Neighbourhood
Forest Hill is ideally situated in midtown Toronto just minutes from Eglinton and Davisville subway. It is home to many of Toronto’s wealthiest and most affluent families and is sometimes referred to as Rosedale’s cousin. It is home to many prominent Toronto business people, doctors, and lawyers. It is a sought after location for many reasons, a primary influence being it’s beautiful topography; winding roads, sloping hills, red brick avenues and streets lined with mature maples.
The popular ‘Forest Hill Village’ is the commercial part of Forest Hill along Spadina Road where there are small boutiques, bakeries, ice cream shops, restaurants, art stores and other services. The Village is enjoyed as a destination point for neighbouring areas and by local residents.
History
Forest Hill got its name from a wealthy resident in the 1860’s, whose summer home lay at Eglinton Avenue and Old Forest Hill Road. Prior to 1923, the area was called “Spadina Heights” known for its large hill. In 1923, the area was recognized as a village called Forest Hill. In 1967 Forest Hill became an official part of the City of Toronto.
Real Estate
There are two pockets to the neighbourhood; Upper Forest Hill and Lower Forest Hill, divided by Eglinton Avenue West. The Upper Village tends to be slightly more affordable than the Lower Forest Hill and homes are predominantly Tudor and Georgian styles, but the architectural styles range from French Colonial with terra cotta tiles to English country manors with large lawns. Lower Forest Hill was developed first and completed around the 1930’s. Many of the homes have have luxurious details such as sculpture gardens, porte-cocheres, and imposing gated entrances. Forest Hill also has a small collection of low-rise luxury condominium buildings located west of Spadina on Lonsdale and Health Street West.
In addition, a number of old building codes that are still enforced today require that Forest Hill homes be designed by an architect and that a tree be planted at the front of each property. This has undoubtedly contributed to the trademark character of the neighbourhood, the beauty of its mature foliage and the grand details of its brick and stone mansions.
Living in Forest Hill
Forest Hill is an extremely family-friendly neighbourhood with a lot of green spaces, great schools and in close proximity to shopping districts.
Residents can enjoy the amenities of ‘The Village’ along Spadina Road as well as other restaurants and services that Eglinton West Village offers. In addition St. Clair Avenue West has become more developed with trendy shops, boutiques as well as restaurants.
The 14.5km Belt Line Trail passes through the neighbourhood en route to Rosedale Valley and residents love to walk, bike and run along the path. In addition the Forest Hill Library is Nearby and offers programming for all ages.
Schools
Forest Hill school district has some of the best public and private schools.
- Forest Hill Junior and Senior Public School
Grades JK – 8 - Oriole Park Junior Public School
Grades JK – 6 - Forest Hill Collegiate Institute
Grades 9 – 12 - Bishop Strachan School
Grades JK – 12 (Private: All Girls) - Upper Canada College
Grades JK – 12 (Private: All Boys) - The York School
Grades JK – 12 (Private: Co-Ed)
Transportation
Regular TTC bus service runs along Avenue Road, Bathurst Street, St. Clair Avenue and many more neighbourhood streets connecting to St. Clair West subway station on the Yonge-University-Spadina line. It’s generally a 5 minute drive to the Allen Expressway, 10 minute drive to highway on-ramps via Allen Expressway and 10 minute drive to downtown Toronto.
