SOUTH HILL

Taking a stroll through South Hill you may see a striking resemblance to some parts of Forest Hill and Rosedale.   South Hill is centrally located near Toronto’s business and entertainment districts, and is also conveniently located near many of Toronto’s highly regarded public, private and Catholic schools. South Hill contains some of the largest houses in Toronto. Many of the homes on the crest of the Avenue Road hill command spectacular views of downtown Toronto, and even offer a distant glimpse of Lake Ontario.

The first generation of South Hill homes were built between 1890 and 1920. South Hill also contains a number of townhouses that have been built within the last twenty years.  In addition to houses South Hill also possesses luxury rental apartment buildings on both sides of Avenue Road.

Like many of Toronto’s high-end neighbourhoods, shopping is kept very much on the periphery of this neighbourhood. However, South Hill residents are only minutes by car or public transit from the upscale shopping districts in Forest Hill Village, Yonge and St. Clair and Yorkville.

HISTORY

The South Hill neighbourhood is defined by the Avenue Road Hill. This historic land formation was the former shoreline of ancient Lake Iroquois whose chilly waters receded into present-day Lake Ontario some 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age.

The escarpment that Lake Iroquois left behind was covered by a dense forest interrupted only by the ponds, creeks, and waterfalls that graced the Avenue Road Hill up until the 1900’s.  South Hill’s natural beauty made it an instant favourite with wealthy Toronto landowners. In the mid to late 1800’s, South Hill was dotted with mansions that were unsurpassed in variety and scope anywhere else in Toronto.

NOTABLE BUILDINGS

• Ardenvohr House – 177 Balmoral Avenue – Built in 1860
• Bellevue House – 49 Clarendon Avenue – Built in 1886 by unknown – added to in 1912 by Baker for E. Hume Blake and again in 1928 by H.J. Burden & G.R. Gouinlock for Mrs. T.D.M. Burnside
• Poplar Plains Pumping Station – 235 Cottingham Street – Built in 1906 by Robert McCallum
• Frederick Jones House – 223 Balmoral Avenue – Built in 1906 by Eden Smith
• Francis Jemmett House – 34 Warren Road – Built in 1907 by Eden Smith
• Martha Wilkes House – 189 Balmoral Avenue – Built in 1907 by Eden Smith
• Ecclestone House – 1 Warren Road – Built in 1909 by J.H. Standford
• Hamilton Cassels House – 72 Clarendon Avenue – Built in 1910 by Eden Smith
• MacPherson Avenue Hydro Substation – 290 MacPherson Avenue – Built in 1911 by Robert McCallum
• Lawren Harris House – 18 Clarendon Avenue – Built in 1912 by Eden Smith
• Charles Weisner House – 51 Russell Hill Road – Built in 1912 by Eden Smith
• Grundy House – 43 Russell Hill Road – Built in 1915 by Eden Smith

NOTABLE STREETS

Ardwold Gate, Spadina Road, Russell Hill Road, Cottingham Street, Poplar Plains Road, Glen Edyth Drive, Balmoral Avenue, Warren Road, Clarendon Avenue

TOP BOUTIQUES

• Belen Gift and Basket – 77 St. Clair Avenue East 877.789.0139
• The Cat’s Meow – 180 Avenue Road 647.435.5875
• Lush Leathers Ltd. – 171 St. Clair Avenue East 416.948.8821
• Roots – 1485 Yonge Street 416.967.4499
• Rucci Shope for Men – 1426 Yonge Street 416.975.5330
• Spoiled Baby – 2A Davisville Avenue 416.484.0470
• Stole My Heart – 1132 Yonge Street 416.546.7666
• The Papery – 1424 Yonge Street 416.968.0706
• Vivian Shyu Boutique – 332 Dupont Street 416.961.2637

TOP RESTAURANTS

• Capocaccia Trattoria – 1366 Yonge Street – Trendy trattoria, with elegant décor & a covered patio that serves traditional Italian dishes 416.921.3141
• Craque Du Crème – Snug dessert shop whipping up crème brulée – 1360 Bathurst Street
• Flor se Sal Restaurant – Chic décor & candlelight create a romantic backdrop for modern takes on Mediterranean comfort fare – 501 Davenport Road
• Govinda’s – 243 Avenue Road – Set in a historic building, this modest eatery offers a buffet of vegetarian Indian food 888.218.1040
• Kiva’s Bagel Bar – 15 St. Clair Avenue West – Long-time spot with an old-world vibe for European-style bagels, challah, pastries & organic eats 416.663.9933
• Nove Trattoria – Intimate venue with large windows and an open kitchen, offering classic Italian fare & pizzas – 1406 Yonge Street 647.345.5848
• Playa Cabana – Relaxed spot for tacos & burritos, with house-made tortillas & salsa, plus tequila-based cocktails
• Scaramouche – Sophisticated French haute cuisine in an upscale space with skyline views & more casual bistro – 1 Benvenuto Place
• Sultans Medeterranean Grill – This low-key counter Middle Estern restaurant serves falafels & shawarma plus soublaki, cheesesteaks & salads
• Terroni – 1095 Yonge Street – Italian restaurant with old world charm 416.925.4020
• Umami Poke – 1252 Yonge Street – Asian fusion ‘Poke’ restaurant

TOP HOTELS

• Andaz (Coming Soon) – 1 Bloor West
• Four Seasons – 60 Yorkville Avenue
• Hazelton Hotel – 118 Yorkville Avenue
• Intercontinental Hotel – 220 Bloor Street West
• Kimpton Saint George Hotel – 280 Bloor Street West
• Madison Manor Boutique Hotel – 20 Madison Avenue
• Park Hyatt – 4 Avenue Road
• Windsor Arms – 18 St. Thomas Street

MUSEUMS

• Art Museum at the University of Toronto – 7 Hart House Circle
• Bata Shoe Museum – 2600 Yonge Street
• Canadian Broadcast Museum – 1000 Yonge Street
• Gardiner Museum – 111 Queens Park
• Royal Ontario Museum – 100 Queens Park
• Spadina Museum – 285 Spadina Road
• TD Gallery at Toronto Reference Library – 789 Yonge Street
• The Studio Building – 25 Severn Street

ART GALLERIES

• D & E Lake Ltd. Fine Arts – 1199 Yonge Street
• Duane Linklater: Monsters for Beauty – Lower Don River Trail
• Homa Gallery – 1110 Yonge Street
• Lonsdale Gallery – 410 Spadina Road
• Muse Gallery – 1230 Yonge Street
• Odon Wagner Gallery & Restoration – 198 Davenport Road
• Struck Contemporary Art Gallery – 365 Dupont Street
• The Peter MacKendrick Community Gallery – 76 Wychwood Avenue

PARKS

• Sir Winston Churchill Park – Park with open field – 301 St. Clair Street West
• Cawthra Playground – Park with playground – 355 Albany Road
• Wells Hill Park – Shady park with a splash pad & play area – 145 Hilton Avenue
• Spadina Park – Park good for children – 386 Davenport Road

FITNESS AND RECREATION

• Bravo’s Fitness Canada – 160 Kendal Avenue
• E-Fitness – 1399 Bayview Avenue East
• GoodLife Fitness – Yonge and St. Clair – 12 St. Clair Avenue East
• GoodLife Fitness – Mount Pleasant – 250 Davisville Avenue
• Orangetheory Fitness – 97 Eglinton Avenue East
• Toronto Lawn Tennis Club – 44 Price Street

SCHOOLS

JUNIOR/SENIOR

• Arrowsmith School – 245 St. Clair Avenue West
• Bishop Strachan School – 298 Lonsdale Road
• Huron Street Junior Public School – 541 Huron Street
• Bennington Heights Elementary School – 76 Bennington Heights
• Whitney Junior Public School – 119 Rosedale Heights Drive
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School – 1 ½ Garfield Avenue
• Upper Canada College – 200 Lonsdale Road
• The Dalton School – 906 Yonge Street
• Branksome Hall Girls School – 10 Elm Avenue
• Gradale Academy – 550 Bayview Avenue

COLLEGES

• College of Optometrists – 65 St. Clair Avenue East Suite 900
• Anderson College of Health, Business and Technology – 180 Bloor Street West
• Academy of Design – 1835 Yonge Street 2nd Floor
• Oxford College of Arts, Business and Technology – 869 Yonge Street
• ILAC International College – 920 Yonge Street
• George Brown College – 160 Kendal Avenue
• Woodsworth College – 119 St. George Street

UNIVERSITIES

• Ryerson University – 350 Victoria Street
• University of Toronto – 27 King’s College Circle
• University of Toronto Faculty of Law – 78 Queen’s Park