Here’s a statement a friend made to me the other day: “$600,000 for a semi-detached house in East York?  That’s insane!”

I informed him that Victor Avenue may be east of the D.V.P., and may be in the Metro East real estate district, but certainly there is a difference between East York and Riverdale!

“Riverdale,” he questioned.  “It sounds like something out of a movie!”

Well, perhaps it is…

Riverdale is actually one of the oldest areas of the city of Toronto.  Like many areas of the city, it was originally a town in and of itself before it was annexed by the City of Toronto in 1884.

It’s landmarks include the Don Jail, Withrow Park & Riverdale Park, The Danforth, and of course Degrassi Street that helped bring us the kids television show “Degrassi Junior High” in the 1980’s.

So why don’t enough people rant and rave about this area?  Why isn’t there is much press about Riverdale as Leaside, Rosedale, or Lawrence Park?

I’m not sure.

It’s not like the lack of attention has brought the prices down any.

Riverdale, like Cabbagetown, is an area of the city where you can still find original Victorian houses dating back to the 19th century.  The house that sold last month at 121 Victor Ave, for example, is a semi-detached, 3-storey home from 1890 with the original working fireplace & hearth!  It has been updated as recent as 2006 when the owners installed a new high-efficiency furnace, rebuilt the chimney, and re-shingled the roof.

Riverdale can be divided into upper and lower Riverdale, split by the street itself.  Lower Riverdale is bordered by Gerrard Street, and contains Simpson Avenue, Victor Avenue, and Langley Avenue.  Upper Riverdale is the newer portion of the area, usually found to have larger homes with more modern features, and is known for streets such as Withrow, Bain, &  Hampton Avenues, and Millbrook & Tennis Crescents.

While some people prefer the older, historical houses on Victor & Langley Avenues, many judge proximity to Withrow Park to be the most important criteria of a house in Riverdale.  Frizzell, Wroxeter, Strathcona, & Cavell Avenues all run between Carlaw & Pape and border Withrow Park at their west-most points.

Withrow Park contains a baseball diamond, two large fields for soccer, rugby or football, and a rollerhockey rink that is lit up at night.  The dog-walkers are out in full force all hours of the day, and the weekends bring a rash of people to play sports whether in organized leagues such as childrens rollerhockey, or pickup games of touch football or soccer on the south field.

Riverdale Park is also a stone’s throw away just west of Broadview Avenue, But it is Withrow Park that is the main attraction to Riverdale; while driving south on Carlaw along the tree-canopied street, you can’t help but feel that the sun shines a little brighter, the birds chirp a little louder, and the babies smile a little wider.

And there are no shortage of babies!  The one comparison that can be drawn to between Riverdale and that of Lawrence Park (on Avenue Road) or Leaside (on Bayview Ave) is that the Starbucks-drinking, Lu-Lu-Lemon-wearing, stroller-pushing mommies are out in full force during the day!  But whereas the strollers being pushed in Leaside & Lawrence Park are along busy streets with retail storefronts, the strollers in Riverdale roll along quiet side streets with greenery, scenery, and the park atmosphere!

The houses aren’t as large, and the area doesn’t garner as much attention, but that doesn’t mean the residents of Riverdale aren’t just as happy!

And the million-dollar mark has been cracked in Riverdale as well!  A house on Grandview Avenue, adjacent to Withrow Park, sold this past May for almost $1,100,000—the first to EVER crack the all-telling one-million-dollar mark in Riverdale.  Two other houses cracked $950,000 in 2006, also on Grandview Avenue, but there is something very special about the nice, round number one-million.

Not to be overlooked, Riverdale is also just south of “The Danforth,” one of the busiest retail stretches in the city.  There is no shortage of things to do along Danforth Avenue from the vast shopping, unique restaurants, the “Taste of the Danforth” festival every summer, and the multi-cultural atmosphere that Toronto is so proud of.

Despite all this, Riverdale doesn’t get as much attention in the local media outlets as the booming Toronto condominium market, the “Stepford Wives” area of Leaside, or the “classic” Rosedale.

But I think everybody would be absolutely SHOCKED to find that houses in Riverdale have appreciated more in the last 18 months than either of Leaside or Rosedale.

Well, everybody except residents of Riverdale, that is…

Original Victorian houses on Victor Avenue.