Moving to Stonegate-Queensway: A Complete Neighbourhood Guide

Stonegate-Queensway, also referred to as Queensway-Humber Bay, is a vibrant waterfront community located in the southeast corner of Etobicoke along Lake Ontario. The neighbourhood’s residential area is a mix of single-family homes situated around quiet peaceful tree-lined streets and high-rise condominiums built along the waterfront making it a popular destination for homeowners and renters alike. Stonegate-Queensway has an abundance of great transportation options especially for motorists
who can take the Queensway, Lakeshore Boulevard, or the Gardiner Expressway and be in Downtown Toronto in a matter of minutes.

Where is Stonegate-Queensway?

Stonegate-Queensway sits between the Mimico Creek and the Humber River with Berry Road acting as the neighbourhood’s northern boundary and with Lake Ontario to the south. The neighbourhood sits on the Toronto-Etobicoke border with the Queensway, Lakeshore Boulevard, and the Gardiner Expressway all leading directly into the downtown core. Humber Bay Arch Bridge is another transportation option for pedestrians and cyclists to connect to Downtown Toronto from Stonegate-Queensway.

A brief history of Stonegate-Queensway

The area just west of the Humber River was without any real identity until 1888 when the Humber Bay School House opened on Highstreet. The schoolhouse slowly expanded and was eventually used for a series of social events and gatherings and becoming a focal point of the community. The Humber Bay neighbourhood was home to many market gardens that grew mostly vegetables along with the occasional apple and pear orchard. The first famers market in Toronto started in Humber Bay at Parklawn Road and Queensway where the Ontario Food Terminal is currently located. The Humber Bay community would continue to grow throughout the twentieth century with a large amount of residential development happening in the late 1940s and 1950s north of Lake Shore Boulevard. The development of the area was accelerated with the completion of the Gardiner Expressway in 1964. In the 1980s, there were redevelopment plans to replace the older hotels along the waterfront with modern high-rise condominium complexes with the latest amenities. The Palace Pier tower was finished in 1978 with the Palace Place tower being built in 1991.

Types of homes in Stonegate-Queensway

The residential area in Stonegate-Queensway is divided into two distinct portions. The area north of the Queensway is made up primarily of houses. There are a few pockets of quaint heritage houses built in the early 1900s, which were the original houses of the market gardeners in the area. The bulk of the newer houses in the area are two-bedroom brick bungalows as well as storey-and- a half houses constructed in the 1940s and 1950s built on generously sized lots. Many of the houses are built on rolling hills backing into either Mimico Creek or the Humber River Valley. In recent decades, some of the older bungalows in the area have been replaced by luxury custom designed homes. The Humber Bay Shores development located along Lake Shore Boulevard between the Humber River and Mimico Creek includes many high-rise condominium buildings that enjoy beautiful views of Lake
Ontario. The first condos built here include the prestigious Palace Pier, Palace Place, Grand Harbour, and Marina del Rey.

Making the move to Stonegate-Queensway

Stonegate-Queensway is an extremely attractive destination for all kinds of people. Young professionals that don’t want to pay the climbing rents in Downtown Toronto can live in a beautiful new condo in Humber Bay for a fraction of the price, and still have a relatively short commute to work. Younger families looking to buy their first home will find plenty of options in Stonegate-Queensway. The neighbourhood is also appealing for older people who are looking to settle into retirement and leave the bustling city behind for something more relaxing and peaceful. Whether you are downsizing and moving to a new condo or if you are purchasing your first home, moving can be a challenge and self-storage is a great solution. Right now, Storwell Self Storage is offering my clients an exclusive offer of 4 weeks of free self storage. Storwell has locations in Scarborough, Mississauga, and one facility in Etobicoke just a short drive west of Stonegate-Queensway on Kipling Avenue and the Gardiner Expressway. If you need self storage for home staging or to help with your next move, you can call or visit a facility in person to demo a unit.

Storwell Self Storage
300 Evans Ave., Etobicoke, ON M8Z 6C8
Phone: 416-259-5555

Stonegate-Queensway’s Waterfront Walking Trails

One of the main benefits of living in Stonegate- Queensway is how close you are to Lake Ontario, and there are plenty of spots along the water that make good use of the beautiful views. The Humber Bay East Trail follows along the coast of Lake Ontario from Humber Bay Park East all the way to the Humber Bay Arch Bridge that connects the Etobicoke Waterfront to the Toronto Waterfront. This walking trial is popular spot for Stonegate-Queensway residents and is a particularly lovely destination to watch the sunset over the lake. Humber Bay Park West is located just west of Stonegate-Queensway and has some amazing walking trails and picnic spots. The park is also home to the Humber Bay Park West Dog Park and the Etobicoke Yacht Club.

Parks and Recreation in Stonegate-Queensway

While the waterfront is the main attraction in Stonegate-Queensway, there are also several parks in the area to satisfy nature lovers. South Humber Park is a large heavily wooded park located in the northeast corner of Stonegate-Queensway. The park sits just west of the Humber River and is home to the Humber River Recreational Trail, which follows the river through the entire Stonegate-Queensway neighbourhood all the way north to highway 401. Another park on the north end of Stonegate- Queensway is Park Lawn Park located on the corner of Park Lawn Road and Berry Road, which has a full- sized soccer field, a baseball diamond, an outdoor pool and an indoor ice rink.

The best schools in Stonegate-Queensway

Along with its wonderful views of the waterfront, the other factor that draws families toward the Stonegate-Queensway area is the amazing selection of schools. The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board both operate several schools in the Stonegate-Queensway area. The main secondary school in the neighbourhood is the Etobicoke School of the Arts on Royal York Road. The Etobicoke School of the Arts is a specialized public arts-academic high school that received
extremely high marks on the Fraser Institute’s Annual Report Card for 2020 and was ranked as one of the top 100 secondary schools in all of Ontario.

Stonegate-Queensway also has a great selection of elementary schools, some of the highest rated
elementary schools in the area include:

Bishop Allen Academy
Park Lawn Junior Middle School
George R. Gauld Junior School
David Hornell Junior Public School

The best places to eat in Stonegate-Queensway
Stonegate-Queensway has an incredibly eclectic mix of dining options. Pizzeria Oro Di Napoli on Lake Shore Boulevard and Burlington Street is serving up Neapolitan-style pizza and other Italian comfort food in a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. For authentic Thai food, visit Bua Thai Restaurant on the corner of the Queensway and Royal York Road. On Marine Parade Drive you will find Rustic Social House, which is a local gastrobar serving global comfort food and great cocktails in an intimate setting with a friendly neighborhood vibe. For dessert you can go to Tom’s Dairy Freeze on McIntosh Avenue, which has been serving authentic soft serve ice cream, old fashioned sundaes, milkshakes, and banana splits in the Stonegate-Queensway neighbourhood since 1969.