Riverdale, once a town of its own, is a beautiful area in Toronto’s east end. The neighbbourhood is situated just east of the Don River, south of the Danforth, north of Gerrard and west of Pape. There are tonnes of great features to be found in Riverdale. If you are looking for a great cup of coffee, a lovely park to spend an afternoon in, or an absolutely fantastic view of the downtown core, you will find it all here!
This area is home to two of the cities loveliest parks, Riverdale and Withrow. Riverdale Park boasts what is arguably the best view the city has to offer.
It overlooks the Don River and provides a complete view of the ever-changing horizon of downtown. In the summer there is a lovely outdoor pool, a well maintained track, tennis courts and great baseball diamonds. In the winter, the park provides one of the best tobogganing sites in Toronto and a well maintained outdoor ice-rink. Overlooking Riverdale Park is a great little coffee shop called Rooster Coffee House, a great place to start any visit to the park.
Withrow Park is also lovely and has some great features. There are two baseball diamonds, a large fenced in off-leash dog park, two tennis courts, a wading pool, children’s playground, and a Farmers Market on Saturdays. In the winter you will find a more manageable hill to sled down and an outdoor ice-rink.
Toronto’s second largest Chinatown, Chinatown East, is in Riverdale. Here you can find a great collection of grocers and restaurants, and a rather large monument that marks the entrance to the area!
Chinatown East is home to a fantastic French restaurant called Batifole that boasts of “the best French food in Chinatown” and a lovely wine list!
The tree-lined streets of Riverdale are home to a fantastic mix of Edwardian and Victorian style homes. Most of the houses here were built between the 1880’s and the Great Depression.
Riverdale was considered to be down-and-out in the 1970’s but the area has rebounded dramatically and is now a trendy residential district that attracks young professionals and families. It’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon wandering about and a great neighbourhood to live in!