Sunnylea is a highly sought after neighbourhood that is especially popular with young families. There is a country charm here thanks to the Mimico Creek which gently meanders through the centre of this neighbourhood. Sunnylea's many mature trees and the exclusion of sidewalks add to its country-like ambience.
Sunnylea is known for its excellent schools which are a popular drawing card for this neighbourhood. The elementary schools have definite enrollment boundaries that serve different parts of this neighbourhood.
Homes
Sunnylea's bungalow, split-level, storey-and- a-half, and two-storey houses were built mostly in the 1940's and 1950's. All of these houses are detached and include at least a thirty foot frontage and a private drive.
The Tudor style houses closer to Bloor Street are the older houses in this neighbourhood. Many of these houses feature handsome Riverstone exteriors, bay windows, stone chimneys, wrought iron railings and decorative front porches.
Sunnylea residents in the area bound by Bloor Street, Royal York Road, and the Mimico Creek, have been progressive in forming the Thompson Orchard Community Association. This association has been successful in getting the city to pass site specific zoning by-laws designed to protect the residential character of this neighbourhood.
Recreation
The Norseman Community School, located at 105 Norseman Street, and the Park Lawn Community School, at 71 Ballacaine Drive, offer a large variety of recreational programs for children, teens, adults and seniors. Norseman has an indoor pool which is extensively used for aquafit and instructional swim programs. Park Lawn has a winter ice arena that converts to tennis courts in the summertime. The outdoor pool at Park Lawn is used for recreational swimming.
Sunnylea Park and Laura Hill Park each have two tennis courts and a children's playground. Spring Garden Park is nestled on the west bank of Mimico Creek. This idyllic park has a children's playground and is well shaded with many old trees. The Brentwood Public Library is located at 36 Brentwood Road, one block west of Royal York Road and one block north of Bloor Street. This library offers year-round programs for children. The fifty-five plus Fairfield Seniors' Centre is located at 80 Lothian Avenue. The facilities here include a seniors lounge, a library, workshops, support groups, and a variety of special events including fashion shows, "pub nights," a flea market and summer barbecues.
Schools
Norseman, 105 Norseman St., (416) 394-7880
Park Lawn, 71 Ballacaine Dr., (416) 394-7120
Sunnylea, 35 Glenroy Ave., (416) 394-3850
Etobicoke C.I., 86 Montgomery Rd., (416) 394-7840
Etobicoke School of the Arts, 675 Royal York Rd., (416) 394-6910
Sainte-Margueritte-d'Youville, 755 Royal York Rd., (416) 393-5418
Shopping
Sunnylea residents enjoy convenient access to the Kingsway Village shopping district on Bloor Street West. This well-planned retail corridor has a festive, pedestrian friendly atmosphere and features comfortable park benches, evergreen trees, and expensive looking cast iron street lamps. Even the garbage bins are wrapped in ornate cast-iron frames. There is plenty of meter parking along Bloor Street and many of the side streets which make it easy to explore this vibrant shopping district.
The shops in the Kingsway Village include high-end fashion shops, children's stores, book shops, specialty stores, upscale restaurants, fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries and coffee shops.
There is also a myriad of professional services located on this street led by a large number of travel shops and real estate offices that serve the high profile neighbourhoods in this district.
Transportation
Bus lines on Prince Edward Drive, Royal York Road and Islington Avenue provide Sunnylea residents with connecting routes to stations on the Bloor-Danforth subway line.
Motorist are approximately fifteen minutes from Toronto's downtown financial and entertainment districts via Lake Shore Boulevard or the Gardiner Expressway which also provide commuters with connecting routes to the all of the major highways leading out of the city.
