Welcome To Leslieville

Leslieville sits east of the Don River, roughly the wedge below Gerrard between Empire and Coxwell, with Queen Street East as its spine. It went from working-class factory district to artists’ haven to one of the most in-demand parts of the east end, and the through-line is the small scale: narrow Victorian houses, brick-and-beam lofts, and a Queen Street of independent cafés and restaurants rather than chains.

It still reads a little more laid-back than downtown, but “up-and-coming” stopped applying years ago. The condos filled in, the brunch lineups got longer, and the prices caught up. What’s kept it likeable is that the main street is still mostly local, the parks are genuinely good, and you can walk to most of what you need.

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Leslieville FAQs

Where is Leslieville?

East of the Don River and the Don Valley Parkway, south of Gerrard, between Empire Avenue and Coxwell. Think east of downtown, north of the lake, and just west of The Beaches. It runs up against Riverdale to the north.

How much does it cost to live in Leslieville?

As a rough guide: condos have lately averaged around $720K, townhomes and semi-detached houses in the $1.35M to $1.4M range, and detached homes around $1.5M, climbing as lots get bigger north toward Riverdale. The “condo alternative” small houses south of Queen are where first-time buyers tend to start. See the live statistics block below for the current quarter’s exact figures, or browse current Leslieville listings.

Is Leslieville a good place to live for families?

Yes, with caveats. Parks, splash pads, schools and a real community feel make it popular with families, but the prime family streets north of Queen ask for two solid incomes, and some of the houses are very small.

What's the commute downtown like?

The 501 Queen streetcar runs straight into the core, roughly 15 to 25 minutes. The Ontario Line will eventually add a Leslieville Station at Queen Street East, a real game-changer for the area, though it’s a construction site for now and not expected to open until around 2031.

Is it walkable?

Among the most walkable neighbourhoods in the east end. Queen East covers groceries, coffee, dinner and most errands on foot.

Is parking a problem?

The side streets are permit parking and tight, and the small old lots mean many houses have no driveway. Doable, but check what comes with the place.

Around the Neighbourhood

Cultural landmarks: this is the heart of Toronto’s “Studio District,” the film and TV production cluster that gives the area its creative reputation, and the old industrial buildings turned live-work lofts, the Wrigley Lofts and the Garment Factory among them, are landmarks in their own right.

Hot local spots: Te Aro at 983 Queen East for coffee and a patio, Lady Marmalade and Maha’s (the Egyptian spot on Greenwood) for the brunch lineups locals grumble about and join anyway, plus newer arrivals like NODO for Italian and Maru for Japanese keeping Queen East busy.

Parks & green space: Greenwood Park, with its skating trail and Sunday farmers’ market, and Jimmie Simpson Park and rec centre, with the Martin Goodman Trail and the lake a short ride south.

Your Typical Neighbour

Leslieville skews younger and more creative than its neighbours: design and media types, young professionals and families who wanted character and proximity without a Riverdale price tag, though the prime streets increasingly require one. For demographics the City of Toronto folds Leslieville into its South Riverdale profile, one of the city’s larger neighbourhoods at roughly 28,000 residents, with a mix of long-time working families, newer condo dwellers and a notable immigrant population. Household incomes vary widely block to block, from “condo alternative” starters south of Queen to well-employed family households up north, and run around the Toronto median of roughly $85,000. See the City profile for the full age, income and ownership breakdown.

Source: City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profile, South Riverdale, 2021 Census

What We Love

The retail and restaurant strip pulls us east even when we have no other reason to be there. Queen East is a genuine independent main street, the green space is better than people expect, and the loft stock is some of the best in the city. Leslieville is also one of the few places where a creative buyer can still find an oddball space with potential… a brick-and-beam conversion, a 12-foot-wide cottage, a mixed-use building on Gerrard with retail below and an apartment above.

What We Don’t Love

The lineups for Sunday brunch at Lady Marmalade and Maha’s are real. And despite the city’s best efforts, Canada’s largest wastewater (read: sewage) treatment plant at Ashbridges Bay still lays a thoroughly unpleasant aroma over the neighbourhood on the wrong day. Add tight permit parking, very small houses at the lower end, and years of Ontario Line construction noise to come, and you have the honest trade-offs.

Real Estate

South of Queen you get the oldest housing, late-1800s workers’ cottages, Second Empire row houses and Victorian semis, some of them genuinely tiny, hence the “condo alternative” tag that shows up in listings. Move north of Queen and the lots and houses grow, with prices to match, until you cross into Riverdale proper. Leslieville is also one of Toronto’s best loft neighbourhoods: industrial conversions and new-builds like the Church Lofts, Work Lofts and Wrigley Lofts draw buyers who want something different. New to the market? Start with our First-Time Buyer guide.

(Current prices and days on market appear in the live statistics block below, updated quarterly.)

Transit

The 501 Queen streetcar is the workhorse over the Don and into downtown, backed by the 502 and 503 on Kingston Road and the 72 Pape bus running north-south. Drivers reach the Gardiner and the DVP quickly via Lake Shore. The big change on the horizon is the Ontario Line: an elevated Leslieville Station is being built on the rail corridor at Queen Street East, with the line slated to open around 2031. It will give the neighbourhood its first rapid-transit stop… worth factoring in if you’re planting roots here.

Schools

Proximity to family centric Riverdale leaves you with a number of school options, though most are close to or north of Queen Street.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Bruce Public School
Leslieville Junior Public School
Equinox Holistic School
Duke Of Connaught Public School
St. Joseph Catholic School
Morse Street Public School
Nelson Mandela Park Public School
Blake Street Junior Public School
É Élém La Mosaïque
Kew Beach Junior Public School
Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School

SENIOR SCHOOLS

Properties Sold

Average Days on Market

102%

% of Asking Price

Source: TRREB Statistics

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