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Neighbourhood guide

Living in Leslieville, Toronto

Victorian row houses, flats over the shops on Queen Street East, and a brunch line outside every second café, with the beach a walk away. Here is what renting in Leslieville is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
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Row houses Young families Streetcar Brunch and cafés
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What's it like to live in Leslieville?

Leslieville is the stretch of the east end along Queen Street East, from about Carlaw Avenue to Coxwell Avenue, between Gerrard Street and Eastern Avenue. It takes its name from George Leslie, whose plant nursery covered much of the area in the nineteenth century. Its side streets are lined with narrow brick row houses and semis built for the workers of the factories and brickyards nearby.That housing decides what you rent. In the City's South Riverdale neighbourhood, which holds most of Leslieville, more than half of homes were built before 1961, about a third are row houses or semis and another third are in low rise buildings. Only a fifth are in buildings of five or more storeys, mostly the newer condos along Queen and Eastern. So most rentals are flats in houses: a main floor, an upper or a basement, let by an owner who often lives upstairs.It is a neighbourhood of couples and young families more than students. Just over four in ten households rent, the median resident was 39 in 2021, and households average 2.2 people. Rent here sits close to the city middle: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,510 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto, in a neighbourhood where nearly a quarter of tenant households are in subsidised housing.Queen Street East is the main street, with cafés, bakeries, brunch spots, a couple of brewpubs and independent shops. Raise the Root, Loblaws and Farm Boy cover the groceries, the Jones branch library is around the corner, and Leslie Grove Park and Greenwood Park are the local green space. Ashbridge's Bay and Woodbine Beach are about 20 minutes away on foot.There is no subway yet. The 501 Queen and 503 Kingston Rd streetcars run downtown in about 25 minutes, and the 83 Jones and 31 Greenwood buses connect north to Line 2. That will change when the Ontario Line opens, with stations planned at Queen and McGee, on the edge of Riverside, and at Gerrard and Carlaw.

Best suited for

  • Couples and young families
  • Renters who want a house flat
  • Café and brunch regulars
  • Beach walkers and cyclists
  • –Commuters who need the subway
  • –Renters who want in suite laundry

Quick facts

  • Population27,800
  • Renter households43%
  • Median age39
  • Homes built before 196152%

Getting around

Two streetcar lines downtown along Queen and King, buses north to Line 2, and the Ontario Line on the way.

90/100

WalkabilityGroceries, cafés and schools along Queen and its side streets

72/100

Transit accessFrequent streetcars, no subway station until the Ontario Line

82/100

CyclingFlat, with the waterfront trail a short ride south
Queen Station, Line 125 min by streetcar
Riverside, Queen and Broadview8 min by streetcar
Greenwood Station, Line 210 min by bus
King and Bay, Financial District24 min by streetcar
Donlands Station, Line 211 min by bus
Ashbridge's Bay20 min walk
501 Queen
503 Kingston Rd
31 Greenwood
83 Jones

Leslieville on the map

The places listed further down the page, around Queen Street East and Leslie Street.

Schools and childcare

Leslieville has three public elementary schools and a Catholic one within a few minutes of Queen and Leslie, and Riverdale Collegiate is the nearest public secondary. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Queen Street East and Leslie Street.
SchoolTypeWalk time
St. Joseph Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary5 min
Bruce Junior Public School
Public · Elementary6 min
Leslieville Junior Public School
Public · Elementary8 min
Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School
Public · Elementary12 min
Riverdale Collegiate Institute
Public · Secondary13 min
Morse Street Junior Public School
Public · Elementary14 min
École élémentaire catholique Bon-Berger
French Catholic · Elementary18 min
Kew Park Montessori School
Independent · Montessori17 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Queen Street East and Leslie Street. Gerrard Square, at Gerrard and Pape, sits just outside Leslieville and is where the big box stores are.

Groceries

  • Raise the Root3 min
  • Leslieville Meat Market3 min
  • Loblaws5 min
  • Farm Boy9 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Baked by Bean1 min
  • Allwood2 min
  • Tango Palace Coffee Company5 min
  • Bobbette & Belle6 min

Food and drink

  • Gio Rana's Really Really Nice1 min
  • The Duke1 min
  • Descendant3 min
  • Radical Road Brewing Co.3 min

Parks

  • Maple Leaf Forever Park3 min
  • Leslie Grove Park4 min
  • Greenwood Park10 min
  • Jonathan Ashbridge Park13 min

Fitness

  • Assembly Movement7 min
  • Onlythestrong7 min
  • Yoga Mamas8 min
  • S.H. Armstrong Community Recreation Centre10 min

Everyday services

  • Leslie Grove Pharmacy2 min
  • TPL: Jones Branch7 min
  • Canadian Tire9 min
  • Gerrard Square16 min

Rent with confidence in Leslieville

What Ontario tenancy rules protect, and how liv.rent keeps the process safe from first message to signed lease.

Deposits are limited

A landlord in Ontario can ask for a rent deposit of up to one month of rent, and it can only be used for your last month. Damage and pet deposits are not allowed, and the landlord owes you interest on the rent deposit every year.

Rent increases are limited

Most rents can go up once every 12 months, by no more than the provincial guideline, with 90 days of written notice. Units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, though the landlord still has to give that notice.

Every listing is verified

Landlords complete ID verification before they can post, and you can sign the lease and pay rent through liv.rent, so there is no e-transfer to a stranger.
Many Leslieville rentals are flats in a house the owner lives in, which suits a private deal and also suits a scam. Never send a deposit before viewing the unit and meeting the landlord, and never pay outside a platform that keeps a record. A room where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so ask before you sign. The tenancy points above are general information about renting in Ontario, not legal or financial advice. For guidance on your own tenancy, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.How liv.rent verification works

Leslieville rental questions

Is Leslieville expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?

About average, on the census. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's South Riverdale neighbourhood, which holds most of Leslieville, paid $1,510 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto. Nearly a quarter of tenant households there are in subsidised housing, and a flat listed today asks more than that median. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.

Is there a subway station in Leslieville?

Not yet. The 501 Queen and 503 Kingston Rd streetcars run downtown, and the 83 Jones and 31 Greenwood buses connect to Line 2 at Donlands and Greenwood stations in about ten minutes. The Ontario Line, under construction, will add stations at Queen and McGee on the edge of Riverside and at Gerrard and Carlaw.

How long does it take to get downtown from Leslieville?

About 25 minutes on a streetcar from Queen and Leslie, scheduled in the middle of the day: the 501 Queen reaches Queen Station and the 503 Kingston Rd reaches King and Bay. Rush hour is slower, and many people here cycle downtown instead.

Is Leslieville a good neighbourhood for families?

It is one of the east end's main family neighbourhoods. Bruce, Leslieville and Duke of Connaught public schools and St. Joseph Catholic School are all within about 12 minutes of Queen and Leslie, Riverdale Collegiate is the local secondary, and the parks and the beach are close. Larger units are usually the main and upper floors of houses rather than apartments.

What should I check before renting a flat in a Leslieville house?

Ask whether utilities are included or split with the other units, whether there is laundry you can use, and how the space is heated. Basement units should have proper windows and a second way out. If you would share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, the Residential Tenancies Act may not cover the arrangement, so get that clear first.

Is parking included with Leslieville rentals?

Sometimes. Some houses have a laneway or front pad spot, but most street parking is by permit, so ask whether a space comes with the unit and whether it costs extra.

Are Leslieville rentals covered by rent control?

Most flats in older houses are, as long as the unit was lived in before November 15, 2018. A unit first occupied after that date, such as a newly built condo or a newly created basement apartment, is exempt from the provincial guideline, so the landlord can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Ask before you sign.
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Methodology

Places, parks, schools and transit routes on this page come from OpenStreetMap. Walk times are approximate. Population, age and how many households rent come from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, as the City of Toronto publishes it for its South Riverdale neighbourhood. Rent and vacancy come from CMHC's Rental Market Survey for October 2025, for the City of Toronto. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Toronto.Listing counts and prices come from liv.rent, so they show what's on the platform rather than the whole city.OpenStreetMap, Statistics Canada, CMHC, Open Government Licence – Toronto. Last updated October 2026.