Riverdale

Around the Neighbourhood

Cultural landmarks: Riverdale Park East delivers the postcard skyline view (and the city’s best toboggan hill in winter), and the restored 1891 Broadview Hotel anchors the Queen and Broadview corner with its rooftop bar.

Hot local spots: the Danforth’s Greektown is the backbone, with long-runners like Messini for late-night gyros, while Gerrard East has filled in with newer rooms like Wynona for dinner and a glass of wine.

Parks & green space: Withrow Park, between Logan and Carlaw, is the everyday green with its rink, dog area and farmers’ market, and Riverdale Park East handles the views and the sledding.

Your Typical Neighbour

The City profile for this area (North Riverdale) puts the population near 11,300, with a median age of about 42, older than Toronto overall. Majority of households (around 40%) are families with kids, which is well above the city average and tells you exactly what kind of place this is. Incomes run comfortably ahead of the Toronto median (about $85,000 for households in 2020), which is what it takes to hold a detached house here. The classic resident is a settled, two-income family that bought in and stayed… the old joke about Leslieville’s slightly older, slightly richer sibling still mostly holds.

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

What We Love

Location and green space. There’s mature tree cover and park everywhere, the schools are among the most respected in the city, and the Danforth subway is at the top of the hill. The dining has quietly caught up, too… it used to be Greek or nothing, and now Gerrard East and the Danforth carry a much broader range. And the skyline view from Riverdale Park is one of the best free things in Toronto.

What We Don’t Love

Price and competition, plain and simple. Demand is relentless, inventory is thin, and good houses sell quickly and over asking. The school-district premium is real and can feel arbitrary if you’re a few doors on the wrong side of a boundary. If you need to move fast and decisively, fine. If you want to take your time, this market will frustrate you.

Real Estate

Riverdale is large Edwardian and Victorian houses on safe residential streets, with the prices climbing toward the top school catchments. Get off the main drags and it isn’t all big detached homes… there are semis and the occasional row house at the more attainable end, though “attainable” is relative here. Condos and lofts are a small slice of the market, mostly along Broadview and Gerrard. Inventory is tight and listings move quickly, almost always in competition, so do your homework and be ready to act. New to all this? Start with our First-Time Buyer guide.

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

Transit

The Broadview streetcar is the main north-south route, feeding the Bloor-Danforth subway at Broadview station, with Chester station close by and regular streetcar service along Gerrard. Drivers have quick access to the DVP, the Gardiner and Lakeshore, which is part of why the neighbourhood works for downtown commuters who still want a car.

Schools

There are plenty of schools, among them some of the best-reputed public and private schools in the city.

JUNIOR SCHOOLS

Pape Avenue Public School
École élémentaire La Mosaïque
Frankland Community School
É Élém Gabrielle-Roy
Withrow Avenue Junior Public School
Queen Alexandra Middle School

SENIOR SCHOOLS

Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Collège français secondaire
Earl Grey Senior Public School

CATHOLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Montcrest School
ÉÉC du Sacré-Coeur-Toronto
Holy Name Catholic School
École Secondaire Catholique Saint-Frère-André

For school rankings and Fraser Institute scores, see our interactive Toronto school map.