Living in Richview
Richview is a large, diverse neighbourhood that is home to people of a wide range of incomes and cultural backgrounds. This neighbourhood includes a multitude of parks, shopping plazas and excellent transportation routes. Richview is located just minutes from Pearson International Airport. Real estate agents will sometimes refer to the area between Royal York Road and Islington Avenue as “Royal York Gardens” and the area between Islington Avenue and Kipling Avenue as “Richmond Gardens” although these two pockets are historically part of the greater Richview community.
History of Richview
The Richview name originated in 1852 when a post office called “Richview” opened in this area. By the 1870’s, Richview had its own school, church, and tavern. The Richview neighbourhood was more clearly defined in the 1880’s when it was designated as school section number four in the former Township of Etobicoke. Richview had a proud farming tradition that dated back to the 1850’s, when Richview farmers participated in the Etobicoke Agricultural Society Fair and the Provincial Exhibition. Richview farmers sold their produce at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and their surplus beef cattle to the former Union Stockyards on St. Clair Avenue. In the early 1900’s, Richview farmers shifted their focus from agriculture to dairy farms to satisfy the demand for milk in the burgeoning City of Toronto. In 1956, Richview’s last dairy farm was sold to developers. This brought to a close a tradition of farming in Richview that endured for over one hundred years. The former Dixon homestead, located at 1671 Kipling Avenue, and the former La Rose homestead, located at 322 La Rose Avenue, are reminders of Richview’s rural past.
Homes in Richview
Richview’s housing stock consists primarily of ranch and contemporary style bungalows, split-level homes, and Georgian Revival style houses built during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The typical Richview property features forty, fifty, or sixty foot plus frontages with most properties having a private drive and garages. Many Richview properties back onto prime ravine or parkland. Richview also includes a handful of new townhouse and condominium projects currently being developed along its main streets. There are also a number of rental apartment buildings and row-houses located on the periphery of this neighbourhood.
Lifestyle in Richview
Richview Square, located on the south-west corner of Eglinton Avenue and Wincott Drive, is a medium-size shopping plaza that includes fashion boutiques, a bakery and deli, a gift shop, a bank, a jeweller, a photo shop, a drug store, a travel agency, a health food store, a florist, an animal hospital, beer and liquor stores and professional and medical offices. Our Walk In Closet Inc., is a unique upscale Ladies Consignment Boutique located at Richview Square plaza. Martingrove Plaza, located at the south-east corner of Martingrove Road and The Westway, is anchored by a supermarket and also includes a drug store, hardware store, discount store, florist, bakery and deli, video store, travel agency, an ice cream shop, a liquor store, a post office and professional and medical offices. Westway Centre, located at the south-east corner of Kipling Avenue and Dixon Road, features a large supermarket, fast food restaurants, a hardware store, professional and medical offices and a bowling alley. The shopping plaza known simply as 1500 Royal York Road is more exciting than its name might imply. This large retail complex features a bicycle and ski shop, a bulk food store, a bowling alley and billiards hall, an indoor children’s playground and a wide selection of shops that serve the everyday needs of the local residents.
Recreation in Richview
Richview Park, located next to the Richview Water Reservoir at Eglinton Avenue and Martin Grove Road is the largest recreational park in this neighbourhood. This wide open green space contains sports fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts and a children’s playground. The smaller West Grove, Martin Grove, Valley Field and Silver Creek Parks each have tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a children’s playground. West Grove Park also has an outdoor swimming pool and an artificial ice rink. Sun Row Park, located in the north-east part of Richview, features an interpretive nature trail along the Humber River Watershed. Here hikers can explore fish habitats, wildflowers and a variety of wildlife. Richview residents can also enjoy the bicycle trail along Eglinton Avenue that merges with the Canadian Ukrainian Memorial Park and the paved South Humber trail which winds it’s way down to Toronto’s waterfront.
Transportation in Richview
Bus service along Eglinton Avenue, The Westway, and Dixon Road connects passengers to the Eglinton station on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. The Islington bus connects to Islington Station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. This station also provides a connecting route to the Mississauga Transit system as well as providing an express bus service to the Pearson International Airport. The Kipling Avenue bus connects to the Kipling station which is the westernmost station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. This station also provides service to the Go Transit line. Motorists can access Toronto’s network of commuter highways off Eglinton Avenue west of Martingrove Road or Islington Avenue