Islington-City Centre West is a large, diverse community with bustling commercial and business districts, some light industry and residential neighbourhoods, comprised mainly of detached homes on nice size lots and multi-residential buildings. In fact, more than twice the number of homeowners reside in apartments, including condominiums, than those living in detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplex homes combined.

The land around Kipling station has seen significant condominium development in recent times and is poised for more as the Six Points area (where Bloor and Dundas streets and Kipling Avenue meet) is reconfigured, unlocking a significant amount of land for residential construction. To the south, there are some condo projects that offer new homeowners more affordable entrance into the community. One of the most closely watched is the multi-building development by the Cineplex Cinemas on The Queensway. The developer reached an agreement on the revised proposal in 2019, which calls for two towers at the corner of The Queensway and Islington Avenue, with significant space for retail that could replace the existing restaurants and bank currently on-site, and two more midrise buildings just to the west. The four towers will range in height between nine and 17 storeys.

Close to 44,000 live in Islington-City Centre West, a population increase of 15% in just five years. The community is comprised predominantly of working age residents (25 to 64), though a number of seniors call it home, 40% of which live alone. There’s a large contingent of families with children, and approximately one-third of adults between 20-34 years old reside with their parents. The median family income is $91,179. Homeownership in the area is fairly high; 58% of residents own their property compared to 42% who rent.

There are plenty of parks and playgrounds in Islington-City Centre West, but the community is better known for its commercial and retail offerings, specifically Sherway Gardens, and nearby big-box stores like Ikea and recently expanded HomeSense (considered one of the best locations in the city). Long-time residents also associate Cloverdale Mall with the area, though the aging shopping centre suffers from bad site planning, dated decor and a large anchor tenant vacancy at its north end, left by Target in 2015 when the retailer pulled out of Canada. The landowner plans to redevelop the site with a vibrant mixed-use, complete community. The multi-phase project is expected to include 4,050 residential units across multiple towers, 26,000 square metres of retail space, approximately 32,000 square metres of parks and open spaces, and a new community hub.

Islington-City Centre West is bordered by Highway 427, which leads to Highway 401 when taken north and connects to the Gardiner Expressway/QEW if travelling south. Kipling station is the main public transit hub, serving as the western terminus of the Bloor-Danforth subway line. A multitude of bus routes operate out of the station, including the 900 Airport Express that provides frequent all-day service to and from Pearson Airport. Construction on a new 14-bay inter-regional bus terminal is currently underway. Upon completion, Go Transit buses will use the facility as well as Mississauga transit (MiWay) buses, which will terminate at Kipling station instead of the community’s Islington station to the east. The project also includes a renovated Go Transit railway station that provides train travel to downtown Toronto and west to Milton, among other upgrades to improve passenger services. Islington-City Centre West has a transit score of 84 out of 100, just six ‘points’ shy of making it a rider’s paradise.

The community of Islington-City Centre West is home to a combined total of nine Catholic and public schools, two of which are high schools (Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute and Richview Collegiate Institute). Five other schools’ designated attendance boundaries fall within the area.

Bloorlea Middle School (Grade 6 – 8)*
Castlebar Junior School (JK – Grade 5)
Holy Angels Catholic School (JK – Grade 8)*
Islington Junior Middle School (JK – Grade 8)*
Norseman Junior Middle School (JK – Grade 8)
Our Lady of Peace Catholic School (JK – Grade 8)*
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (JK – Grade 8)
St. Ambrose Catholic School (JK – Grade 8)
St. Elizabeth Catholic School (JK – Grade 8)*
St. Gregory Catholic School (JK – Grade 8)
Wedgewood Junior School (JK – Grade 5)*
West Glen Junior School (JK – Grade 5)*

*Schools located in Islington-City Centre West.
NOTE: Designated attendance boundaries for 2021/2022 school year.

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