The winning mix.
Everyone thinks their neighbourhood has it all, that it’s the perfect Toronto neighbourhood, that it has the exact right blend of urban and residential. Summerhill might be closest. Its tiny, European strip of Yonge is the epitome of curated sans snobbiness, with a delicious dollop of attitude: a landmark block of food shops that are so expensive —$45.99 a pound for Sea Bass, last time we checked — that residents proudly call them The Five Thieves.
Summerhill boasts streams of languid streets replete with century Edwardian and Victorian homes — and there are too many winning streets to highlight just one. It’s also more urban than Rosedale but not as much as Yorkville. But since this debate about Toronto’s best neighbourhood is best continued over a beverage, Summerhill provides at least two standout opportunities to do just that: the Summerhill LCBO, imagined atop a vintage train station, and the no-fuss Rosedale Diner and its list of 95 beers. And if you actually decide to explore that list, it’s good to mention that Summerhill also has excellent public transit.