Thornhill Markham
History:
Thornhill is named after Benjamin Thorne who settled in the valley now known as Thornhill in 1820. Thorne established a saw and grist mill on the banks of the Don River. Thorne would add a flour mill, tannery and general store to his holdings so it is not surprising that when the village post office was opened in 1829 it was given the name Thornhill.
Overview:
The Thornhill neighbourhood holds the rare distinction of being part of two cities; the City of Markham and the City of Vaughan with Yonge Street being the dividing line. The west side of Thornhill is in Vaughan and the east side is in Markham. Thornhill, Markham is situated just north of Steeles Avenue and the City of Toronto. The signature location within this neighbourhood is the Thornhill Heritage Conservation District along John Street. Neighbourhood enclaves including Royal Orchard and Grandview Estates features homes with traditional architectural styles, pretty streetscapes and a generous amount of greenspace and parkland.
Lifestyle:
Centerpoint Mall located on the southwest corner of Steeles Avenue and Yonge includes shops and restaurants as well as services. Anchor tenants include: Canadian Tire, NoFrills and Hudsons Bay. Centrepoint has year round promotions and events that attract local residents to their stores. There are supermarket grocery store options along Steeles Avenue and Bayview Avenue.
Homes:
The Thornhill Markham Heritage Conservation district along John Street features homes that were built largely from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. These homes represent the architectural style that were popular in the day including: Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, Georgian, Colonial, Edwardian, and Craftsman style bungalows. The residential pockets including Royal Orchard north of the Thornhill Heritage district and Grandview Estates south of the heritage district, have taken their cue from this older enclave. Lot sizes are generous, streets are rustic and well treed and houses for the most part represent later adaptation of traditional architectural styles that have served Thornhill families well for generations now. Thornhill also has clusters of entry-level priced townhomes, the largest of which is Johnsview Village a community of 548 condominium townhouses located at Bayview Avenue and John Streets. The World On Yonge condos and the Landmark of Thornhill condos on Bayview Avenue are popular condominium high-rise buildings that also provide an entry point into the neighbourhood.
Recreation:
Thornhill Community Centre occupies a prominent position in the neighbourhood situated at the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and John Street. This ultra modern looking facility features a dedicated youth space, an indoor walking and running track, twin ice rinks, a therapy pool, two squash courts and a cycle studio. Thornhill Community Centre also features a gymnasium, a dance and wellness studio, and a large community hall with a 500 person capacity. This is also the home of the Thornhill Seniors Club. Thornlea Pool located at 8075 Bayview Avenue, just a few minutes north of the Thornhill Community Centre, is an indoor pool behind Thornlea Secondary School. It offers programs and swimming lessons for all ages at different times throughout the day. The Pomona Mills Park conservation area can be accessed at various points off Henderson Avenue north of John Street. This park is traversed by the meandering east Don River. There are scenic walking paths on both sides of the river. Pomona Park spans 11.6 acres and has a soccer pitch, playground, pathways and is home to the Pomona Valley Tennis Club that features 3 hard courts in a beautiful ravine setting. . This park is also popular with dog walkers. The Markham Conservation Committee, Thornhill High School, Johsview Public School, Thornhill Horticultural Society, and Thornhill Lions Club take an active role in reforesting this park on an annual basis. Grandview Park located along Grandview Avenue, West of Henderson Road, is a nice size community park with two ball diamonds (1 lighted), 2 lit tennis courts, and a children’s playground. Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto is located at 7859 Yonge Street. This club founded in 1924, was formerly known as the Thornhill Golf Club. This beautiful eighteen-hole course was designed by renowned golf course architect Stanley Thompson. Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto is the only private golf club in North America where women have priority access to tee times. Men are welcome as guests or to play seasonally as Guest Card Holders.
Featured Listings
Thornhill Markham Stats
Walkability:
High
Bikeability:
High
Public Transit:
High
Affordability:
Low
Greenspace:
High
Recreation:
High
Legend: Low, Medium, High
Commute Times
* All commuting times provided are approximate times only. Commute times may increase or decrease depending on where you live within the neighbourhood and the time of day i.e rush hour versus off hour commutes. Time estimates to public transit are based on walking distance or bus line connection whichever is quicker. All other commute times on the chart above are based on drive times.