Cachet, Markham Neighbourhood Guide: Prime Living

If you’re looking for some of Markham’s biggest houses and properties, Cachet will not disappoint. This neighbourhood has uniquely designed homes, most of which were built after 1980. Close to several grocery stores and a handful of popular restaurants, this is a great suburban neighbourhood. The nearby Angus Glen Community Centre is a modern and impressive facility equipped with a library, hockey rinks, and fitness rooms. Residents will also enjoy the annual Unionville Festival. This is a chance to see live music and theatre, and also to try food from local vendors.

This community lies within Unionville, a former village of Markham. The area was primarily farmland before urban development changed the landscape. In the 1800s, the main way people survived was to farm or build a mill on one of the waterways. These mills manufactured products such as flour, wood, and barley. At this time, Unionville was too small to constitute a village. Instead, it was a police village, a style of municipal government now largely retired in Canadian communities, including Unionville. Major housing development started in Cachet in the early 1980s. Most of the houses built after this time were custom commissions. Before 1980, there were approximately  50 homes in the area. By 2010, more than 1,000 homes were sold in Cachet.

Three-quarters of the homes in Cachet are single-family, detached homes, and the rest are row houses. The community has a very low population density due to its large homes on spacious lots. Many of the mansions in this neighbourhood feature custom designs with stone-and-brick facades in a variety of styles from Georgian to Victorian and modern architecture. Almost every lot in this neighbourhood has at least one large maple tree on the front lawn, and it’s common to see uniquely designed stone or brick driveways. The community is very new, so there aren’t many heritage buildings. Instead, much of the character of Cachet is expressed with impressively designed homes, roundabout driveways, and expansive gardens.

Every year the Unionville community hosts the Unionville Festival, a celebration of the area’s rich heritage and culture. The festival features live music performances and a parade along Main Street Unionville. The event also has outdoor food vendors, outdoor shopping on Main Street, a children’s play area, and a fireworks display at Toogood Pond. The nearest art gallery to Cachet is the Varley Art Gallery of Markham. The gallery has both rotational and permanent exhibitions created by visual artists from Markham and all over Canada. This gallery also runs educational programs for children and adults who want to improve their artistic skills. 

The closest shopping area to locals in Cachet is King Square Shopping Centre. This centre has several clothing stores and is across the street from T&T Supermarket, a large Asian grocery store. The area around T&T also has a Sport Chek and an Esso gas station. On the northwest corner of Cachet, you will find a Canadian Tire next to a Shoppers Drug Mart. Driving south on Woodbine Avenue toward Highway 7 are stores like Staples, Winners, Chapters, and a Longo’s grocery store. This SmartCentre also has smaller shops for homeware, eyewear, and jewelry.

The closest restaurants to Cachet are in King Square Shopping Centre. Here you can find the highly rated SOI Snacks, a casual Thai restaurant serving dishes such as fish cakes and mango salad. This restaurant is close to Nong Tang Li, a Chinese venue serving wonton soup, shengjian bao and smoked fish. A brunch restaurant in this area is Rica Café. Here you can order sandwiches and breakfast combos with roasted beef, chicken breast, or pork chop buns. South of King Square Shopping Centre, near the T&T, you will find Loui’s Kouzina, a Greek restaurant serving pork souvlaki, fried calamari, and grilled quail, among other dishes.

Cachet is a heavily forested neighbourhood with two streams that connect and run from east to west. The streams meet at Personna Park, a small green space with trails and a playground. Another place for children to play in Cachet is Calvert Park. Here you can find a baseball diamond and a soccer field. This park is near Macrill Crescent Pond, a body of water with trails around its border. The largest park in this neighbourhood is Ashton Meadows Park. Here you can find a playground, a baseball diamond, multiple sports fields, and a running track next to St. Augustine Catholic High School.

Angus Glen Community Centre and Library is the nearest public facility where Cachet residents can play sports and enrol in different recreational programs. The centre has NHL-sized ice rink arenas with seating for 450 people. The centre has a double gymnasium, a pool, multi-purpose rooms, and an Older Adult centre. This community centre is attached to a public library. Some of the programs available for registration at Angus Glen include skating, swimming, fitness, tennis, and recreational hockey. It is also close to Angus Glen Golf Club. The club has hosted the Canadian Open and features a grill restaurant and a luxurious clubhouse.

Driving from Cachet to Toronto, people will likely head south to 16th Avenue, turning east until they merge onto Highway 404. After driving south for around 20 minutes this highway turns into the Don Valley Parkway, which leads to downtown Toronto. This trip takes just over thirty minutes. The trip by public transit is longer and involves at least two transfers. One option is to take a bus along 16th avenue to Finch Terminal on Bayview Avenue. From here you ride another bus south to Finch Station. From this station, you can take the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line to downtown Toronto.

The homes in this neighbourhood are truly spectacular. Each house has a unique design with detailed construction and expansive front and back lawns. Not only is the community beautiful, but Cachet is also close to many supermarkets and shopping malls for everyday needs. It’s also near Unionville Main Street, where you can find interesting gifts and designer clothing items. Cachet is close to a well-equipped community centre with a library, pool, and several fitness programs. The neighbourhood also has a few parks for enjoying nature and pursuing an active lifestyle.