The Lowdown on West Queen West

Your Typical Neighbour

The West Queen West vibe reflects the relatively young demographic of the neighbourhood. It’s also extremely multicultural. Chances are strong your neighbour identifies as a visible minority, is a first time buyer, and is enjoying a bohemian lifestyle.

What We

What we like best: Amazing culture available at a stones throw. Live music, art, food and retail are all right outside your door. Oh and did we mention art!? Nearby Trinity Bellwoods Park is a top desination for leisurely weekends, picnics and catching the Cherry Blossoms come Sping time.

What We Don't

Local & independent shops and restaurants are a mainstay but more and more national chains are popping up every year. (Not surprising given the surge in commerical rents!). Opportunities for some really amazing loft conversions were thrown away here in recent years with the demolition of some long standing industrial spaces.

Property Statistics in West Queen West

All Properties - Statistics

Q4 2023

$785,039.00

Average Price

351

New Listings

124

Properties Sold

25

Average Days on Market

99%

% of Asking Price

Detached Houses - Statistics

Q4 2023

n/a

Average Price

1

New Listings

0

Properties Sold

n/a

Average Days on Market

n/a

% of Asking Price

semi-detached - Statistics

Q4 2023

n/a

Average Price

4

New Listings

2

Properties Sold

n/a

Average Days on Market

n/a

% of Asking Price

Condos - Statistics

Q4 2023

$741,000.00

Average Price

301

New Listings

104

Properties Sold

25

Average Days on Market

99%

% of Asking Price

Source: TREB Statistics

This 'hood is home to some of the sweetest (pun intended) Toronto lofts -- we're looking at you Candy Factory and Chocolate Company Lofts. These are some of the first Toronto loft conversions and they undoubtedly set the bar for what a loft should look like. They have often been imitated - but rarely replicated - elsewhere in the city. Rare offerings in these buildings are short-lived and sell at a premium. There are very few actual houses remaining today within the most commonly accepted borders of this neighbourhood (i.e. south of Queen). While there are a smattering along bordering Shaw Street as well as Dovercourt, much of the industrial conversion that has occurred in this area has been filled with higher density stacked townhomes, and the wealth of new condo construction that lines both King Street, Queen Street and both sides of the Rail Corridor that diagonally dissects the area.

Most of the industrial spaces that lingered into the late ’90s are now gone and have been replaced with thousands of condo units that have been completed in the last two decades. The size and price point of many of these units have led to a sharp increase in the population of the area, which explains the equally sharp increase in the number of bars and restaurants that have taken over the Queen Street frontage (despite the sharp increases in commercial rents!).

People move here for the lifestyle. Shopping, gallery-hopping (though the number of them has shrunk significantly in the last couple of years, a result of the aforementioned increases in rent), and nightlife are everywhere - no wonder, given the saturation of “hallmarks of hipness” as Vogue put it.

Area: 3km

Population: 21,000

Demographics

Kids: 6%

Youth: 8%

Seniors: 5%

Visible Minority: 32.9%

Average Family Income: $91,767

Education

Lower Education: 26.5%

Higher Education: 16.2%

Home Ownership

Owned Homes: 51%

Tenanted Homes: 49%

The best options are in neighbouring Niagara, Parkdale and Beaconsfield, including Alexander Muir/Gladstone and Givins/Shaw, both just north of Queen Street.

PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Niagara St Jr Public School

Givins/Shaw Junior Public School

Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School

Alexander Muir/Gladstone Ave Junior and Senior Public School

You’re pretty much surrounded by 24-hour streetcars, although you’re not super close to the subway. 97 on the Walkscore, 100 on the Transit Score. Drivers are very close to major arteries in and out of the city. Not too shabby if we do say so ourselves!

About West Queen West

Welcome to West Queen West.

Hold on to your round hipster glasses and beanies because you’re going to want them for a stroll in this trendy Toronto neighbourhood.

Bordered by Dufferin to the West, Queen to the North, Shaw to the East, and King Street to the South, this neighbourhood has seen major changes in the past 10-20 years. It’s this wave of innovation, and entrepreneurialism, that has brought a wealth of local residents in the art, design, and creative industries. In fact, it could be argued that it is the artists who made this ‘wave of change’ happen. Where one saw a run-down building or bare white wall, another saw an opportunity and minimalist charm. With a little vision, West Queen West has become one of the hottest areas of ‘the six.’

Once dingy, or abandoned, warehouses are now some of the cooler loft spaces to live in the city. A perfect blank slate to hang your favourite piece, showcase your record collection or host a party. Not surprisingly, Artscape Youngplace (an arts and culture hub) is within a short walking distance for residents of the West Queen West strip. So are gourmet brasseries, pubs, bistros, art supply stores, floating facilities, hair salons, spas, yoga studios, wine bars, vintage stores, parks and public transit access. The transformation of West Queen West is one of Toronto’s most happening condo markets and most treasured masterpieces.


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Send us a message below, call us at 416-274-2068 or text 416-568-0427.