Living in Scarborough Junction
Scarborough Junction is a culturally diverse family oriented neighbourhood. Scarborough Junction has many fine attributes including affordable homes, a vibrant shopping district along Eglinton Avenue, and convenient access to TTC and Go Transit stations.
History of Scarborough Junction
Scarborough Junction received its name in 1873, when a post office using this name was opened in the Bell General Store which stood on the south-west corner of Kennedy Road and St. Clair Avenue. The Junction part of this name referred to the two railways – the Grand Trunk and the Toronto-Nippising – which crossed paths at the south end of this neighbourhood. In 1896, Scarborough Junction was the most heavily populated village in the former Township of Scarborough. It had its own school, general store, and the Bethel Methodist Church. The historic Bethel Church Cemetery is quietly tucked away off Kennedy Road, south of Eglinton Avenue. The urbanization of Scarborough Junction took place in the late 1940’s and the 1950’s when farm fields were replaced with rows of war veterans’ housing and cosy little bungalows. These houses sold very quickly to young families that were looking for affordable houses in what was then the outskirts of Toronto.
Homes in Scarborough Junction
The residential pocket south of Eglinton Avenue contains small bungalows, storey-and-a-half houses and semi-detached homes built in the 1940’s and 50’s. North of Eglinton, subdivisions such as Treverton Park, located on the east side of Kennedy Road, contain somewhat larger bungalows, split-level houses and detached, two-storey homes. These houses were built in the 1950’s and 60’s. Scarborough Junction also contains a large amount of high-and mid-rise rental apartment buildings, located on the peripheral streets of this neighbourhood. Many of these buildings are owned by the Metro Toronto Housing Authority and offer rents geared towards income.
Lifestyle in Scarborough Junction
The main retail shopping corridor serving this neighbourhood is located along Eglinton Avenue. Here you will find a great variety of shopping including large supermarkets, a discount department store, home improvement stores, bargain and discount stores, a flea market, new car dealerships, auto service centres, restaurants, a sports bar, video stores, and professional and medical offices. The Kennedy Park Plaza on Kennedy Road, and the Greystone Plaza at Danforth and Midland, are two smaller shopping plazas that cater to the everyday household needs of the residents of this neighbourhood.
Recreation in Scarborough Junction
The Mid Scarborough Community Centre, located at 2467 Eglinton Avenue East, offers a variety of fitness, craft, dance and social programs for children, adults and seniors. This community centre also operates outdoor tennis courts. Scarborough Junction has a large number of smaller parks with various amenities including baseball diamonds and children’s playgrounds.
Transportation in Scarborough Junction
Scarborough Junction residents have convenient access to the Eglinton Go Train station located just west of Bellamy Road. This train service connects commuters to downtown Toronto’s Union Station in approximately twenty minutes. Toronto Transit bus routes along Kennedy, Midland, McCowan and Bellamy Roads and Eglinton Avenue connect passengers to stations on the Scarborough Rapid Transit and the Bloor-Danforth subway lines.