If you are looking for a quiet, upper-middle income neighbourhood in Toronto that is full of curvilinear streets that lead to local parks and ravines, Windfields, Toronto is the neighbourhood for you. Windfields is a beautiful neighbourhood lined with trees, spacious homes and a number of well-regarded schools. This is an area perfect for young families that are looking for a prosperous neighbourhood that also lets their kids play road hockey safely.
History
While Windfields, Toronto is an old neighbourhood, it is one of the newer, older neighbourhoods. It began as a farm in 1937 and gained notoriety for being one of the top thoroughbred racing stables in North America. In 1963 the owners of Windfields Farm donated 30 acres of their property to become what is now known as Windfields Park, the rest has become the neighbourhood we know and love today. The original Windfields mansion can still be found at 2489 Bayview Avenue. Today it is the home of the Canadian Centre for Advanced Film Studies.
As the Windfields only sold the land for residential development in the 1960s, homes were not built until the 1970s and 1980s. Therefore, the style of homes in this vicinity range from ranch-style bungalows, to modern Tudors and 5,000 square foot estates. However, if you are particularly a fan of experimental modernist architecture, Windfields, Toronto is the neighbourhood to be in. Windfields has some of the most interesting and asymmetrical modernist architecture in the city!
Recreation
When it comes to lifestyle, there is no shortage of recreational choices in Windfields. Leslie Street provides the neighbourhood a traditional taste of urban lifestyle with street shopping and restaurants. For a larger selection of retailers I highly recommend the prestigious Bayview Village Shopping Centre which is home to some of the best designers in the world. There is also the Shops at Don Mills which is a beautifully designed outdoor retail experience. The Town Square is located in the middle of the Shops at Don Mills making the outdoor shopping centre feel more like a city centre that is bursting with community activities as well as gourmet restaurants and top quality stores.
Windfields Park is not the only green oasis in the neighbourhood (though it is a must-see!). There is also the famous Edwards Gardens and the Banbury Community Centre. All of these recreational areas boast 200 year old trees, ponds, marshes and an abundance of wildlife. You can skate or cross-country ski in these areas in the winter, and enjoy picnics in the summer. These parks can truly be enjoyed 365 days of the year!
For those who are interested in information about traveling to, or within, the neighbourhood, there are buses that connect passengers to the York Mills station on the Yonge-University subway line. York Mills station is also a Go Bus station that includes express bus service to Pearson Airport. To get to a 400 series highway by car will only take you 5 minutes, and to get to the nearest hospital will only take you 10 minutes. Windfields, Toronto is very well-located for wherever you would like to go!
If you would like to learn more about Windfields, or would like to see some of my listings in the area, please feel free to contact me here. One listing in Windfields that I would love to share with you is 25 Tudor Gate: a sprawling 7000+ square foot French chateau. A property like this does not come on the market often, so do not be shy to reach out and book a viewing if you are interested.
