Top 5 Reasons Why Richmond Hill is One of the Most Sought After Areas in the GTA for Real Estate

Richmond Hill is no doubt one of the most sought after areas in terms of real estate in York Region and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Here are the top reasons why Richmond Hill’s properties often sell like hot cakes.

Reason #1: Abundance of Amenities

When it comes to amenities such as parks, trails, and community facilities, Richmond Hill has an abundance of them. This means that any residential neighbourhood in Richmond Hill is within close distance to parks, public libraries, community centres, libraries, and fitness centres. With 5 arenas, 12 community centres, 4 public libraries, 17 nature trails, and over 100 parks and parkettes, there is never a shortage of things to do. The facilities provide easy and affordable (often free) access to living a healthy and active lifestyle. Various drop-in and regular classes are offered in the community centres, including swimming lessons and intramural sports.

Hillcrest Mall, occupying 54,419 square metres of space in the corner of Yonge Street and Carrville Road, has over 130 shops, services, and restaurants.

Downtown Richmond Hill, which is located along Yonge Street near Major Mackenzie Drive, is a charming historic village with unique shopping experience, dining, and entertainment (including boutique shops and specialty stores). This strip has numerous multicultural restaurants including Canadian, Caribbean, Chinese, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Iranian, Thai, and Vietnamese. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts is also located in this enclave of town.

Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital (formerly called York Central Hospital) has four wings, and offers state-of-the-art medical services including ambulatory, emergency medicine, rehabilitation, dialysis, and more.

Reason #2: Home to Top-Rated Schools in York Region

A lot of the top-rated schools in York Region, GTA, and Ontario are located in Richmond Hill. This includes Silver Stream Public School and Christ the King Catholic Elementary School, which consistently place in the top 10 in York Region, with Fraser Institute scores of close to 10 out of 10. Bayview Secondary School offers the competitive International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program, and graduates go on to highly reputable universities such as the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Queen’s University, and Ivy League schools in the U.S. St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School and Richmond Hill High School are also highly ranked in the region, offering special education programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) program and a wide array of extra-curricular activities and varsity sports teams.

Check out AtHouse’s articles on the Top Elementary Schools in York Region and Top High Schools in York Region, and see why living and going to school in Richmond Hill makes it one of the top livable neighbourhoods.

Reason #3: Multicultural Population and Culinary Diversity

According to 2016 Census data, English is the mother tongue of 36.3% of the residents of Richmond Hill. This means that Richmond Hill is home to a culturally and linguistically diverse population, just like much of York Region and GTA. This is apparent in the diverse options available for dining in Richmond Hill. Craving Malaysian food? Restoran Malaysia, located near Bavyiew Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive, is a darling favourite for Southeast Asian cuisine. How about Italian? Scaddabush is just one of the many options for Italian food in town. For Iranian / Persian cuisine, try Shiraz, which also offers live music entertainment and event space for events.

If you prefer to cook at home, there are plenty of specialty grocery stores and markets that cater to different cultural regions. T&T offers Asian ingredients, ready-to-go hot and cold meals, and a small sit-down area for eating. Multi Pasta, Micatoni’s and Bruno’s Fine Foods offer Italian grocery products, high-quality meats, cheeses, and fresh produce. The list is almost endless!

Reason #4: Easy Access to Local Transportation and Highways

Hopping on public transit is very easy in Richmond Hill. Almost all residential neighbourhoods are only minutes away to the closest bus stop. York Region Transit (YRT) has numerous bus routes throughout Richmond Hill, connecting it to other areas of the region from Newmarket and Aurora, to Vaughan and Markham. This includes the rapid transit system of VIVA buses, with fewer stops and very comfortable seats. PRESTO card is accepted in all YRT vehicles, so you don’t have to worry about carrying loose change or buying tickets every time you ride a public bus – just tap your PRESTO card and go. Bus routes also provide easy transportation access to key amenities and landmarks including libraries, hospitals, community centres, and schools.

GO Transit also has routes throughout Richmond Hill. Richmond Hill Centre Terminal is a key public transportation hub located near Highway 7. YRT, VIVA, and GO buses have stops at the platforms in this terminal. There are also routes that connect Richmond Hill directly with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway system, including Finch station.

For those who drive, you can easily access Highway 404 from different access points.

Reason #5: Fun-Filled Activities and Festivals for Families and Individuals

The City of Richmond Hill hosts a number of different activities and festivals annually, catering to families, individuals, and groups alike. This includes: Winter Carnival (February), Cultural Summit (March), Doors Open (May), Canada Day Celebrations (July 1), Ribfest (July), Concerts in the park (July and August), Moonlight Movies (August), Culture Days (September), Santa Claus Parade (November).

Community groups and individuals can also use event spaces (such as those in community centres) to host events and festivals. In addition, there are lots of volunteering opportunities for those who want to give back to the community. Opportunities exist to volunteer in the City’s recreational programs (such as summer camps and aquatics programs), Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts’ events, Community Stewardship program, environmental outreach events, Healthy Yards program, waste management projects, and more.

Looking to see which properties are on sale in Richmond Hill and/or surrounding areas? Contact us today!