Moore Park

Moore correctly anticipated that the train station would attract wealthy would-be landowners to the area, and by the turn of the century, the subdivision was experiencing a developmental boom. This boom continued into the 1930s, by which time the neighbourhood had evolved into one of the city’s most prosperous and refined districts – a character which it retains to this day.

When he and his family moved west, their original home, Avoca Vale, was leased and eventually sold; upon his return to Moore Park in 1911, Moore built a second incarnation of Avoca Vale, where he focused on cultivating roses. This second incarnation of Avoca Vale was ravaged by a 1914 fire, and by his death in 1917, Moore was experiencing serious financial problems.

His will was notoriously acerbic and trifling, and he cut his sons out of what remained of his fortune and left everything to his second wife. His children subsequently squabbled over the will, but to no avail; the majority of Moore’s assets eventually went to the many creditors he had at the time of his death.

The quintessential Moore Park home is a two-storey detached brick house; while some lots in the neighbourhood are generously sized, they tend to be smaller on the whole than those seen in other midtown districts. Some homes have private driveways, but shared driveways are fairly common in Moore Park. However, street parking is ample and always readily available. Many of the houses in the fringes of Moore Park back onto ravines and parkland, enhancing privacy and serenity.

Average home values in the area tend to be high; those looking for more affordable options are advised to concentrate their searches in the northern sections of Moore Park, where recently built duplexes and town homes are priced within easier reach. For current average sale prices, contact Jethro Seymour, a top Toronto Realtor specialising in upscale midtown neighbourhoods.

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Motorists enjoy convenient access to both the Don Valley Parkway and the Bayview Extension via Moore Avenue. Moore Park is approximately 20 minutes from entryways to Highways 401 and 404, with easy connections to the 400 and 407 Express Toll Route.

Moore Park Ravine is home to a wealth of wildlife, and features an 8-kilometre trail that winds its way through the gorges, following a tributary of the Don River into Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the neighbouring Rosedale Ravine.

Historic Chorley Park is another major outdoor attraction in the area, offering scenic views of the Don River Valley; it was formerly the site of the palatial residence of the Lieutenant General of Ontario, which was dismantled in 1960.

The Don Valley Brick Works, sometimes called Evergreen Brick Works, is also located nearby. This historic quarry has been converted into a landscaped park and leisure ground, with trails, ponds and unspoiled green spaces that are home to a wide range of fauna and flora.

David A. Balfour Park extends along the south-western edge of the Moore Park neighbourhood, and houses a diverse natural spectacle. Its southern end is home to a placid grove of ash and maple trees, and three paths wind their way through its eastern and western edges. The two paths on the western side of the park are well-maintained, offering excellent recreation for joggers, hikers and cyclists. The eastern path is flat and ideal for leisurely strolls and casual outings.

Todmorden Mills Park, Winston Churchill Park and Moorevale Park are also easily accessible from the Moore Park area. Moorevale Park is of particular interest to tennis aficionados, as it is home to and features five tennis courts for leisure use, as well as a baseball diamond and a children’s splash pool.

Located at 40 St. Clair Avenue East, the Deer Park Branch is the closest public library. It offers an extensive permanent collection of print, A/V and digital materials, as well as ongoing arts and education programs for adults, teens and children.

Given its location in the heart of one of the world’s most multicultural cities, dining options abound in the Moore Park area. In addition to gastro pubs and public houses in the true tradition of the British Isles, residents can take advantage of a range of ethnic and continental cuisines. Most of the neighbourhood’s dining establishments are concentrated along the Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue corridors, with further options available if you want to venture to nearby major streets including Avenue Road, Mount Pleasant Road and Bayview Avenue.

With a population predominately of British, Irish and European ancestry, most houses of worship in the area centre on the Protestant and Catholic traditions. For residents of the Jewish faith, many synagogues can be found in the nearby neighbourhoods of Forest Hill North and Lytton Park, which lie just west of Yonge Street near Eglinton Avenue West.

• Gradale Academy (preschool to Grade 3), 159 Roxborough Drive
• Upper Canada College (boys, Senior Kindergarten to Grade 12), 200 Lonsdale Road
• Crescent School (boys, Grades 3 to 12), 2365 Bayview Avenue
• De La Salle College (Catholic, co-ed, Grades 5 to 12), 131 Farnham Avenue

Would-be residents should be advised that admissions policies and procedures are set by individual institutions and may be subject to restrictions and geographic limitations. These should be fully investigated prior to moving to the Moore Park area.

• Public schools that serve Moore Park’s residents include:
• Whitney Jr. Public School (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6), 119 Rosedale Heights Drive
• Deer Park Jr. Public School ( Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8), 23 Ferndale Avenue
• Northern Secondary School (Grade 9 to Grade 12), 851 Mount Pleasant Road
• North Toronto Collegiate Institute (Grade 9 to Grade 12), 17 Broadway Avenue

The St. Clair Centre, located at 12 St. Clair Avenue East, houses dozens of retail shops as well as drugstores, quick-service eateries, juice bars and coffee shops. Residents living in the southeastern corner are also close to the exclusive collection of shops and retailers concentrated on Summerhill Avenue.

Known as The Five Thieves, All The Best Fine Foods, Pisces Gourmet-Seafood Specialty Shop, Patachou Patisserie, Harvest Wagon and Olliffe Meats are a few of Summerhill’s most popular gourmet options. General practitioners, paediatricians, dentists and medical specialists are concentrated around the Yonge-St. Clair and Davisville-Mount Pleasant shopping districts and accepting new patients from the Moore Park neighbourhood.

Get your Moore Park home’s value

Jethro Seymour, one of the Top Midtown Toronto Real Estate Brokers, is a midtown Toronto residential specialist with over 20 years of sales experience in real estate, marketing, construction and publishing. He has helped many families find homes in Toronto’s great neighbourhoods, and has extensive knowledge of local markets, new home construction, resale home sales, and the condo market. Living in midtown Toronto, Jethro previews many of the homes that come to market for his clients and inventory knowledge. Jethro specializes in Midtown, Davisville Village and Leaside neighbourhoods.