Thorncrest Village
History:
Thorncrest Village is named after the former summer home of Sir William Pearce Howland, one of Ontario’s first Lieutenant Governors. Thorncrest house, built in 1854 is still standing today, set back from the street at 36 Rathburn Road.
The Thorncrest estate was purchased in 1944 by developer Marshall Foss, who built the Thorncrest Village neighbourhood. Thorncrest Village was modelled after the renowned Kansas City Country Club subdivision in the United States.
Thorncrest Village is credited with being Toronto’s first modern suburb. It introduced the idea of a strong homeowners association, neighbourhood zoning and building restrictions, curvilinear street patterns and culs-de-sac, as well as an emphasis on the preservation of trees.
Thorncrest Village was designed by Dr. Eugene Faludi, an internationally renowned architect and town planner. Faludi received high praise for his work on Thorncrest Village and was subsequently hired to design many other Toronto neighbourhoods including Humber Valley Village, Bayview Village and Lawrence Manor.
Overview:
Thorncrest Village is one of Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhoods with just over two hundred homeowners. It is also one of Toronto’s prettier neighbourhoods with winding tree-lined roads that are whimsically decorated with cast-iron street lamps and wood post signs that combine to create a countrified charm.
It is interesting to note that all of the streets in Thorncrest Village have an east-west orientation. This was planned intentionally so that all of the houses in this neighbourhood would benefit from a direct south exposure.
Lifestyle:
The immediate shopping needs of the residents of this neighbourhood are well served by the Thorncrest Plaza located on the north-west corner of Islington Avenue and Rathburn Road. This small shopping plaza includes a supermarket, bank, barber shop, coffee shop, hardware store, drug store, framing shop, dry cleaner, tailor, wine shop and a couple of professional offices.
Thorncrest residents are less than five minutes by car from the upscale Humbertown Shopping Centre located on The Kingsway, as well as the Kingsway Village and Bloor West Village shopping districts, situated along Bloor Street West.
Homes:
Thorncrest’s sweeping, tree-lined streets and expansive lots provide an idyllic backdrop for its varied collection of houses. The original Thorncrest houses include ranch-style bungalows and modernist-style homes from the late 1940s and the 1950s. These houses are gradually being replaced by larger brick and stone executive-style houses.
Recreation:
The Thorncrest Homeowners Association is the only homeowners association in Toronto that owns and operates its own clubhouse and recreational facilities. The Thorncrest clubhouse, located at 35 Thorncrest Road, hosts many neighbourhood social events including family barbecues, bridge, theme dinners and a children’s christmas show. There is also a family “Fun Day” that coincides with a pool opening party. This annual event features pony rides, a bake sale, carnival food, a clown and games.
The Thorncrest community facilities include a 25 metre outdoor swimming pool which is a popular cooling-off spot in the summertime. Swim lessons from qualified instructors are offered at this site. The Thorncrest Homeowners Association also operates two tennis courts and a children’s playground that are adjacent to the clubhouse and pool. The tennis courts are busy all summer with lessons, clinics, leagues, round robins and spring and fall tournaments.
Transportation:
The bus service along Islington Avenue connects passengers to the Islington station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Islington station also provides express bus service to the airport as well as being a connecting route to the Mississauga Transit system.
Motorists are twenty minutes from downtown Toronto via Bloor Street and ten minutes from the Highway 401 on-ramp off Islington Avenue.
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Thorncrest Village Stats
Walkability:
Medium
Bikeability:
High
Public Transit:
Medium
Affordability:
Low
Greenspace:
High
Recreation:
High
Legend: Low, Medium, High
Commute Times
* 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.