In Toronto’s Yonge and St Clair communities, residents are mostly working age adults between the ages of 25 and 64. This demographic prefer to live where they work or as close as possible, and the Yonge-St. Clair neighbourhood fits the bill being in the shadows of the downtown commercial core. The area includes the intersection of Yonge and St. Clair Streets extending north to Mount Pleasant Road and south to the Canadian Pacific Railway corridor. The western boundary consists of Oriole Parkway and Avenue Road.
The community is alternately referred to as Deer Park, a reference to the deer population that used to show up in the days when a gristmill was the major area employer. The area experienced a housing boom when public transit expanded northward.
Commercial development began in earnest in the 1950s with office tower construction along Yonge Street following the extension of the St. Clair subway service. Mutual Life and Imperial Oil buildings were among the prominent projects of that era.
The Mutual Life building has since been converted into an upscale condominium development under the name One12 St. Clair while the Imperial Oil building was transformed into luxury apartments and renamed Imperial Plaza. Another prestigious address in the vicinity of St. Clair is 150 Balmoral, a luxury condominium development.
Aside from residential high rises, Yonge and St Clair homes include an inventory of well-maintained, detached and semi-detached homes and townhouses.
While children and teens form a minority group in these communities, the area is served by excellent schools including Cottingham Junior Public High School. Private school options include The York School and De La Salle.
St. Michael’s Cemetery is a 10-acre plot of land surrounded by buildings with access through a Yonge Street alley. It is noteworthy for being one of the city’s oldest cemeteries. The district is also graced by several parks and green spaces for outdoor recreation.
The Yonge and St. Clair community will continue to grow along with downtown Toronto as urban professionals eschew the suburban commute for the opportunities of a cosmopolitan lifestyle.
