Bedford Park Guide

History

Bedford Park began as a farming hamlet centred on the crossroads of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue. This village was a popular stopover for farmers traveling to and from the markets in Toronto. It is rumored that Bedford Park is named after the Bedford Park Hotel which opened in 1873 at the south west corner of Yonge Street and Fairlawn Avenue.

The residential development of Bedford Park was linked to the Metropolitan Street Railway which began service to this area in 1890. That same year Bedford Park amalgamated with the former Town of North Toronto which was then annexed by the city of Toronto in 1912. To this day Bedford Park is commonly referred to as North Toronto.

Present

The Bedford Park neighbourhood is geared toward families with young children. It has an excellent selection of public, private and separate schools, many parkettes and playgrounds, a community centre, a library, and convenient access to Toronto's transit system.

Homes

Bedford Park has a good mix of detached and semi-detached homes. The original housing stock was built between 1890 and 1940. However, many of the bungalows in the neighbourhood have recently been torn down and replaced with custom designed houses.

Shopping

Yonge Lawrence Village is a family oriented shopping district with a good cross-section of stores. It also features a good selection of coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants.
The Avenue Road shopping district, north of Lawrence, has a diverse mix of shops and restaurants including national chain stores, home decorating stores, fast food restaurants, gift stores and gourmet food shops.

Recreation and Leisure

Wanless Park is the largest park in the neighbourhood. It has five flood-lit tennis courts, a basketball court, a baseball diamond, a playground for toddlers and a wading pool. Wanless Park is close to the Bedford Park Community Centre. Located at the Bedford Park Public School this Community Centre includes a gymnasium and an indoor pool.
The Woburn parkette, west of Yonge street, is a popular destination point for neighbourhood parents with toddlers and preschoolers. It features a new playground for toddlers and a wading pool.

The George Locke Public Library at the south-east corner of Yonge and Lawrence, offers year round programs for adults, children, and preschoolers.

Transportation

The Lawrence subway station off Yonge Street is within reasonable walking distance of all the homes in this neighbourhood. There is also regular bus service on Yonge Street, as well as limited service on both Avenue Road, and Mount Pleasant Road.  Motorists are twenty minutes from downtown and approximately five minutes from the Yonge Street on-ramp to Highway 401.