Toronto Dream Properties | A Neighbourhood Guide for Moving to Bayview Glen

A Neighbourhood Guide for Moving to Bayview Glen

Bayview Glen is an affluent residential community located along the northern border of the City of Toronto. The neighbourhood is known for its peaceful atmosphere and large luxury houses. The amazing houses, wonderful schools, and great access to beautiful parks have made Bayview Glen an extremely popular destination for families looking to buy a home in Markham.

Where is Bayview Glen?

Bayview Glen is located between Bayview Avenue and the GO Transit train tracks with Steeles Avenue East acting as the neighbourhood’s southern boundary and John Street acting as the northern boundary. Bayview Glen is located on the eastern side of Thornhill, which falls under the city of Markham. There is another neighbourhood nearby located just north of Highway 7 between Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue that also goes by the name “Bayview Glen”; however, that neighbourhood is part of Richmond Hill.

Getting around Bayview Glen

Although Bayview Glen maintains a small-town suburban feel, its great access to transportation allows its residents to drive to the bustling downtown core in a matter of minutes. Just a few minutes east of Bayview Glen is Highway 404, which can take motorists into Downtown Toronto in less than half an hour. Highway 404 also connects to Highway 401, which can take Bayview Glen residents eastward toward Scarborough or Westward towards Mississauga. Bayview Glen is also located just south of Highway 7 and Highway 407 providing an even more robust selection of transportation options. As for public transit, the YRT has several bus routes that run along John Street, Bayview Avenue, and Steeles Avenue East.

A brief history of Bayview Glen

The area just east of Bayview Glen was settled in the late 1700s with industrious homesteaders forming a community called German Mills, with saw, timber and grist mills operating on the banks of the Don River. While German Mills continued to grow, the area that would come to be known as Bayview Glen remained relatively undeveloped until the mid 1960s. In 1960, construction finished on the Bayview Golf and Country Club, which was designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame architect Robbie Robinson. There was a demand for more housing in the area surrounding the golf course, so residential development started in the area just west of the CN railway tracks.

Another important development in Bayview Glen’s history came in 1978, when the Bayview Glen Alliance Church held their first service at their newly acquired Bayview and Steeles campus. The church had operated in Downtown Toronto since 1941 but in 1970, Pastor Arnie Reimer had the idea to relocate the church north to reach the growing and increasingly diverse population of the Greater Toronto Area. The church continues to be an important pillar in the Bayview Glen community.

The types of homes in Bayview Glen

Most of the residential space in the Bayview Glen area is occupied by houses built on extremely large lots providing homeowners with ample amounts of space to plant gardens, build decks, and do various outdoor activities in the comfort of their own backyards. The houses are spaced well apart and setback a fair distance from the street with large green front lawns and multiple garages. The original housing stock, built between the 1960s and the 1980s, consists of Colonial and Tudor revival homes as well as ranch style bungalows and enclaves of townhomes. Many of the streets in Bayview Glen are devoid of sidewalks to add to the picturesque nature of the streetscapes. Many of the older houses are being torn down and replaced with massive custom designed infill homes incorporating modern dramatic architectural design styles.

As you move to the north end of the neighbourhood, you start to see some diversification in the housing options. On the southeast corner of Bayview and John there is a large collection of townhomes making up a miniature community situated around Johnsview Village Public School. In the northwest and southwest corners of Bayview and John there are a series of cul de sacs that feature large houses that are more tightly packed than the houses adjacent to the golf course, which provides a more intimate and neighbourly feel to this part of Bayview Glen. These houses are also built on large lots and many of them come with outdoor pools. Just north of Bayview and John near Drake Park there is a complex of high-rise condominiums that provides more affordable housing options while still being in the Bayview Glen neighborhood.

Upcoming condominium developments in Bayview Glen

Bayview Glen is a neighbourhood that is constantly evolving and improving. In recent years there has been an uptick in condominium development in the area, which continues to add more diverse housing options to the neighbourhood. One of the most exciting new condo developments is currently under construction on Bayview Avenue and Royal Orchard Boulevard. The Royal Bayview Condos is a new two-building condominium development located right next to the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto. The luxury condominium complex will be in a premium location with easy access to both Highway 407 and Highway 404 and have all the latest amenities including shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The Royal Bayview Condos will be part of a master-planned community and are scheduled to be completed by 2024.

Making the move to Bayview Glen

Bayview Glen is one of the most popular neighborhoods in the GTA and the property prices reflect this popularity. This neighborhood is a perfect place for families looking to buy a home in a relaxed and safe community while still being close to the city. If you are an older resident of Bayview Glen entering retirement and are looking to downsize, now would be the best time to sell your home to capitalize on the competitive housing market. Even beautiful houses like the ones in Bayview Glen can become cluttered and disorganized over time and if you want to have a successful sale, home staging is a necessity. Whether you are staging your home for a sale, moving your family into a new home, or just need to declutter your space, self-storage can be a great solution.

Currently, Storwell Self Storage is providing my clients with an exclusive offer of 4 weeks of free self storage at any of their facilities. Storwell has locations in Mississauga, Etobicoke, and one location in Scarborough near Highway 401 and Markham Road, which is just a short drive east of Bayview Glen. If you need self-storage to help with your next move, you can call a Storwell representative or visit a facility in person to demo a unit.

Storwell Self Storage

85 Executive Ct, Scarborough, ON M1S 5W9

Phone: 416-534-5555

Parks and recreation in Bayview Glen

Bayview Glen has a wonderful selection of parks that make the neighbourhood a perfect place to live if you are a nature lover. Bayview Glen Park is located on Limcombe Drive, in the heart of Bayview Glen. The park has a large children’s playground, two baseball diamonds, and two newly repaved tennis courts. Just west of Bayview Avenue is Don Valley Park, which is a large heavily wooded park with a series of scenic nature trails that extremely fun to explore. Just north of Don Valley Park on John Street is Pomona Mills Park. Pomona Mills Park has two large soccer fields, several exciting nature trails, and six well-maintained tennis courts that belong to the Pomona Valley Tennis Club.

Bayview Glen is the ideal neighbourhood for golfers. Bayview Golf and Country Club offers a championship-quality 18-hole golf course that is within walking distance from the heart of Bayview Glen. The country club also has several other amenities including a 4000 square foot fitness facility, an outdoor pool, and six har-tru clay tennis courts.

On the north side of Bayview Glen on John Street is the Thornhill Community Centre. The Community Centre has two NHL-sized ice rinks, a therapy pool, two squash courts, a cycle studio, a library, and is host to several youth and adult programs for the residents of Bayview Glen.

The best schools in Bayview Glen

One of the main reasons why Bayview Glen has become such a popular neighbourhood for families is because of the amazing selection of schools in the area. The York Region District School Board and York Catholic District School Board both operate several schools in the Bayview Glen area. The main high school near Bayview Glen is Thornlea Secondary School, which is located on Bayview Avenue and Willowbrook Road. Thornlea Secondary School received high marks in the Fraser Institute’s Annual Report Card for 2020 and was ranked as one of the top 100 secondary schools in Ontario.

Bayview Glen has an unbelievable selection of elementary schools with some of the highest rated schools in Ontario coming from the Bayview Glen area. One school that stands out is Bayview Fairways Public School located on Bayview Fairways Drive. Bayview Fairways received extremely high marks from the Fraser Institute and was ranked as the 19^th best elementary school in Ontario out of over 3000 other schools. Some other great elementary schools in Bayview Glen are:

- - Bayview Glen Public School
  - Johnsview Village Public School
  - Willowbrook Public School
  - Rene Goupil- St. Luke Catholic Elementary School

The best restaurants in Bayview Glen

Bayview Glen has an eclectic mix of dining options that offers something for everyone. Kaikaki Japanese Cuisine is located just south of Bayview Glen on Bayview and Cummer Avenue. Kaikaki is an authentic Japanese restaurant serving up serving some of the best sushi in Toronto along with a variety of premium sake. On Steeles Avenue and Bestview Drive you will find Myoungdong Chammat Kalguksu, a Korean restaurant with a casual modern setting featuring daily all-you-can-eat menus of sushi favourites and grilled entrees. Santorini Estiatorio is an upscale bar and grill located on Bayview Avenue and John Street that has a beautiful outdoor dining area and specializes in Greek cuisine. Ramona’s Kitchen is Bayview Glen’s go-to brunch spot. Located on Bayview Avenue and Laureleaf Road Ramona’s is serving up breakfast plates, burgers, and hearty sandwiches in a snug, modern-rustic space.