Forest Hill South Community

• Toronto Real Estate

Forest Hill South

Forest Hill South, often likened to Rosedale, is one of the most prestigious communities in Toronto. With a median family income 120% higher than Toronto Average, the community is home to many prominent entrepreneurs, celebrities, engineers, doctors, and lawyers.

Community Overview

The boundary of Forest Hill South runs from Bathurst Street on the west to Eglinton Hill Avenue on the North, Avenue Road on the east, and Lonsdale Road and St Clair Avenue on the south. Spadina Heights, a First Nation word of 'Ishapadenah', translating to the baby hill or rise of land, was the original name of Forest Hill. The forest has long since gone, but what has remained is the topology with gentle hills along the winding roads.

1. Housing:

When initial residential real estate in Forest Hill South was designed in early 1920, planners mandated a code requiring all new buildings to have a tree planted at the front of the property. Residents today enjoy the benefit of such a legacy when majestic trees decorate each street. Single Detached homes of Tudor or Georgian architectural styles are predominant housings in the community. Some elder homes have been torn down and transformed into luxurious modern homes. Homebuyers will find many homes mixed with more minor to extensive lot frontage, but 40 feet to 50 feet are the most common. There are also many large houses with gated entrances and sculpture gardens. Besides detached homes, many condo buildings, co-ownership apartments and rental properties are on the community's periphery and surrounding St Clair West subway station. About 47% of the residents are tenants living in the area.

From MLS listings, in the past 90 days, Forest Hill South Toronto sold 16 detached houses on average of $5,462,625; 10 condos on average of $977,300.

2. Demographic:

Forest Hill South is home to a sizeable Jewish community, with only 17% of the population being a visible minority. Nearly 78% of the residents are of European Origins, and 10% are of East and Southeast Asian Origins. British Isles origins, Polish, Canadian, Russian, English, Scottish, Irish and Jewish are top ethnic origins. The top birthplaces of all immigrants are the US, the UK, the Philippines and China. Also, a higher proportion of the residents have a bachelor's degree and above.

3. Transportation:

Roughly 38% of residents travel by public transit. Numerous buses run through the community and have bus stops along Bathurst Street, Spadina Road, Avenue Road, St Clair Avenue, Eglinton Avenue, and Chaplin Crescent. Located at the southwest of the community, St Clair West subway station connects the central transit system to downtown Toronto. The east area of Forest Hill South is also very close to Eglinton and Davisville Subway stations. Furthermore, Eglinton Crosstown LRT has two stations on Eglinton Avenue, curtailing the commute duration to other parts of the city. For Car commuters, driving to downtown Toronto will take less than 15 minutes via Spadina Road or Avenue Road.

4. Recreation:

Starting from Allen Road and terminating on Mount Pleasant Road, The Belt Line trail is an 8.9km hiking path for residents. At the Southwest corner is Cedarvale Park, which offers a 7km walking trail, a cricket field, a dog park, an outdoor skating rink and tennis courts. Right beside Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, Forest Hill's Public Library has excellent education programs for adults and kids.

5. Shopping:

The Loblaws supermarket attaches to the St Clair subway station located at the southwest corner of the community. Along Eglinton Avenue. Shoppers can find many distinctive restaurants, antique shops, and speciality stores. Forest Hill South is close to the core of Midtown Toronto. The Yonge Eglinton Center is an indoor shopping mall anchored by Metro, Cineplex, and Toys R US.

6. Schools:

Forest Hill South is home to an elite all-boy school, Upper Canada College, and a top private school for girls, The Bishop Strachan School. Both schools accept students from JK to Grade 12.

Two public elementary schools serve elementary students. South of Betline Trail belongs to the school zone of Forest Hill Junior and Senior Public School. Oriole Park Junior Public School admits students living north of Betline Trail. Forest Hill Junior and Senior Public school is also the middle school for the whole community. The school ranks top in academic performance and is highly popular with families with young children. Furthermore, catholic families also have options to study at Holy Rosary Catholic School, another excellent school that ranks 83 out of 3000 elementary schools in Ontario. Finally, high school students will attend Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.

Quiet tree-lined streets, large estate homes, prestigious schools and easy access to downtown Toronto make this well-heeled community highly attractive to professional and successful entrepreneurs. If you plan to move to Forest Hill South or you want to learn more about real estate investment opportunities in Toronto, please contact Toronto realtor agent Alan Zheng.