A Comprehensive Neighbourhood Guide for Moving to Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles, also known as “the Roncy,” is a vibrant residential neighbourhood located just west of Downtown Toronto. While most of Roncesvalles is made up of residential space, there is a bustling commercial district full of boutique shops and restaurants that runs right through the heart of the neighbourhood along Roncesvalles Avenue. In recent years, Roncesvalles has become one of Toronto’s most popular neighbourhoods especially for young families who are drawn to the area by the beautiful houses, peaceful tree-lined streets, wonderful selection of schools, and tight-knit community feel.
Where is Roncesvalles?
Roncesvalles sits between Parkside Drive and Lansdown Avenue with Bloor Street West acting as the neighbourhood’s northern boundary and the Queensway acting as the neighbourhood’s southern boundary. The southeast corner of Roncesvalles also falls under the smaller neighbourhood of Parkdale, which sits south of Wright Avenue and extends west of Roncesvalles Avenue to Dufferin Street. The southwest corner of Roncesvalles is considered its own mini neighbourhood called Sunnyside. Sunnyside extends down to the waterfront and is home to the St. Joseph's Health Centre, which is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the city.
Getting around Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles has easy access to a variety of transportation options. The neighbourhood is just minutes away from the Gardiner Expressway, which can take motorists east towards the city centre or west towards Etobicoke and Mississauga. The neighbourhood also has excellent public transportation options. The Keele, Dundas West, and Lansdowne subway stations are all within walking distance from Roncesvalles, which can connect commuters to the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The Bloor GO Station is also located on the north end of Roncesvalles and can take commuters to Union station in under half an hour. Streetcar service is also available on Queen Street, Dundas Street and Roncesvalles Avenue, with stops at numerous subway stations along the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines.
A brief history of Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles was originally settled by Colonel Walter O’Hara in 1850. O’Hara was a soldier in the British army prior to immigrating to Canada. O’Hara was wounded and captured by the French in the Roncesvalles Gorge in northern Spain, which is where the neighbourhood got its name. The development of the present-day neighbourhood was spurred on by the streetcar, which came to this area in the early 1900s.
The lakefront was developed by the Toronto Harbour Commission in the 1910s, leading to the development of the Sunnyside Beach and Amusement Park in 1922. The foot of Roncesvalles became a commercial and transportation hub, with a train station, a bus depot, and the streetcar loop. The Park was demolished for the Gardiner Expressway project in 1955, which lead to a decline in commerce and residential values in the area.
Following the Second World War an influx of Eastern Europeans, predominantly Poles, settled in Roncesvalles. Roncesvalles became known as the cultural and commercial centre of Toronto's Polish Canadian community. While still recognized as a centre of the Polish community, in the last few decades, Roncesvalles has transformed into an incredibly multi-cultural community, as is the case throughout Toronto.
The types of homes in Roncesvalles
The housing stock in Roncesvalles was mainly constructed between 1900 and World War I. Most of the houses in Roncesvalles were built using the foursquare style, which looked to imitate the ornate elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century. Most of the houses are attached or semi-detached with intricate architectural details. A lush and mature tree canopy make for a very peaceful and pleasing streetscape. In recent decades, there has been development on a few low-rise apartment buildings mostly on the east side of Roncesvalles to add some diversity to the housing options in the area.
Making the move to Roncesvalles
The market for houses in the Roncesvalles area is extremely competitive. If you own a house in Roncesvalles and are looking to downsize or move out of the city, the value that you’ll be able to receive for your home is quite high. If you are looking to sell your home and downsize, staging your home can help tremendously. Home staging is proven to help your home sell quicker and for a higher price.
Whether you are moving into a new home, staging your home for sale, or just looking to free up space and get rid of clutter, self-storage can be a great solution. Roncesvalles is located just a fifteen-minute drive away from Storwell Self Storage at Kipling Avenue and the Gardiner Expressway in central Etobicoke. If you live in Toronto, you know storage is at a premium, and right now there is a promotion for my clients that can get an exclusive offer of 4 weeks of free storage for home staging. You can talk to a representative or visit a Storwell facility in person to demo a unit:
Storwell Self Storage
300 Evans Ave., Etobicoke, ON M8Z 6C8
Phone: 416-259-5555
A plethora of shopping options in Roncesvalles
While Roncesvalles is mainly a residential area there is a vibrant and lively commercial hub in the neighbourhood that runs along Roncesvalles Avenue. The street extends from Bloor Street West to the Queensway and is packed with quaint little boutiques, fitness studios, coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, and specialty food shops. The local Roncesvalles Village BIA hosts events along the shopping district throughout the year. The highlight event is the Roncesvalles Polish Festival held every September.
Art and Entertainment in Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles is a hub of arts and culture in Toronto’s west end. The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) is in the northeast corner of Roncesvalles on Sterling Road. MOCA hosts dozens of exhibits across all contemporary art forms with the goal of creating a museum-going experience that is culturally and socially useful. Another significant artistic establishment in Roncesvalles is the Revue Cinema. The Revue Cinema was built in 1912 and is Toronto's oldest standing movie theatre. This historic community-run venue frequently shows second-run Hollywood films and hosts regular special-interest screenings.
Parks and Recreation in Roncesvalles
Although, Roncesvalles is located near the heart of a major metropolitan centre and is just minutes away from Downtown Toronto, the neighbourhood also has access to a tremendous amount of park land. Roncesvalles sits just east of High Park, which is the second largest municipal park in all of Toronto. High Park has a plethora of features including nature trails, tennis courts, a wadding pool, two baseball diamonds, and an amphitheatre that puts on performances of Shakespeare in the summer months.
Sorauren Avenue Park is a smaller park located in the heart of Roncesvalles on the corner of Sorauren Avenue and Wabash Avenue. The park has a baseball diamond, soccer field, two well-maintained tennis courts, and a basketball court. Sorauren Avenue Park is also home to Sorauren Farmers’ Market, which operates every Monday throughout the year from 3-7pm.
Roncesvalles residents have the unique benefit of being just minutes away from a beach on Lake Ontario. Sunnyside beach is within walking distance of Roncesvalles and while not many people swim in Lake Ontario the beach is still a very popular destination in the summer months. Sunnyside Pavilion has a large pool and a café with an outdoor patio right on the boardwalk looking out on the water.
The best schools in Roncesvalles
One of the many benefits of living in Roncesvalles is having access to a wonderful selection of schools. The Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, MonAvenir Catholic School Board, and Viamonde School Board all operate schools in the Roncesvalles area. The main English language high school in the area is Bloor Collegiate Institute on Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street. There are two excellent French language high schools in Roncesvalles. École Secondaire Toronto Ouest and Saint-Frère-André Catholic Secondary School share a facility located on Lansdowne Avenue on the east side of Roncesvalles. Saint-Frère-André received particularly high marks on the Fraser Institute’s Annual Report Card for 2020 and was ranked as one of the top 30 secondary schools in Ontario out of nearly 800 other schools.
Roncesvalles also has a great selection of elementary schools, some of the highest rated schools in the area include:
· St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School
· Fern Avenue Junior and Senior Public School
· Garden Avenue Junior Public School
· Howard Junior Public School
The best restaurants in Roncesvalles
While Roncesvalles started as mainly a Polish neighbourhood, it has since blossomed into one of the most culturally diverse communities in Toronto and the eclectic selection of dining options in the neighbourhood reflects this diversity. Of course, the neighbourhood still pays tribute to its roots with several restaurants serving authentic Polish cuisine. Café Polonez is serving up homestyle Polish dishes and Eastern European fare in a warm, understated setting.
Most of the best restaurants in Roncesvalles are located along Roncesvalles Avenue. Cherry Bomb is the local coffee shop serving up freshly baked pastries and coffee drinks brewed from house-roasted beans. On the corner of Roncesvalles Avenue and Galley Avenue you will find CINCO, an authentic Mexican restaurant serving up a range of tacos plus Mexican-spiced rotisserie chicken. As you move towards the centre of the neighbourhood on Wright Avenue you will find Dönerland serving up Turkish fare such as pide, doners, and salads. The Ace is located just north of Dönerland and has and eclectic menu ranging from steamed mussels to diner-style hamburgers.
There are two wonderful barbeque spots both located on the corner of Roncesvalles Avenue and Geoffrey Street. The Dizzy is a casual hangout for beer, whiskey and elevated Canadian pub fare like delicious grilled wings, amazing steak dinner, and incredible Sunday roast. Barque Smokehouse is a more traditional barbeque spot that specializes in slow-cooked BBQ brisket, ribs, and wings. While Roncesvalles has a variety of great barbeque spots, it also has many restaurants with vegetarian options to accommodate all kinds of dietary preferences. The Goods is located on Westminster Avenue and is an intimate space serving vegan and vegetarian soups, salads, and smoothies. In the north end of Roncesvalles on Boustead Avenue you will find Musoshin Ramen serving up delicious Kyoto ramen dishes with their signature rich vegan vegetable-based ramen broth made in-house.