Humber Summit, North York Neighbourhood Guide: A Multicultural Mosaic

Humber Summit is a picturesque community built around the lovely Humber River, which traverses through this neighbourhood. This community is framed by Islington Avenue and the Etobicoke border to the west, Steeles Avenue and the border with Vaughan to the north, Finch Avenue West to the south, and the Emery Yard Industrial Sector to the east.

This neighbourhood features a wide range of highrise apartments, townhomes, and older homes attracting renters, first-time buyers, and families. Additionally, the Humber College North Campus and York University attract students to the area. The lush green ravines created by the Humber River offer picturesque green space for picnicking and hiking. A variety of shopping and dining venues offers the best of both urban and suburban-like qualities to locals.

The Humber River drew pioneer settlers to this area in the 1840s. They established grist and sawmills along the banks of the river. Due to its picturesque river ravines, many Toronto residents built cottages along the banks of the Humber River, which became known as a summer resort called Riverbank Park. However, in 1954, Hurricane Hazel tore through the community and many of the cottages were swept into the river. Today, Humber Summit is a thriving and bustling community.

This close-knit multicultural neighbourhood is home to a high proportion of Italian-Canadians. The homes here include semi-detached backsplits and homes constructed in the 1960s, with cast iron railings and decorative front archways, which were popular features back then.

There are also unique cottage-style homes built in the 1940s and 1950s, along with newer custom-built homes. Many of the homes have breathtaking views of the Humber River Valley.

Renters appreciate the wide range of medium-sized and large highrise apartments. There are also enclaves of newer apartment and townhome developments for those seeking a more modern home.

The Humber Summit Library branch is on Islington Avenue and features a range of local books and ebooks by self-published authors. Classical music lovers will enjoy the vast collection of music (from medieval to modern), concerts, operas, and ballets available online. The library’s international music collection includes 32,000 artists from 150 countries worldwide. This library is a neighbourhood force for artistic and cultural enjoyment.

Finchdale Shopping Mall, on Finch Avenue West east of Islington Avenue, is the main community shopping venue. This mall includes a wide range of amenities, including Shoppers Drug Mart, Bank of Montreal, The Beer Store, Centra Food Market, a Portuguese bakery, and Indian, Caribbean, and Italian restaurants, among others.

Nearby Finch Avenue is a cultural mosaic of international shops and restaurants located in small shopping plazas along Finch Avenue. The shopping district on Islington Avenue is also a popular spot, featuring Italian bakeries, cafés, pizzerias, and food markets. Small specialty stores display colourful clothing on the sidewalk. Convenience stores, a pharmacy, an Asian grocery store, a florist, a jeweller, and a butcher market their goods and services to a diverse clientele.

Islington Avenue offers a mosaic of multicultural eateries, like Las Caleñas Restaurant, featuring appetizing Colombian food, including chicharon and empanadas. Babi Restaurant and Bakery offers an assortment of Iraqi tandor and breads, and Fimi Island Grill offers unique island-flavoured dishes.

Nearby Steeles Avenue features Pacino Panino Sandwiches, a popular Italian eatery, serving diners in a casual café-style decor. Flaming Star Restaurant on Steeles offers a range of comfort food, including cheeseburgers and grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches. 

Tilal Bakery, also located on Steeles Avenue, offers Middle Eastern food using regional spices to create tantalizing recipes. This cosmopolitan community enjoys an assortment of international cuisine that is conveniently available close to home.

The Humber River provides a picturesque backdrop for many of the parks in this community, including Apted Park, which features a sports field and ball diamond, and Islington Park, where locals enjoy a playground and bocce greens.

A vast greenbelt, nearby Gracedale Park is a 3.2-hectare park located beside Gracedale Public School. It offers amenities for sports lovers, including ball diamonds, basketball courts, a cricket field, three lawn bowling greens, a splash pad, a playground, three tennis courts, and sports fields.

Recreational amenities can be found nearby at Islington and Finch Avenue at the Gord and Irene Risk Community Centre. A range of activities are featured there, including an outdoor pool, skating at the arena, and a children’s playground.

For hiking enthusiasts, the 5.5-kilometre paved West Humber Parkland Trail winds along the Humber Valley to the Humber Arboretum and can be found near Islington and Finch Avenue.

Highway 400, which travels north to the City of Barrie and connects with Highway 401, is situated to the east and can be accessed from Islington Avenue, providing convenient access to the surrounding amenities and communities.

The TTC operates a range of bus routes in this area, including the Islington Avenue bus route, which takes riders to the Islington GO train and to the subway station on Bloor Street. A bus on Finch Avenue connects with the Finch subway station.

Humber Summit is a diverse multicultural neighbourhood offering vast green belts next to the Humber River. It has a range of international eateries and assorted boutiques, markets, bakeries, and shops along Islington, Finch, and Steeles Avenues. This neighbourhood will suit those who are seeking green space and river views, but with a plethora of urban amenities close by.