Bordered by Twyford/Aylesbury Rd south to Rathburn Rd, Islington Ave west to Kipling Avenue One of Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, with just over two hundred homeowners Named “Thorncrest” in 1945, the history of the area actually dates back much farther back to a time in the mid 1800’s when Sir William Pearce Howland – a member of Sir John A Macdonald’s cabinet and a Father of Confederation – built his summer home “Thorncrest” in this densely wooded area full of oak trees, overlooking what was then the Village of Islington World-renowned planner Dr. E.J. Faludi was contracted for his first Canadian residential development to create a unique community with “the highest possible living standards for a group of moderate income people at the lowest possible cost” (ironically, property in Thorncrest today is among the most expensive and exclusive real estate in Toronto) The average lot sizes of 90′ X 165′, the ‘no-fence’ concept, and the irregular winding street plan piqued the interest of people throughout North America; Thorncrest Village was featured in 22 publications the year it was released for sale. It is one of Toronto’s prettier neighbourhoods, with winding tree-lined roads that are whimsically decorated with cast-iron street lamps and wood post signs that combine to create a countrified charm.
All of the streets in Thorncrest Village have an east-west orientation – this was intentionally planned, so that all the houses in this neighbourhood would benefit from a direct south exposure. Purchase of a home in Thorncrest included, as it does to this day, access to the private clubhouse and rec facilities but no longer requires the approval of the Homes Association that once governed the community. While much has changed in the area since a lone summer cabin stood on the property, Thorncrest today still boasts the towering trees and country-like feel of that time.
