Runnymede

Around the Neighbourhood

Cultural landmarks: the Runnymede Theatre, “the Runny,” a beautifully restored 1927 atmospheric theatre on Bloor (now a Shoppers Drug Mart that kept the heritage interior, which is worth a look in itself), plus the Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival each September, the largest of its kind in North America.

Hot local spots: Queen Margherita Pizza for the Neapolitan pies, Mad Mexican for tacos, and the Annette Food Market for everyday groceries, with the full butcher-bakery-bookshop run of Bloor West Village a few minutes east.

Parks & green space: Etienne Brule Park and Home Smith Park trace the Humber River with trails for walking and cycling, Runnymede Park has the George Bell Arena, and High Park is a short trip east.

Your Typical Neighbour

Runnymede skews family and owner-occupied in a way much of the city no longer does. Most households own their homes, well over half the housing is single-detached, and a large share of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Incomes run comfortably above the city average, with a notable cluster at the top end. It’s professionals and established families who wanted houses, yards and a subway, and were willing to trade downtown buzz for a quieter street.

Source: City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profile, Runnymede-Bloor West Village 

What We Love

The combination is hard to find: detached brick houses with parking, a walkable main street, two subway stations and the Humber valley trails, all without the premium you’d pay one neighbourhood over. The Craftsman and Edwardian housing stock has real character, the streets are calm, and you can get a proper coffee, a haircut, groceries and dinner without ever getting in the car.

What We Don’t Love

Quiet cuts both ways. If you want nightlife and a buzzy restaurant scene at your door, this isn’t it… the action is over in Bloor West Village or down at the lake. Inventory is thin, so when a good house lands it tends to move quickly, and the “more affordable than the neighbours” gap has narrowed as the west end has caught up.

Real Estate

Runnymede is dominated by detached and semi-detached two-storey brick houses, a lot of it Craftsman and Edwardian, on tidy lots with mature trees and, often, parking. It’s a low-rise neighbourhood by design, so don’t expect much in the way of condos within the boundaries… buyers who want a unit usually look to the Bloor strip or nearby Bloor West Village. Demand is steady and supply is limited, so well-presented houses don’t sit. 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

This is a transit sweet spot for the west end. Runnymede and Jane stations both sit on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, putting most of the neighbourhood within a short walk of the subway, with bus routes along Jane, Annette and Dundas connecting the gaps. Drivers reach Bloor, the Humber parkways and the Gardiner without much fuss.

Schools

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

King George Jr Public School
Runnymede Jr & Sr Public School
James Culnan Catholic school
St Pius X Catholic Elementary School

SENIOR SCHOOLS

Runnymede Collegiate Institute

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