Denlow/Windfield Bayview/York Mills Neighbourhoods

The neighbourhood of Denlow/Windfield in the York Mills area is one of Toronto's most affluent neighbourhoods.

Denlow is an area of the Windfields neighbourhood in York Mills, running from Leslie Street on the East to Wilket Creek on the West (just East of Bayview Avenue), and North from Lawrence Avenue to York Mills Road.

Denlow, along with the rest of the York Mills- Bayview-St Andrews-Windfields neighbourhoods, was primarily developed in two bursts:  one in the ‘20s and ‘30s, and the most significant one in the ‘50s and ‘60s, after local magnate and horse-breeder E. P. Taylor first invested in the development of York Mills Plaza and then later on sold off his estate, Parkland, to developers.  Taylor’s mansion was donated to be the home of the Canadian Film Centre, and is located at 2489 Bayview Avenue.  The name Windfields is very prevalent in the area with references to Windfields Farm, Taylor’s Oshawa horse farm where champion Northern Dancer was bred.

In the late 60's and '70s a developer under Sullivan homes bought the track of land b West of Leslie Street and Banbury Road and then sold off part of it to Victoria Woods Development who created Denlow Estates.Many of these homes have been revamped from top to bottom and the sellers have increased the value of their homes tremendously.

The neighbourhood’s name comes from Denlow Public School, located at 50 Denlow Blvd.  Long rated as one of the top schools in Ontario, it has not scored less than 94% in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic for the last 5 years by the Education Quality and Accountability Office.   The school is also a community catalyst for involvement and activities.   Other schools in the Denlow area include York Mills Collegiate Institute, Ecole Etienne Brule and the Crescent School, a private day school for boys on Bayview Avenue.

This is a diverse residential area, with affordable bungalows and split-levels, ranch, and two-storey homes, running all the way up to custom-built luxury homes on extra-large lots for the more affluent buyers.  Styles include the ornate, such as Tudor, Georgian, and stone Cottage-style, mixed in with mid-century and modern minimalism.

Leafy, tree-lined streets in the area are complemented by many green spaces, the most prominent being Windfields Park, which features an arena and picturesque walks along Wilket Creek.   At the far end of Windfields is Edward Gardens, one of Canada’s most beautiful public gardens and home of the Civic Garden Centre. It is a popular spot for wedding photographs with its sumptuous rose gardens and rockeries.  There are also small local parks, such as Ames Park and Longwood Park.  Backing onto Windfields Park, the Banbury Community Centre provides various programs, from arts to fitness and dance, for children and adults; adjacent to it is the Banbury Tennis Club.

For shoppers, Bayview Village is a smaller, diverse upscale mall;The Shops of Don Mills and Fairview Mall are within minutes of driving. A short drive of approximately 15 minutes to the West is the upscale and expanding Yorkdale Shopping Centre. York MIlls/Bayview Plaza provide many convenient services.  Close by is Longos Plaza, located at Leslie Street and York Mills Road, and just East  on York Mills Road is Starbucks and numerous fast food chain restaurants. These developments in the past 10 years has enhanced the area greatly.

Transportation in this area is excellent, with the 401, 404 ( Don Valley Expressway) all within minutes away.  Major arterial roads such as Leslie, Bayview, York Mills, and Lawrence also provide easy access around the city.  There is excellent TTC access to other parts of Toronto through the York Mills Subway Station. There is extensive bus service, as well as the York Mills station of the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line, out of which runs an express service to Pearson International Airport.

To view MLS listings in Denlow and surrounding areas click here

For more information on Denlow Real Estate  click here

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