Lawrence Park is one of Toronto, Canada's most affluent residential neighbourhoods, along with Rosedale, the Bridle Path, and Forest Hill. It is also one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Canada.

It is bordered originally by Yonge Street to the west and Bayview Avenue to the east, and from Blythwood Ravine on the south to Lawrence Avenue on the north. Lawrence Park was one of Toronto's first planned garden suburbs. Began in the early part of the 20th century, it did not fully develop until after the Second World War.

Centred on Mount Pleasant Road, the neighbourhood grew slowly with medium-sized houses on narrow but deep lots. There are few commercial businesses, within a five minute walk. The closest grocery stores are close to Yonge and Lawrence. Toronto Transit Commission streetcars ran on Mount Pleasant and Yonge Street until they were replaced by the Yonge subway and buses in the 1970s.

Real Estate in Lawrence Park

North-There are some mighty fine homes here. Older houses-which tend toward the Tudor and Georgian close to the Rosedale Golf Club and Riverview Drive Ravine, and Edwardian and Georgian the closer you get to Yonge-are quickly being replaced by what could be referred to as mini-monster rebuilds (not quite as huge as their big brothers on Park Lane Circle and the Bridle Path). Teddington Park Avenue, where Steve Stavro's old place is found, is an anomaly; the streets on either side of it are much more modest. Though the area is steps from Yonge, the streets here are quiet with surprisingly little traffic. John Wanless Public School is a major draw for families.

HOUSING STOCK: The options are well-preserved early-20th-century homes with a high incidence of Sub-Zero fridges inside, and early-21st-century retro-grandiose piles with spare-no-expense attention to detail.

South-The area retains some of its original character from the 1880s, when it was developed by the Metropolitan Street Railway as the northern end of its five-cent Bloor rail line. Some houses date from 1903, but most were built after 1912, when the area was annexed by the city. The narrow but deep lots and sensible Edwardian architecture are reminiscent of Unionville. Though it's close to many things bright and beautiful-the Rosedale Golf Club, the Granite Club, Toronto French School-the facilities within its own boundaries are more modest. Allenby Primary School, the first in Toronto to offer French immersion, has been here since 1931 and is a selling point for many parents. Muir Park and Blythwood Ravine are small but well kept, with a wide variety of native trees, including black cherry, mulberry, crack willow and silver maple, some of which are the result of a 1996 naturalization effort. Burke Brook and McDougall Stream run under much of the neighbourhood, making for unpredictable (and entertaining) topography, such as the dip in the courtyard of the 3080 Yonge Street shopping plaza at the corner of Lawrence.

HOUSING STOCK: Brick and stone cladding is the order of the day, with renos and rebuilds taking their cues from the older houses interspersed among them. Front-lawn landscaping and addresses spelled out on porticos are the norm.

Range of Home Prices in Lawrence Park

Listings in Lawrence Park and Surrounding Areas   click here

Information on Lawrence Park Real Estate           click here

Schools