Uptown Ajax Neighbourhood Guide: An Urban Oasis

Uptown Ajax, situated north of the 401 around the Kingston Road and Westney Road junction, is a family-friendly neighbourhood that is gaining momentum as more city dwellers choose to move to the outlying areas of the GTA. Local neighbourhoods in Uptown Ajax include Deer Creek, Westney Heights, and Audley.

Whether you’re looking for dining at the surrounding eclectic assortment of international and local eateries, spending the day at Millers Creek Park, or enjoying a swim or skating at the nearby recreation center, Uptown Ajax will provide enjoyment for every member of the family.

The neighbourhood of Westney Heights, situated in Uptown Ajax, has a historic backdrop to its name – the neighbourhood was named after William Heron Westney, a local congressman in Ajax. Westney and his family bought a farm in 1892, which remains a historical site in Ajax, and Westney Road is also named in honor of William Westney.

The 150-year-old Westney farm has repeatedly survived development plans after fierce protests by local residents. In 1989, home developer, Tribute Communities, bought the property and throughout the builder’s development of the surrounding land, the Westney Heritage House has continued to be preserved as part of the agreement between Tribute and the Town of Ajax.

In August 2020, the restored heritage home was listed on the market by Tribute Communities for $1.7 million. Tribute has restored the home while modernizing the interior for a new family to make this notable building their home.

Tribute acknowledges that the Westney family has hugely influenced the history of Ajax and Pickering and that it’s very important to preserve this 150-year-old heritage building for generations to come.

Many of the homes in Uptown Ajax were built in the construction boom in the early 1980s and are brick, detached homes, many containing three bedrooms. There are also townhomes and condos in the mix. The neighbourhoods are quiet and peaceful with tree-lined streets.

For those seeking a leisurely lifestyle, Uptown Ajax is home to the Top of Westney Condominium Residences, situated at the corner of Kingston Road and Westney Road. The building, constructed in 1989, contains 156 luxury suites and boasts a heated outdoor swimming pool with lounge area, gym, and saunas. The condo welcomes the community, and residents can gather in the large patio area with two gas barbecues.

The exclusive Deer Creek neighbourhood is located along the southern aspect of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Northeast Ajax. The majestic estate homes situated here offer stunning and private views of the wide-open countryside. There are a limited number of homes located in the neighbourhood given that the Oak Ridges Moraine conservation lands restrict the number of homes that can be built here.

If you’re fond of the downtown nightlife in Toronto, but don’t want to drive to the city, Uptown Ajax has a few nightspots that bring the downtown vibe to life! Drums and Flats on Randall Drive offers a spot to play pool and you can also catch your favourite sports game. A gathering place for locals, Drum and Flats’  hip bar and lounge offers unique beverages, such as the Barking Squirrel, a micro-brew lager from Guelph, or the Hip Coconut, a specialty martini.

Summer nights are enchanting on the outdoor patio equipped with an outdoor bar. Enjoy live music and there’s even a comedy night! For those who like to boogie, there’s a dance floor to rock the night away – the lower level is even equipped with a fresh air distribution system for jam-packed crowds enjoying the live music!

Another popular nightspot in this neighbourhood is Westney Restaurant and Bar. Music lovers can be found on the patio on Saturday nights enjoying the music rolled out by the resident DJ.

You don’t have to travel far in Uptown Ajax to enjoy the arts and music scene! If you’re a fan of outdoor music festivals and like the idea of relaxing in a quaint, historic village while listening to music ringing out in the summer night, take a trip to nearby Pickering Village and check out JamFest! What started as a jazz festival gradually metamorphosed into the Pickering Village JamFest in 2011. The lively JamFest kicks off every June in Pickering Village for a full three days and is free to the public!

The festival rolls out rock and roll, jazz, blues, and folk music to appeal to a variety of music tastes and vendors offer homemade baked goods, artisan jewellery, and unique crafts and clothing.

Shopping is available at residents’ doorsteps at Westney Heights Plaza, located at Kingston Road and Westney Road. It’s a conveniently located plaza and houses a local pharmacy, dentist, optician, and X-ray service. Additionally, residents can access a wide range of shops and services, including BMO, First Choice Haircutters, The Wine Shop, TD Canada Trust (with drive-thru ATM), Sherwin Williams, Sobeys, Rogers, Dollarama, and Canada Computing. 

Somerset Plaza is another neighbourhood plaza conveniently located at Salem Road and Highway #4. This plaza features Shoppers Drug Mart, TD Canada Trust, an LCBO outlet, Metro food store, Shell gas station, Swiss Chalet, and other retail shops, which lets local residents run daily errands quickly and conveniently.

Also located in the plaza is Lechon Republik, a Filipino eatery offering takeout of traditional Filipino fare, including Chicken Adobo and deep-fried pork. The Google reviews rave about the food!

Uptown Ajax features a variety of local and international cuisine to suit all tastes. For those seeking a Mexican flair, Bar Burrito is conveniently located in the Westney Heights Plaza. This eatery serves up spicy Mexican grill, including burritos, quesadillas. tacos, fries, chips and salsa. You can even request the vegan option of a taco made with soy meat.

If you’re looking for an eclectic dining experience, check out Travel the World Cafe and Bistro on Harwood Avenue North. This eatery offers a variety of international cuisine and they change the menu on a monthly basis to reflect different destinations. 

The Buon Giorno Italian bakery and Deli is also located in Westney Heights Plaza and has been in the community for over 30 years. Buon Giorno offers a cafe-style eatery with several tables and chairs inside. They’ve also recently begun an online catering venue, where you can order fruit platters, meat and cheese trays, pizza, and lasagna among other fares.

Nearby Nova Era bakery is located on Salem Road. The bakery originated in 1991 in Toronto’s Little Portugal community Their goal is to produce the authentic feeling of a European cafe. Drop in for heavenly Portuguese desserts and enjoy European pastries, different types of bread, and coffee in a cafe with a European flair.

An expanse of parkland is just a stone’s throw away from the residences of Uptown Ajax. Millers Creek Community Park is situated alongside Westney Road in Uptown Ajax. Here, residents enjoy kicking around a ball on the soccer field and children enjoy the playground. A baseball diamond provides a spot for local baseball teams to enjoy an afternoon or evening at the park.

Millers Creek also boasts a large walking trail that meanders from Kingston and Chapman Road south to Taunton Road and Harwood Avenue, offering a convenient place to jog, walk, and cycle within the neighbourhood. A scenic bridge highlights the trail and traverses a small stream

Families will enjoy the on-site barbecues for family picnics, and teens can gather with friends at the skateboarding park.  Young children will enjoy the splash pad and two large playgrounds.

Recently, the park played host to Ajax Winterfest, which showcased a lumberjack show, face painting, apple cider, and a horse-drawn colour carriage and was free to the public!

Residents of Uptown Ajax have access to an inclusive recreation centre that provides the opportunity to keep fit and enjoy fitness programs, swimming, and pop-up art shows. The McLean Community Center is situated next to Millers Creek Park and showcases a fitness room, a gymnasium, 25-meter indoor leisure pool, tot pool, 170-foot waterslide, sauna, and a hot tub. The community center also rolls out a community art exhibition highlighting local artists and houses the Ajax McLean library branch and a physiotherapy clinic. 

The nearby Ajax Sportsplex is situated at Taunton and Audley Roads. SportsPlex rolls out an impressive two baseball diamonds and four softball diamonds and most notably, hosted the baseball and softball competitions at the 2015 Pan American Games.

Several bus lines run through the community of Uptown Ajax, allowing residents to access the far reaches of Oshawa and Scarborough in one bus trip. 

A GO transit stop makes commuting to the city a breeze, and the GO bus travels to York Mills and Yonge Street. Commuters who work in the southern end of Toronto can hop on a local bus that runs directly to the Ajax GO Station. 

For those who prefer to walk, it is approximately a 20-minute walk to the Ajax GO station from Uptown Ajax. 

If you’re driving, the Hwy. 401 on-ramp is situated at nearby Westney Road, and downtown Toronto can be reached in 30 minutes.

From its beginnings in the booming construction era of the 1980s to the present day, Uptown Ajax is an attractive community of quiet tree-lined subdivisions intermingled with condos and townhomes that are attracting families from the GTA seeking green space and more affordable accommodations.

The historic Westney farmhouse is well preserved and stands as a testament of time to the early beginnings of rural Ajax that has slowly developed into a vibrant neighbourhood that families are choosing to call home.