Pickering, located approximately thirty minutes east of Toronto, has rapidly gained in popularity over the last decade as the cost of houses for sale in Toronto continue to soar. The affordability, property and lot sizes and close proximity to Toronto make houses for sale in Pickering a sought-after choice, particularly for young families looking for three- and four-bedroom homes. It’s considered the gateway to the east of the GTA being the closest community to Toronto out of the larger towns in the Durham Region.

Downtown Pickering continues to undergo a massive revitalization. Major investment has gone into creating a large, community recreation centre, pedestrian walkways, new condo and townhome developments near the GO, a new city hall and a beautiful, new public library. This is all part of a larger, strategic plan to effectively manage Pickering’s growth into the future including the creation of a cultural hub, more public spaces like parks, better transit and connectivity for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists and improved tourism and business facilities such as hotels and a convention centre.

The one downside of Pickering over some of its neighbours is that the schools aren’t very highly rated and some have pretty severe capacity issues. This is one of the reasons why you’ll find a lot of childless couples living here or families with very young children. Some families with older kids will try to get into high schools in nearby areas like Richmond Hill or Markham. We suspect this is going to change in time; new schools are bound to open to cope with Pickering's growing population and demand from the community for higher educational standards.

Young couples looking for large, detached homes within a short commute to Toronto at a fraction of Toronto prices.

Pickering Real Estate is really about the new and newer build market (century homes are a rarity here) with most subdivisions having been built in the latter half of the twentieth century. There are however a few pre-war communities like Dunbarton where it’s possible to find older homes for those who crave character features. Real history buffs who want the affordability of Pickering with the character of Toronto homes should check out nearby Whitby. Pickering is best for buyers who love the convenience and low-maintenance lifestyle of new-build subdivisions.

Another draw for homebuyers considering their various Toronto Real Estate options is that homes for sale in Pickering near the waterfront are accessible to those on average incomes. The mix of urbanity and laid-back, lakefront living that Pickering waterfront homes have offer is hard to resist when compared to Toronto lakeside homes which are simply out of reach on most homebuyers’ budgets. The Pickering waterfront has been revitalized including a new Millennium Waterfront Trail and residents are also close to Rouge Park. Life in this popular urban centre is described by the City of Pickering as “a perfect fusion of metropolitan life and cottage country charm”.

Although there are some demographic differences across neighbourhoods, Pickering is pretty homogenous in terms of household incomes, crime rates and other quality of life indicators versus the City of Toronto. That said, each neighbourhood has its unique qualities. Pickering homes for sale are much more affordable than Toronto but there are still divides in property prices and lifestyle between exclusive areas like the lakefront community of Rosebank and the Dunbarton neighbourhood east of Whites Road versus starter-home neighbourhoods like those near the Pickering Town Centre and the waterfront communities of Frenchman’s Bay and Bay Ridges.

There is archaeological evidence of a settlement going back to the 15th century on the land that Pickering currently stands. It was home to the Wyandot (called the Huron by Europeans) who spoke a variation of the Iroquoian language. They later emigrated to the Georgian Bay region.