Scarborough Village - the affordable east end alternative

Scarborough Village (CDN 139) sits along Kingston Road between McCowan Road and just west of Eglinton, with the Bluffs forming the southern boundary and Eglinton Avenue East roughly bounding it to the north. It is the lakeshore neighbourhood immediately east of Cliffcrest and west of West Hill, and historically was the location of the village of Scarborough - the original settlement that gave the eventual township and borough their name.

Today Scarborough Village is one of the more diverse lakeshore neighbourhoods in terms of both housing stock and demographics. The eastern part of the neighbourhood is anchored by mid-rise rental towers and apartment communities along Markham Road and Kingston Road, with detached and semi-detached pockets sprinkled through. The western and southern parts include some genuinely beautiful 1940s and 1950s detached homes on large lots, with bluff access at the south end and easy access to Bluffer's Park.

From a buyer perspective, Scarborough Village is one of the better-value entry points on the lakeshore - typically 10-20% below equivalent Cliffcrest pricing for similar product. From a community development perspective, the City has been investing in the Scarborough Village area through the Neighbourhood Improvement Area program, with new community space, library upgrades and Kingston Road streetscape improvements over recent years.

Transit, schools and amenities are all within reach. The TTC 12 Kingston Road bus connects the village directly to Victoria Park subway; the 102 Markham Road bus runs north to Eglinton and the future Crosstown LRT extension. The Eglinton (Scarborough) GO on the Lakeshore East line is a short drive. R.H. King Academy is one of the area's secondary catchment options for parts of the western village; W.A. Porter CI serves the eastern portion.

For sellers, the message is that the lakeshore premium applies in Scarborough Village just like it does in Cliffcrest and Birch Cliff - it is just less pronounced. The key is professional marketing that puts the neighbourhood's lakeside character and proximity to Bluffer's Park front and centre. The Krzewski Group has sold homes here that drew strong multiple offers because the marketing told the right story to the right buyers.