Moving to Norseman Heights: A complete Neighbourhood Guide
Norseman Heights is an idyllic residential neighbourhood in central Etobicoke. The neighbourhood is known for its tight-knit community and small-town feel. Norseman Heights’ long winding streets and tall overhanging trees give it a unique atmosphere, especially considering how close it is to a major urban center. Many of the streets in Norseman Heights are void of sidewalks, adding to the quaintness and charm of this popular suburban neighbourhood. The excellent selection of schools and beautiful parks in the area make Norseman Heights an extremely popular destination for young families. While Norseman Heights provides a relaxing and peaceful environment for its residents, it also has the added benefit of being a short drive away from Downtown Toronto via the Gardiner Expressway.
Where is Norseman Heights?
Norseman Heights sits between Islington Avenue and Royal York Road with Bloor Street West serving as its northern border and Castlebar Road serving as its southern border. Norseman Heights is also part of the larger neighbourhood in the area called Sunnylea that extends all the way to the Humber River. Often, Spring Garden Park and the Mimico Creek are used as the eastern boundary of Norseman Heights with the area just east of the Creek being called Thompson Orchard. Norseman Heights has great options when it comes to transportation. The Gardiner Expressway is just a few minutes south of Norseman Heights and can take commuters into the downtown core in under a 15 Minutes. Norseman Heights is also walking distance to the Islington and Royal York subway stations.
A brief history of Norseman Heights
The settlement of Norseman Heights started all the way back in the early 1800s when Alexander Thompson purchased two hundred acres of land in the area in 1803. Thompson’s son would go on to build a country style Georgian farmhouse just to the south of his father’s house and name it “Spring Bank Cottage”. This heritage home still stands in Norseman Heights at 7 Meadowcrest Road.
The Thompsons, accompanied by several other families, would go on to run successful market gardens in the area that sold fresh fruits and vegetables. In the 1930s and 1940s the old farmhouses of Norseman Heights were subdivided, and new residential development started in the area. There was an influx of young families during this period looking to buy homes in Norseman Heights, and the area has been a prime destination for families ever since.
The types of homes in Norseman Heights
Norseman Heights has a wide selection of different housing options. The residential area in Norseman Heights is made up almost exclusively of houses that are a mix of bungalows, split-level, storey-and-a- half, and two storey homes. Most of the housing stock in Norseman Heights was built in the 1930s and 1940s with a heavy Tudor style design aesthetic including Riverstone exteriors and decorative front porches. The larger and more extravagantly designed and most expensive homes in the area are situated along Bloor Street; however, there are housing options in Norseman Heights for all budgets.
Making the move to Norseman Heights
Demand for houses in Norseman Heights has been on the rise the last decade. Families who move to Norseman Heights, do so with the intention of laying down long term roots, so there are many families living in the area that have been there for decades. If you are an older couple living in Norseman Heights and are thinking of selling and downsizing as you move into retirement, this would be a great time to sell to capitalize on the extremely competitive housing market. Whether you are looking to downsize, need to stage your home for a sale, or just need to declutter your space, self-storage can be a great solution.
Right now, 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 across the GTA in Scarborough, Mississauga, and one in Etobicoke just a few minutes south of Norseman Heights near Kipling and the Gardiner Expressway. If you need storage for downsizing or home staging, you can call or visit a Storwell facility to demo a unit in person.
Storwell Self Storage
300 Evans Ave., Etobicoke, ON M8Z 6C8
Phone: 416-259-5555
Parks and recreation in Norseman Heights
While located just minutes away from central Etobicoke, Norseman Heights has a great deal of greenery and a wonderful selection of parks that make it the perfect neighbourhood for nature lovers. The beautiful Mimico Creek runs along the eastern border of Norseman Heights flowing right through Spring Garden Park. If you follow the Mimico Creek Path, you can walk the entire length of the Norseman Heights neighbourhood from Berry Road to Tom Riley Park on Bloor Street West.
Tom Riley Park is a large park located just north of Norseman Heights, which has a full-sized soccer field, a child’s playground, and three well-maintained tennis courts. This Park is notable for being the home of the Kingsway Platform Tennis Club, which has 5 courts specially built for pickleball. Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The sport has become exceedingly popular in the last several years especially amongst older players as it less impactful on your joints than full-court tennis.
On the south side of Norseman Heights, along Chartwell Road, you will find Norseman Heights Park. Norseman Heights Park has two baseball diamonds, a large playground, and access to the Norseman Community School and Pool, which offers a wide range of programs including sports, dance, music, fitness, and preschool.
The best schools in Norseman Heights
Norseman Heights has access to some of the best educational institutions in the city, which is why the neighbourhood has become such a popular landing spot for families with young children. The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board both operate several schools in the area.
Etobicoke Collegiate Institute is one of the secondary schools in the area and is located just north of Norseman Heights on Montgomery Road. Another highly rated secondary school in Norseman Heights is Bishop Allen Academylocated on Royal York Road. Norseman Heights is also home to the Etobicoke School of the arts, which is a public arts-academic high school that specializes in dance, drama, film, music theatre, and contemporary arts. The Etobicoke School of the Arts is not only an amazing place to foster your child’s artist ability, it is also extremely academically minded and was ranked as one of the top 100 secondary schools in Ontario by the Fraser Institute in 2020.
There is also a strong selection of elementary schools in and around the Norseman Heights area. Here are some of the most highly rated elementary schools in Norseman Heights:
- Norseman Junior Middle School
- Park Lawn Junior Middle School
- Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School
- Sunnylea Junior School
- Islington Junior Middle School
The best restaurants in Norseman Heights
Norseman Heights has an eclectic blend of different cuisine options. Most of the restaurants in the area are situated along Bloor Street West in the northern section of Norseman Heights. The Crooked Cue is serving classic pub favourites in a modern laid-back setting, which includes several billiard tables open to all customers.
Down the street, you will find two restaurants serving classic Italian cuisine, La Veranda Osteria and ViBo Restaurant. While La Veranda Osteria has spacious patio and a more casual atmosphere, ViBo offers a more intimate setting with stained glass windows and a large fireplace.
One of the most unique dining options in Norseman Heights is Plan B Handmade Burgers, Boerewors and Braai, which is the only South African barbeque restaurant in all of Toronto.
For dessert, you can head over to European Patisserie on Dundas Street West, which is making cakes, pastries, savouries, and chocolates all inhouse using the freshest ingredients.
If you have questions about neighbourhood amenities, specific real estate trends, or just simply have a general inquiries about Etobicoke in general do not hesitate to contact us anytime by clicking here.
