long-time coach.
      Almost ninety years after it’s inception, the Bickford Park playground still represents a field of dreams for this quiet west end neighbourhood.

      Overview:

      The Bickford Park neighbourhood revolves around the Bob Abate Centre and the Bickford Park playground. These local landmarks are the social and recreational hubs of this family oriented community.
      Originally settled by Italian, Jewish and Portuguese immigrants, Bickford Park is still home to people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Affordable houses, excellent shopping and convenient access to public transit are hallmarks of this neighbourhood.

      Lifestyle:

      The Bloorcourt Village shopping district along Bloor Street has a large variety of stores and restaurants. Every June, the Village hosts festival days where strolling musicians, bands, clowns, and magicians perform to the delight of shoppers.
      College Street is home to the Little Italy shopping district which is famous for its Italian restaurants, cafes and pizza parlours.
      Harbord Street, is an intimate shopping district with a pedestrian friendly streetscape. The attractive commercial buildings on this street feature an eclectic mix of retail shops as well as trendy restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops.

      Homes:

      Bickford Park’s Victorian homes were built between 1880 and 1930. There is a good mix of two and three storey houses as well as semi-detached and detached homes.
      Bickford Park’s streetscape features pretty front gardens and mature trees. The flow of traffic in front of the houses is light as all the streets are one way traffic only, with garages situated off rear laneways at the back of the properties.

      Recreation:

      The social and recreational hub of this neighbourhood is the Bob Abate Recreation Centre on Montrose Avenue. This centre has a small gymnasium, an arts and crafts room and community meeting rooms. Located next door to the Bob Abate Centre is The Bickford Centre which has a pool and a large gymnasium.
      Bickford Park playground, located just south of the community centre, has two baseball diamonds that service an active baseball program including rookie ball and T-ball leagues. This park also features a massive greenspace with numerous picnic areas and park benches. There is also a network of walking trails that traverse this park. Dog owners meet and greet at the sound end of the park which has a very popular off leash dog park.
      Across the street from Bickford Park, south of Harbord Avenue is Art Eggleton Park, named after a former Mayor of Toronto. This park features a large childrens playgrounds and a wading pool.

      Transportation:

      This neighbourhood has regular bus or streetcar service on Harbord St., College St., and Ossington Avenue. Local subway stations at Ossington and at Christie Street, provide Bickford Park residents with direct access to the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Motorists can be downtown in minutes and are approximately fifteen minutes from the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard.

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          Bickford Park Stats

          Walkability:

          High

          Bikeability:

          Medium

          Public Transit:

          High

          Affordability:

          Medium

          Greenspace:

          High

          Recreation:

          Medium

           

          Legend: Low, Medium, High

          Commute Times

          Time to Closest Shopping Mall:
          15 Minutes
          Time To TTC Station:
          5 Minutes
          Time to GO Bus or Train Station:
          30 Minutes
          Time To Hospital:
          15 Minutes
          Time to Toronto Pearson International Airport
          45 Minutes
          Time to Closest Highway:
          20 Minutes

          * All commuting times provided are approximate times only. Commute times may increase or decrease depending on where you live within the neighbourhood and the time of day i.e rush hour versus off hour commutes. Time estimates to public transit are based on walking distance or bus line connection whichever is quicker. All other commute times on the chart above are based on drive times.

          School Guide

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          Toronto School Resources

          Editor’s Note. BEFORE MOVING INTO, BUYING OR RENTING A HOME, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL YOU ARE CONSIDERING BY PHONE to ensure your home is within the designated boundaries and that your child is age appropriate. WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISINFORMATION REGARDING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT SO DO NOT ASSUME that your child can automatically attend a specific school or specialized program until you have official confirmation from that school. Please visit the school board web sites for more information.