Richvale North
History:
In the middle of a busy thoroughfare at 525 Carrville Road sits a small single storey home of board and batten construction. This little home, is thought to have been built around 1819 by Rowland Burr who operated a mill on the banks of the East Don River. Today, this historic dwelling is owned by the Richmond Hill Historical Society and is known as the Burr House Craft Gallery and Tea Room. It is now the home of the The Burr House Spinners and Weavers Guild that offer community based programs for those interested in the fibre arts including: spinning, weaving, knitting, quilting, dyeing, felting, basketry and tapestry. All of these skills would have had great value to the pioneers who first settled here.
South Richvale, south of Carrville Road was one of Toronto’s first commuter suburbs. Development coincided with the opening of the Richvale Public school in 1923 followed by the opening of the Richvale Post Office in 1932. The bulk of development occurred in the 1950s. North Richvale developed in the late 1960s and 1970s. Previously it was part of Don Head Farm which was known for its outstanding livestock including: Southdown sheep from England, Aberdeen Angus cattle from Scotland and award winning Jersey Dairy cows.
Overview:
The Richvale neighbourhood is situated in the southwest section of Richmond Hill just north of Highway 7. Richvale is a family oriented neighbourhood with a variety of excellent schools, great parks, recreational amenities and convenient access to public transit and nearby shopping options. Neighbourhood landmarks include the Richvale Community Centre, Richvale Athletic Fields, Richvale Public Library, Richmond Hill Golf and Country Club, Hillcrest Shopping Centre and the East Don River which provides a green corridor and conservation parklands for neighbourhood residents to enjoy.
Lifestyle:
Hillcrest Mall located at 9350 Yonge Street, on the west side of Yonge just south of Major Mackenzie Drive has recently undergone an expansion and renovation that will coincide with the introduction of many new top notch retailers including: Indigo, Marshalls+Homesense, Swarrovski, Carbon and Old Navy. Hillcrest enjoys the distinction of being the only fully enclosed shopping centre located in Richmond Hill and is anchored by a state of the art Hudson’s Bay as well as favourites Aritzia, Sephora and Sporting Life. In all there are over 100 retai stores to choose from.
Homes:
South Richvale, south of Carrville Road, consists of large premium lots. The original housing stock in this area was quite modest consisting largely of bungalows which have gradually given way to much larger custom designed homes with elaborate stone and brickwork and multiple garages.
North Richvale, north of Carrville, has a wide variety of homes including detached, link style homes and townhomes. The lots are not as quite as big as south Richvale and the houses are smaller and therefore less expensive.
Recreation:
The Richvale Community Centre and Pool located at 160 Avenue has an adult and a tots pool as well as community meeting rooms. The adjacent Richvale Athletic Park is a large park with sports fields, baseball diamonds, a splash pad, walking trails and more.
Morgan Boyle park situated right in the middle of the neighbourhood off Pearson Avenue is a showpiece when it comes to parks. This busy wide open greenspace received an enormous upgrade to its facilities as part of Canada’s 150th year anniversary with an extravagant children’s playground, splashpad, sports fields and two tennis courts.
Hunter’s Point Wildlife Park is a quiet contemplative greenspace located at the south west section of Richvale. Tucked away off the main street this park includes a walking trail and a small playground.
Arts:
The Burr House Craft Gallery & Tea Room located at 530 Carrville Rd,, is a community artisan gallery’ and tea room featuring a wide selection of handcrafted work in a historical setting. Facilities include a tea room, 2 artisan rooms and a feature gallery. This is also the home of the Burr House Spinners and Weavers Guild and the Hill Potters Guild.
The Richvale Public Library located at 40 Pearson Avenue is an unpretentious building that blends into the neighbourhood. This library offers community based programming throughout the year.
Featured Listings
Vaughan
thornhill
Thornhill Vaughan
Richvale North Stats
Walkability:
Medium
Bikeability:
Medium
Public Transit:
High
Affordability:
Medium
Greenspace:
Medium
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.