The Best Neighborhoods Around Toronto For Young Families

Toronto is a sprawling and ever-expanding city, which can be overwhelming for young families looking to relocate to the city or within the Greater Toronto Area. Rather than focusing on housing costs in these neighborhoods—note that the average cost of purchasing a house in the Greater Toronto Area has risen to over $1 million in the past few years—this list focuses on surrounding factors such as low crime rates, availability of good schools, relative access to downtown Toronto, and access to green spaces.

1. The Beaches

The neighborhood known as the Beaches nestles up against the shores of Lake Ontario, a few kilometers east of the commercial center of Toronto. The streetcars from the Beaches take around 30 minutes to get downtown. With around 20,000 residents, the area offers a thriving and family-friendly local culture, with plenty of restaurants, cafés, parks, and bars. During the summer months, the neighborhood can get busy with residents and visitors who come for the laid-back lakeside atmosphere. There are almost 20 schools in the area for various ages, and there is a strong and active sense of community.

The Beaches, Toronto, ON, Canada

The Beaches, Toronto | © Alain Rouiller / Flickr

2. Bloor West Village

Describing itself as “a small village in the big city,” Bloor West Village is full of quiet, tree-lined streets and large, often historic, brick houses. With direct subway access to the downtown area—it can take less than 20 minutes when the system is running smoothly—Bloor West is a convenient community that has plenty of shops, cafés, restaurants, and little markets. With its close proximity to High Park, which in turn easily leads down to the west-side lakeshore area, the neighborhood also has a number of good school options. The adjacent areas of Roncesvalles, Swansea, The Junction, and High Park are also great for young families, although the cost of housing is ever-rising.

Bloor West Village, Toronto, ON, Canada

Bloor West Village | © Jose/ Flickr

3. Bloorcourt Village

East of Bloor West Village, Bloorcourt Village offers different housing options with direct subway access to downtown Toronto. The area is closely connected to the neighboring areas of Dufferin Grove and Dovercourt-Wallace. Houses here are smaller than in Bloor West Village, with detached and semi-detached versions, duplexes and other split-level homes. The Bloor/Gladstone branch of the Toronto Public Library has been an impressive feature of the neighborhood since 1912.

Bloorcourt Village, Toronto, ON, Canada

Bloorcourt Village street sign, Toronto | © Jamie / Flickr

5. Vaughan

Amusement Park, Park

A rapidly expanding district of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Vaughan sits approximately 21 kilometers (13 miles) north of Toronto’s downtown core. With the slogan “The City Above Toronto,” Vaughan is a collection of communities in itself; popular neighborhoods within Vaughan include Thornhill, Maple, Kleinburg, and Woodbridge. Many people commute from the area into Toronto for work, using a combination of VIVA, the local transit system, and the TTC. The most well-known destination in Vaughan is the amusement park Canada’s Wonderland. Detached houses account for almost 80% of all residential property in Vaughan.

Vaughan, ON, Canada

Kleinburg, Vaughan, in the GTA | © Niamh / Flickr

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.