Forest Hill Village
Spanning a short stretch of Spadina Rd. around Lonsdale Ave., Forest Hill Village is part of Forest Hill, the neighbourhood bordered roughly by the Cedarvale Ravine on the west, Avenue Rd. on the east, St. Clair Ave. on the south and Briar Hill Ave. on the north. One of the most affluent areas of the city, Forest Hill is famous mostly for its luxurious mansions, but there is a forest (well, perhaps merely a sizeable grove) of taller buildings around its edges, particularly in the south-west.
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Toronto's Best In This 'HoodComments (29)
The Bishop Strachan School and Upper Canada have students, both day and boarding, from all over the world. I don't see how that makes Forest Hill "not diverse." Or, do these kids not count, because they don't really live there?
Diversity can be measured in so many ways. I live on the border of Annex/Forest Hill as I am just a smidgen south of St. Clair on Bathurst, and to my east I have luxury and just a stone's throw to the west I have Vaughan St which I would say make the st. clair/bathurst intersection one of the most diverse in the city.
Additonally, I would say that these students aren't really a mixed bag to me as those schools are mostly reserved for wealthy families.
Diversity can be measured in so many ways. I live on the border of Annex/Forest Hill as I am just a smidgen south of St. Clair on Bathurst, and to my east I have luxury and just a stone's throw to the west I have Vaughan St which I would say make the st. clair/bathurst intersection one of the most diverse in the city.
Additonally, I would say that these students aren't really a mixed bag to me as those schools are mostly reserved for wealthy families.
I had never been to Forest Hill Village before, but found myself hanging out on the corner of Lonsdale and Spadina at noon on Sunday waiting for my girl, when it struck me that this area seemed to have a high "SUV/douchebag" quota.
One night during a nothing-to-do hike through the area (I live nearer Casa Loma) I "discovered" FHV. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous, and it was very "unexpected" as I had been walking alone up Spadina from Davenport and having seen relatively little in the way of commerce along the way.
I based my evaluation of Forest Hill's diversity on two things: the 2001 census results (mentioned in the article) and my own observations. I live in the neighbourhood, walk and bike through it quite a lot - and I see very few non-whites here. And a couple of my regular bike routes go by Bishop Strachan and through Upper Canada. Most of the students I see there are still white. Of course there are other cultures represented in the area as well, but compared to other areas of Toronto the numbers are minuscule.
Miniscule, Tatiana? BSS is definitely more than 25% non-white, especially in the upper grades (non-whites make up the majority of boarders.) Sure, it's less than other parts of TO, but it's certainly not miniscule. "Miniscule" is less than 10%.
BSS is definitely more than 25% non-white
Perhaps so, but when we are considering the total Forest Hill population, what proportion do BSS students make up? When you look at the neighbourhood as a whole, about 90% of people living there are white.
Oh, and another thing, why is it that certain Torontonians have issues with areas that aren't "diverse?" Many parts of the GTA are not all that diverse. There are plenty of "ethnic enclaves" in this city. Or, do neighbourhoods in Markham and Brampton, which have lots of Chinese and South Asians, respectively, not count, because they are "ethnic" neighbourhoods? Seriously, people!
I see no evidence in my post or in the comments that anyone is having an issue with the lack of diversity. In my post, this is merely a statement; no judgements passed.
What one might have a legitimate concern about is that the richest neighrbourhoods in the city are also the whitest, while the "ethnic enclaves" you're referring to are typically comprised of people with modest income. It is a symptom of the bigger issues like the difficulties that educated, qualified immigrants face when they try to find a job in their fields etc.
Tatiana,
If you consider the typical family income in the Highway 7 and 404 area "modest" then Forest Hill is merely middle class. As for the lack of diversity, well, maybe I'm just super-sensitive, but to me, any time someone says that a certain area or group is "not diverse," then it's seen as something very negative.
Anyway, I'd just like to add (to make this a legitmate Ville post), Dave's rocks (though it was called The Maison Bakery when I was going to school)
If you consider the typical family income in the Highway 7 and 404 area "modest" then Forest Hill is merely middle class.
I'm not aware of 90% prevalence of any ethnicity in that region. There are many people of Chinese ancestry there, yes, but surely not that many. Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't have census figures to quote). They are a bit of a special case anyhow: they were wealthy before they ever came to Canada.
At any rate, I did not mean to start a discussion of social issues in the comments. :-) Let's just agree that I never said a prevalence of a certain ethnicity in a neighbourhood was automatically bad and leave it at that.
As for the lack of diversity, well, maybe I'm just super-sensitive, but to me, any time someone says that a certain area or group is "not diverse," then it's seen as something very negative.
I don't want to sound like a jerk, and I don't mean to be one, but that's a problem with your perception.
I must admit I like diversity because it's more fun (that's one reason I love living in Toronto), but I don't think of and don't portray its lack as something "very negative".
Anyway, I'd just like to add (to make this a legitmate Ville post), Dave's rocks (though it was called The Maison Bakery when I was going to school)
I couldn't bring myself to write anything positive about Dave's despite its popularity. It's filed under the "mediocre overcharging establishments" category, sorry. :-) Everything I've ever had there was worse than subpar. Maybe it was better when it was called The Maison Bakery.
I live in forest hill village, and i'm pretty sure that my girlfriend and I constitute the entire 'visible minority' population there.
Do you think it is really about ethnicity? If you ask me, I would say I like diversity, too. But I don't think Tatiana wanted to trigger a discussion about whites and 'non-whites' in the first place. Livability is what matters the most.
Hope Street Cafe is unfortunately overlooked in your review. Though prices may be high, it provides a wide variety of food offerings and tailors its menu to customer desires. Mashu Mashu, it should be noted, is owned by the same family that runs the What A Bagel empire.
I'm not aware of 90% prevalence of any ethnicity in that region.
Nor is there 90% prevalence of any ethnicity in Forest Hill, of course.
I have recently moved to the Humewood area - a stone's throw away. Having lived in FHV before, I can say that there is a definite annoying crowd (the Rangerover/ sweatpant/ BSS, etc. gang) but it really is a great place to eat and get things done. All banks, shoes, clothes, grocery, drug store, hair, video. Unfortunately Irwin hardware flew the coop - that really made it a one stop hood. Banfi and Mashu Mashu are faves - Edoko and Sushi Lovers are excellent too. And yes - how can you mention the Village without What A Bagel?
Fact of the matter is that the majority of the wealth in the city is "white".
Fact of the matter that you will be hard pressed to find a home in forrest hill (not condo's) that is under 1million in price.
:. The majority of the residents in Forest Hill are White.
RE: If you consider the typical family income in the Highway 7 and 404 area "modest" then Forest Hill is merely middle class.
The power and net worth of forest hill far exceeds highway that of 7 and 404 area. Just ask Ted Rogers.
RE: If you consider the typical family income in the Highway 7 and 404 area "modest" then Forest Hill is merely middle class.
The power and net worth of forest hill far exceeds highway that of 7 and 404 area. Just ask Ted Rogers.
Some people are obviously not that bright. They hammer the author for making "lack of diversity" comments when he is really trying to say it is a white neighbourhood in a polite and politically correct way. He unfortunately cannot say it in a direct statement. As for whites being the "rich", people, they had a head start, the land was distributed to white immigrants a few hundred years ago. The others are playing catch up in this country. Nothing negative or positive, just reality. Don't be so sensitive, we should are be passed this.
Please, what is considered a good public school, that may be equivilant to a private school in this area?
Thank you...
Anyway... I'd just like to add this: my family ate at The Village Restaurant in Forest Hill Village yesterday, and it was great.
Well, we are the new parents at UCC. Our son is going into grade 3 this year. At the new parents reception my husband (who is south-asian) and myself (eastern-european) were suprised to notice HOW diverse and "colorful" the school is! And we are moving into the village shortly;) too.
Oh man the fact that you guys are talking about this is proof that this area is NOT DIVERSE at all.
Come on people, wake up and stop discussing this, move on and discuss about HOW you can make the are more diverse. Perhaps an afterschool program that includes hood kids like myself that got good grades and want to mingle with UCC kids through an afterschool program or B.Strachatan (sp?) girls. But the fact is that I lived around the area for a long time, MY SISTER got a scholarship to go to Bishop Stratachtan in her las high school years. I know for a fact the are is perhaps THE most WHITE WASHED area in Toronto. Now, I don't hate on you because you are white, but I hate on you because you are not sensitive to others and you think that you are indeed the center of the universe and your opinion rules and dictates social law around your neighborhood and other places. Which is sad because I know for a fact that most of the moms and dads that live around the area are too busy with their work and their moms spend most of the time either doing nothing or doing a lot. But the point is simple-- don't try to hide something that is so apparent the neightborhood is sucessful and somewhat affluent if not affluent enough... but it certainly is not diverse. That it is not!. I know becuase I live in a diverse neighborhood now, try living amongs Italians, Portug., Polish, Ukranians, Blacks, Hispanics and to kick it off even better really really low income earners around the area too mixed in with professionals and nice up and coming familes...that bought newly developed or renovaded houses of 10 years ago. Now that is diverse. There is no way to get around it.
"Please, what is considered a good public school, that may be equivilant to a private school in this area?
Thank you..."
hmmmm none!
most people that send their kids to private school think of the following schools as...well.. not that good OR not as good but nonetheless they are still really good public schools compared to schools that I went to and I made the most out of.
I would say North Toronto and Forest Hill are really good school... they don't mess around much with their academics.. the bread and butter is still discipline and good academics and it has not changed in a long time... if you go there most likely you are bound to go to university for sure. They are not easy schools too.. northern is a social school and a lot of kids mess around there north toronto and forest hill are mostly academic oriented compared to other school and the atmosphere is pretty well oriented to doing school work. Honestly if you were to compared to most other schools I would say they rank really high...but what the hell.. what do I know?.. I bet you if you send your kids there some SUV driving lady will tell you totally the opposite...I think comapared to central tech, eastern commcer, bloor collegiate or wester commerce you got ivy leauge high school there...but people in that area are really really really weird in my opinion.
Forest Hill isn't very diverse - it's 50% or more Jewish and the majority of the rest are WASPS. The Jamaican and Filipina women you see are the nannies and cleaners who serve the rich.
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