Townhouses For Sale in Patterson, Vaughan

Thornhill Woods, Upper Thornhill Estates and the rest of the map

Patterson is a planning name. Few people who live here use it day to day. Instead you will hear Thornhill Woods, Upper Thornhill Estates, the Valleys of Thornhill, Thornberry Woods and Dufferin Hill, the subdivisions that were built side by side to fill this part of Vaughan.

Most of the homes went up in or after 2001, which makes Patterson one of the youngest established areas in the city. Treasure Hill built a large share of Thornhill Woods and Upper Thornhill Estates, and that consistency shows. Streets have the same setbacks, materials and garage placement, and the townhouse rows were designed to blend in with the detached homes beside them rather than to stand apart.

Owner-occupancy is high here, and the townhouse share is smaller than in Woodbridge or the VMC. That's why Patterson often has a steady handful of freehold towns for sale and very few condo units.

Rows from the 2000s and what they need now

A typical Patterson townhouse is a freehold two- or three-storey row with a single-car garage, a short driveway and a small rear yard. Some have rear lanes and detached or attached garages at the back. A smaller number sit in condo complexes, mainly along Bathurst Street and Major Mackenzie Drive.

Because most of these homes are close to 20 years old or more, buyers should look at the age of what wears out:

• Roof shingles. Original 2000s roofs on freehold rows are now at or near replacement age. On a freehold town the roof is yours to replace, and coordinating with neighbours on a shared roof line can be worth asking about.
• Furnace, air conditioner and water heater. Many original units have been swapped out. Ask for receipts.
• Windows and patio doors. Seal failures show up as fogging between panes.

None of this is unusual, but it's the first generation of big maintenance for this neighbourhood, and it belongs in your budget.

The East Don valley through the middle

The East Don River runs through Patterson, and the subdivisions were laid out around it. That gives the area more trail access than its street grid suggests. MacMillan Nature Reserve, a protected space with walking trails, sits within the community. Sugarbush Heritage Park, a small park with community gardens, keeps the historic Baker House on site. Eagles Nest Golf Club, which opened in 2004, sits on the community's edge.

Townhouses that back onto the valley or a park tend to be the ones buyers ask about first. If you are comparing two similar rows, check what's behind the back fence. A ravine lot, a hydro corridor and a school yard each make for a very different backyard.

Rutherford GO or the 400

Patterson commuters usually choose between the Barrie line and the car. Rutherford GO is west of the neighbourhood, and Metrolinx rebuilt it with a road underpass, more parking and a better bus connection. Maple GO is the other nearby option. The VMC subway is a bus ride or short drive south.

By car, Highway 7 and the 407 are a few minutes south, and Highway 400 is reached across Rutherford or Major Mackenzie. Townhouses toward the west side of Patterson cut the most time off the drive to the 400. Ones closer to Bathurst are better placed for Yonge Street and Richmond Hill.