Living in Crescent Town
Crescent Town is a self contained community of approximately ten thousand people tucked away in a sylvan like setting in the east Don Valley Parklands. Crescent Town is an interesting experiment in community planning in that all of its pedestrian walkways are located above the street level. These walkways safely usher residents to their own community school, recreation centre, market place and town hall.
History of Crescent Town
Crescent Town can trace its roots back to 1887 when Walter Massey – the son of Hart Massey, Canada’s first major industrialist – purchased a 240 acre country property centered around Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue. The Massey farm was named Detonia after Mrs. Massey’s family whose surname was Denton. The Massey farm sold fresh eggs and poultry as well as fresh trout which was caught in the many streams and rivulets that criss-crossed the farm. The Massey farm was also the home of the City Dairy Company which produced the first pasteurized milk in Canada. In 1933, Susan Massey generously gave forty acres of Detonia to Crescent School where her grandsons were educated. Crescent School operated at Detonia until 1969 when this property was sold to the developers who built the present day Crescent Town neighbourhood. Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland was among the first Crescent Town residents. He spent part of his early childhood in Crescent Town and attended the Crescent Town Elementary School.
Homes in Crescent Town
Crescent Town contains a mix of condominium apartment buildings, stacked condominium townhouses and low and high rise rental apartment buildings. The condominiums are located on Massey Square while the rental apartment buildings are situated on Crescent Town Road. The building of Crescent Town was completed in 1971.
Lifestyle in Crescent Town
Crescent Town has its own “Market Place” located in a concourse strolling area situated in the centre of the Crescent Town neighbourhood. The Market Place includes a grocery store, a variety store, a bank, a drug store, a dry cleaner, a hair salon, a neighbourhood restaurant and medical and professional offices. Crescent Town residents can also walk to the bustling shopping district on Danforth Avenue including Shoppers World at the corner of Danforth and Victoria Park Avenues.
Recreation in Crescent Town
The Crescent Town Hall, which occupies the ground floor of building number five, is the social hub of this neighbourhood. It contains a library, a church, and meeting rooms for various clubs and social functions. The Crescent Town Club, located at 2A The Market Place is a modern multi – recreational complex. Its facilities include a 25 metre swimming pool, an indoor track, a full size gymnasium, squash, racquetball and handball courts. The Crescent Town Club also doubles as a community centre and offers a myriad of programs for children, teens, adults, and seniors.
Taylor Creek Park is conveniently located at the north end of the Crescent Town neighbourhood. This long and narrow valley is thickly wooded and is perfect for walking, bird watching and photography. Taylor Creek Park also has a popular exercise trail and numerous picnic sites. Access to the park is located off Dawes Road. Crescent Town residents can literally walk, with their clubs in hand to the Detonia Park Golf Course on the east side of Victoria Park Avenue. This scenic eighteen hole golf course is rated as moderately difficult by the Metropolitan Toronto Parks Department.
Dentonia Park Golf Course is the Greater Toronto Area’s finest par three course. This public golf course is located at 781 Victoria Park Ave., less than a one-minute walk from the Victoria Park subway station. For more information or to book a tee time, call 416 392-2558.
Transportation in Crescent Town
Crescent Town residents can access the Victoria Park subway station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line via an internal pedestrian walkway that connects directly to the Victoria Park station. The Dawes Road and Victoria Park buses make connections to this station. Danforth Avenue is the main arterial roadway in this district. Danforth Avenue ends at the Bloor Street Viaduct which connects motorists into the downtown core.