NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Dear reader,

We’ve all had our battles with the Dufferin bus. On a cold day during rush hour, it can feel like a perilous object barrelling toward you: loud, crowded, seemingly devoid of suspension. But it’s also just always there—it’s an essential caravan for one of Toronto’s most important streets. Stretching from the Ex all the way to Vaughan, Dufferin is a vital Toronto artery, anchoring neighbourhoods such as Yorkdale, Little Jamaica and Parkdale.

Today, it’s largely a condo-lined boulevard, peppered with many of the city’s best Latin restaurants and grocery stores, but some industrial vestiges remain. Curb Appeal’s top post this week is a chic townhouse carved out of a former yarn factory in Dovercourt Village. It’s beautifully designed and mindful of history, but I’d argue that the place’s greatest draw is its proximity to Dufferin’s schools, parks, taquerias and, yes, bus—which will soon get its own dedicated lane in advance of the 2026 World Cup.

Also in today’s newsletter: a palace in Rural King that can withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Plus, a couple who spent $200,000 on a tricked-out cross-country van. For all of our real estate coverage and more, visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition.

—Barry Jordan Chong, city and real estate editor

Here’s an L-shaped two-bedroom, three-bathroom loft-style townhome in the heart of Dovercourt Village. The property comes with 18-foot ceilings, heated stone floors, a rooftop view and a cobblestone lane. It’s within walking distance of both Dufferin Grove and Christie Pits parks, and motorists are a short drive from the Gardiner.

What township mansion would be complete without climate-proof materials, 28 parking spots, a Drake-inspired staircase, a zebra-striped powder room, displays for sneakers, and a backyard with a pool and a cabana?

For Krista and Peter Flaschner of the Beaches, diving into van life was the best way to satisfy their wanderlust. For $200,000, they bought an everyday sprinter van transformed into a mobile home with plenty of storage, stylish furniture and a pop-up shower. 

In the latest issue: 20 Torontonians doing big things with small footprints. Plus, the ugly truth about Ontario’s reform schools, a Q&A with the city’s traffic czar, vintage cars retrofitted for the electric age and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.

Follow us for the latest from Toronto Life

Copyright ©2024. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. Toronto Life is a registered trademark of SJC Media

15 Benton Rd.
Toronto, M6M 3G2

You're receiving this email because you signed up for a Toronto Life newsletter.

Unsubscribe