Townhouses For Sale in South Riverdale, Old Toronto

Worker rows east of the Don

Riverdale was annexed to the city in 1884, and much of its housing went up soon after for working families. The result is a dense grid of Victorian and Edwardian rows and semis, many on lots barely wider than the house.

Within South Riverdale, the feel shifts by sub-area. Riverside, near Queen and Broadview, has the oldest commercial strip and a cluster of restored buildings including the Broadview Hotel. The Studio District, east toward the film studios on Eastern Avenue, mixes rows with converted industrial buildings. Blake-Jones includes The Pocket, a tight group of narrow streets that feels almost cut off from the main roads around it.

Because so much of the stock is a century old, expect knob-and-tube questions, low basements and shared rooflines to come up in inspections more often than in newer parts of the city.

Infill complexes and the Don Mount Court rebuild

The newer townhouses here mostly come from two sources. One is small infill: a former garage, workshop or warehouse site replaced by a row of freehold or condo towns. These tend to be three storeys, with parking at the back or underneath.

The other is redevelopment of older social housing. Don Mount Court, near Dundas and Broadview, was rebuilt as Rivertowne, mixing social housing with market townhouses in a single neighbourhood plan. Market units in a mixed project like this are bought and sold like any other condo townhouse, but read the declaration for shared-facility arrangements.

Gerrard, Leslieville and East Harbour stations

Three Ontario Line stops fall in or beside South Riverdale. Gerrard station sits near Gerrard Square, with the line's tunnel portal just north of it. Leslieville station serves the Queen East strip. East Harbour, on the former industrial lands south of the rail corridor, is planned as a hub where the Ontario Line meets GO trains.

Much of the line through here runs on a raised rail corridor rather than underground, so buyers on streets backing onto the tracks should look at the planned structures and noise walls before assuming the new service only adds value.

Closer to the lake, flood protection work at the mouth of the Don has reshaped the Port Lands, which matters for new development planned south of Lake Shore over the coming years.

Who tends to buy where in South Riverdale

• Families look for freehold rows near Jimmie Simpson Park or Withrow Park, accepting older systems in exchange for a yard.
• Buyers who want low maintenance tend toward the newer infill condo towns, where the corporation handles the roof and exterior.
• Anyone needing quiet should walk the block at night, since Queen East and Gerrard both carry busy streetcar routes.

Laneways, rear garages and the yard question

A lot of South Riverdale rows back onto public lanes, which is why the area has seen steady interest in laneway suites since they were legalized. Not every lane qualifies: a suite needs its entrance within reach of a public street for fire access, and long lanes can fail that test.

Rear garages off a lane are valuable here because street parking near Queen East and Gerrard is tight. If a listing mentions parking, check whether it's a legal garage or pad, or just a spot owners have used for years.

Yards are small and often shaded by neighbouring additions. If outdoor space matters, compare the lot depth on the survey rather than relying on photos.