Clarke, Milton Neighbourhood Guide: A Young Community

If you’re looking for a convenient suburban neighbourhood for raising your family, Clarke is the place for you. There are schools within walking distance from all the houses in this community, and each school has a large park. This neighbourhood is a great place for walking or running since it’s lined with wooded pathways and green areas. There’s even a nearby off-leash dog park for playing with your loyal companion. Clarke is close to grocery stores and other major shops so it’s easy to run all your errands without travelling across town. The neighbourhood is also close to Highway 401 so commuters can get out of town without hitting traffic.

Milton’s earliest community was built around a grist mill constructed by Jasper Martin who immigrated from England with his wife and two sons. The town grew to a population of 100 by 1837 and was named after the English poet John Milton. The two main landowners in Milton were the Martins and Fosters, whose names are used for many street names and buildings. Milton was incorporated as a town of Halton in 1857 after the county split with Wentworth. Construction for the Clarke neighbourhood happened much later, around 2003, and is ongoing. It’s one of the first developments known as “New Milton.”

The houses in Clarke are mainly two-storey buildings on large lots with front lawns and backyards. There’s a young tree on many of the front lawns and most houses have a large, double-door garage. The houses have brick or stone siding or a combination of both. It’s common to find a large archway over the front porches in Clarke. Many of these porches have pillars with steps leading down to the driveway. Most of the homes follow the Craftsman style of architecture with gabled roofs and overhanging eaves. Clarke has several schools with parks within walking distance. The neighbourhood Is bordered by two of Milton’s major roads, Derry Road and Thompson Road South.

This neighbourhood is a short drive from FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton. This modern building hosts music and theatrical performances and also runs arts programs for people of all ages. The centre has a gallery for exhibiting the work of local and Canadian artists. If you’re into historical restorations, you might travel west of Clarke to the Waldie Blacksmith Shop. In its original location, this is one of Ontario’s oldest operating blacksmith shops. Starting in April you can visit and see real blacksmiths demonstrate their craft and answer any of your questions about their trade.

There’s a large shopping area called Milton Common north of Clarke on Thompson Road South across the rail line operated by GO Transit. This is where you can find a Real Canadian Superstore beside a Dollarama and Scotiabank. There are several other smaller shops in this area, such as Milton ReStore, a second-hand store and a clothing store called Chaddors. There are also a few other smaller nearby grocery stores. If you go even further up Thompson Road you will find other large stores like The Home Depot, Mastermind Toys, PetSmart, and Longo’s.

There are a few restaurants in and around the Milton Common area. One restaurant next to the Real Canadian Superstore is Mr. Dumpling. This is a small takeout restaurant known for its chop suey, chow mein, and combo deals. Near here you will find OPA! of Greece, a Greek restaurant serving Mediterranean classics like souvlaki, pita and hummus, and calamari. Next door from OPA! there’s a fish and chips restaurant called Heritage Fish & Chips. This is a local favourite serving the classic fish and chips combinations with a few other fresh recipes like breaded clam strips and mushrooms.

Clarke is packed with parks. One of these parks is split into two sections, Clarke Neighbourhood Park (North) and Clarke Neighbourhood Park (South). In the north park, there are two soccer fields, a playground, and a few half-basketball courts. The south park has similar recreational amenities, and both have winding pathways for a quick stroll or commuting from one side of the community to the other by foot. There’s a leash-free park north of these green spaces. The long path leading to this dog park is a great spot for walking your pal before letting them off-leash.

The closest hockey rink for people living in Clarke is Milton Memorial Arena. Close by is Milton Leisure Centre, a recreational facility with a 25-metre pool for lane swims, a gym with weights and exercise machines, and a spin room. There’s also a leisure pool with a waterslide and a shallow pool for toddlers. Anytime Fitness is a private gym not far from here. This gym is a little further north on Thomson Road South from GoodLife Fitness. There’s a boxing studio east of here on Main Street East, as well as another gym called Fit4Less within Milton Mall.

Getting to Toronto from Clarke is easy. The first step is to take Laurier Avenue going east. Turn left on Trudeau Drive and left again on James Snow Parkway South. This will bring you to Highway 401, which you follow for a while before merging onto Highway 427 going south. In time, you will get onto the Gardiner Expressway. You then have to exit off York Street and in a few minutes you’ll be in the downtown core. If you want to arrive by public transit, you can take a bus from the stop at Derry Road and Armstrong Boulevard. This will take you to Union Station.

The great thing about Clarke is you won’t have to drive far for anything. There’s a grocery store close by and plenty of restaurants for casual dining with your family. There’s also a good selection of major stores like The Home Depot and Winners within a short drive. Commercial areas aside, Clarke is teeming with large parks and trails, perfect for kids or people living active lifestyles. If parks and trails aren’t enough, there are plenty of gyms in the area as well as community recreation centres where you can swim, play hockey, or take a spin class. This neighbourhood is also a short drive away from the highway, making the trip to Toronto easy.