West-end neighbourhood blending Tudor cottages and modern homes near Bloor West Village. Over 400 shops and restaurants, plus easy access to High Park and subway.
Runnymede sits in Toronto's west end between Runnymede Road and Jane Street, running from the train tracks near Dundas down to Bloor. It's a neighbourhood of variety. Homes here span six decades of construction (1890s to 1950s), so you'll find Tudor cottages next to Colonial Revival semis next to post-war bungalows next to brand-new builds. The Bloor West Village shopping strip anchors the southern edge with over 400 shops and restaurants, giving residents a true main street feel. Unlike designated heritage areas like Cabbagetown or Yorkville, most of Runnymede's historic homes aren't protected, which means the neighbourhood's character is quietly shifting as older homes get replaced. It's residential, accessible, and close to High Park and the Humber River trails without being in the thick of either.
This is detached and semi-detached territory. Expect Tudor and Colonial Revival styles with steeply pitched roofs, brick-and-stucco facades, half-timbering, and multi-pane windows. Many homes have been renovated or replaced entirely with modern builds, and because most aren't heritage-designated, teardowns continue. Lot sizes vary, but the neighbourhood feels more spacious than downtown. Condos are rare, only four buildings total, including Volta Lofts (2014), Annette Lanes townhomes, The 23 at Baby Point townhomes (2016), and a purpose built rental building at Dundas and Durie (2021). The neighbourhood is steady with consistent sales year over year but no development frenzy.
Runnymede is one of the last west-end neighbourhoods where you can still find detached homes under $1.5M with subway access and a real main street, but that window is closing. The lack of heritage designation means the Tudor and Colonial character is eroding with every teardown, and while that creates buying opportunities for new builds, it also means the neighbourhood's identity is in flux. If you want classic Toronto charm with modern everything, this works. If you're precious about historical preservation, you'll be disappointed. The real story here for me is what's not happening. Almost no new development proposals in a neighbourhood this close to downtown is a red flag that either zoning is restrictive or residents have successfully pushed developers away, but neither of those will last. When the city comes knocking with density targets, Jane and Dundas will get mid-rises, and the neighbourhood will change fast. Buy here if you want value and access now, but don't expect it to stay sleepy.
Runnymede was part of the Village of Swansea until Toronto expanded its city limits in 1909 to absorb West Toronto, and the area developed rapidly as a residential neighbourhood feeding the Bloor West Village shopping district. Homes were built over six decades, 1890s to 1950s, so unlike single-era neighbourhoods, Runnymede has Tudor cottages, Victorian mansions, Colonial Revival semis, and post-war bungalows all mixed together depending on when each lot was developed. The Bloor West Village strip became a commercial hub with over 400 businesses, anchored by landmarks like the Runnymede Theatre (1927), which cycled through being home to Vaudeville, movies, bingo, and is now a Shoppers Drug Mart. Because the neighbourhood was never designated as a heritage district, teardowns and rebuilds have been happening steadily for decades, so the architectural mix today includes plenty of modern infill alongside century-old homes. Runnymede stayed low-density and residential while surrounding arterial roads like Jane, Dundas, and Runnymede Road remained lined with single-family homes instead of the mid-rise density you'd expect in other west-end neighbourhoods this close to downtown.