Kennedy Park, Scarborough Neighbourhood Guide: Life by the Train Lines

Kennedy Park has the perfect balance of different housing types, green spaces, shopping, and restaurants. Distinct from the bustling downtown core of Toronto, this is a neighbourhood where families thrive and workers have straightforward commutes to work. There are plenty of places to eat along Eglinton Avenue East, with even more available farther to the east and west of the neighbourhood. The Don Montgomery Community Recreation Centre is a great place to try ice-skating or take a course to learn a new skill. This area is also blessed with the gorgeous Pine Hills Cemetery, where residents can go to walk, run, or pay respects to the deceased.

Before the 1800s, much of Scarborough was sparsely populated. Until the construction of Kingston Road in 1817, and later Danforth Road, the communities of Mortlake and Strangford were disconnected from the developing city of Toronto. This disconnect changed drastically as rail lines expanded across Canada. In 1856, The Grand Trunk Railway arrived. Less than 20 years later another railway intersected with the Grand Trunk. Both these lines stopped near Mortlake and Strangford. In 1873, the towns merged to form Scarborough Junction, the name stemming from the area’s profitable role as a railway stopping point. By 1896, Scarborough Junction was the highest populated community in Scarborough Township.

One of Scarborough’s first neighbourhoods to develop residential neighbourhoods, some homes in Kennedy Park date back to the early 1900s. Most houses, however, were constructed in the 1940s and 1950s. This development included small bungalows that were quickly bought up by families looking for affordable housing. Since that time different styles of housing emerged in the area. These styles include single- and two-storey detached homes and some low-rise apartment buildings. This area has an even mix of residential and natural areas, with housing to the east and a large, wooded cemetery to the west.

Toronto’s transit system is well-known for the murals decorating its subway stations. Kennedy Station is no exception. In 1997, Frank Perna designed “A Sense of Place” to decorate the entrance to the subway station. Expanding over six surfaces, these paintings celebrate the multiculturalism and technology of Toronto. Another large mural is painted on a brick wall at the intersection of Brimley Road and Eglinton Avenue East. Designed by Andra Striowski and painted by youth artists, the mural depicts a colourful art gallery with visitors walking through well-lit hallways while admiring the artwork.

The closest shopping area to residents living in Kennedy Park is at the intersection of Danforth Road and Eglinton Avenue East. Here, you can find No Frills and Shoppers Drug Mart. Near here, on the opposite side of Brimley Road, you can find a Canada Post, Scotiabank, and many more small shops. Major national retailers like The Home Depot and a Walmart Supercentre are a few blocks east of Kennedy Park on Eglinton. On the east side of Kennedy Park, near Eglinton and Kennedy Road, there’s another No Frills, a Giant Tiger, and other small supermarkets.

There are many restaurants along Eglinton Avenue East, especially near the intersection with Danforth Road. One highly rated establishment in this area is Hoyo’s Restaurant. This East African restaurant serves stews and steaks with rice in generous proportions. Other restaurants near Hoyo’s are Angie’s and Caribbean Coast, both serving food from the Caribbean. Subishka Foods is an Indian restaurant near here, and T-Bones is a hamburger restaurant farther west. There are more places to eat at the intersection of Kennedy and Eglinton, including pizza restaurants, Pakistani food at Badshah Grill, and Sri Lankan cuisine at New Kalyani on Kennedy and Kenmark Boulevard.

The largest natural area in Kennedy Park is the Pine Hills Cemetery. This lush area has over 18,000 trees and shrubs, including maple, white ash, elm, and black cherry. Taylor-Massey Creek runs through the cemetery from the northeast corner. There are multiple paved walkways making it a great place to walk, run, or walk your dog. The second-largest green space in Kennedy Park is Midland-St. Clair Park. This large, wooded field connects to Jeanette Park, a smaller spot with a playground. Located centrally in Kennedy Park, Greystone Park has a splash pad, a playground, and a basketball court.

The Don Montgomery Community Recreation Centre is the closest hockey arena and multi-purpose facility for people living in Kennedy Park. Located near Kennedy Station, this centre has both registered and drop-in programs for sports, arts, preschool, youth, and seniors. Some of the courses offered here are highly specialized, such as soapmaking, candlemaking, or tablet and smartphone instructional courses. There’s a yoga studio near Kennedy Road and St. Clair Avenue East called Siri Avtar Yoga. The closest fitness centre for people living in Kennedy Park, on Brimley Road just south of the intersection with Danforth Road, is Synergy Complete Athletics.

Driving from Kennedy Park to downtown Toronto can take from 20 to 50 minutes, depending on what time of day you leave. One of the faster routes is taking Eglinton Avenue East and then merging onto the Don Valley Parkway. This will lead you to the downtown core before you turn off onto Bayview or Eastern Avenue. Public transit will get you downtown in around 50 minutes, regardless of the time of day. Passengers will take the GO train from either Kennedy or Scarborough Station. They will disembark at Union Station, from where they can take subways or buses throughout the downtown core.

Kennedy Park used to be in the middle of nowhere. This all changed when railways came. Within decades, the area had Scarborough’s highest population. These days, what was then known as Scarborough Junction is now a thriving residential community called Kennedy Park. The new name is still a testimony to the rail lines so crucial to its history. This neighbourhood has a great selection of restaurants along Eglinton Avenue, with more shopping and restaurants near the Kennedy Road and Eglinton intersection. With plenty of housing options, it’s a great, comfortable, and convenient place to live.