Located further East than the East End of Toronto, Scarborough is known as a hotbed for authentic cultural immersion. As a common destination for new immigrants, almost 70% of Scarborough is a visible minority, foreign-born, or a second-generation immigrant. Making up a sizeable quarter of the Greater Toronto Area, Scarborough has all the benefits of living in a big city and the suburbs. Home to the tenth largest mall in the country and fourth largest in the GTA, Scarborough Town Centre is anchored by Hudson Bay, Zara and H&M as well as many other stores. Here you can also find great restaurant options in Canyon Creek Chophouse, Baton Rouge or Scaddabush Italian Kitchen. The oldest university in Ontario, University of Toronto, has a campus in Scarborough, as well as being the home of one of the best and oldest colleges in the province, Centennial College. Many major businesses see the appeal of Scarborough and its budding potential and have placed their headquarters in this area of the city, like CTV and TSN. The Toronto Zoo sits in the Scarborough area and is the largest zoo in all of Canada, where you can view over 5000 animals and 500 species. With all of these attractions, it is easy to see how Scarborough is a city in miniature, complete with its own Chinatown in the Agincourt neighbourhood and an inauguration into Nuit Blanche 2018. Although covering a large amount of land, this sprawling area is still very much accessible. There are four GO train station stops in Scarborough; Scarborough station, Eglinton, Guildwood and Rouge Hill, as well as having three subway stops (Victoria Park, Warden and Kennedy) and a light metro starting at Kennedy and extending further east for six stops. Home to 650, 000 people, Police Chief Bill Blair has noted that North Scarborough is statistically the safest area in all of Toronto.

A hotbed for Chinese, Indian and Caribbean food, you really can’t go wrong with whichever restaurant you choose. Ethnic restaurants in the area are usually family-owned small businesses, so the authenticity of the flavors never need to be questioned. But by all means, there are many more world cuisines to sample in Scarborough. A unanimous favorite is Baran’s Turkish Bar and Grill. With an elegant décor and platters of mezze and kebabs, it’s a great place for large parties with even larger occasions. Another favorite is Lamanna’s Bakery, an Italian bakery with everything from traditional favorites like cannolis and lobster claws to French favorites like macarons and rhum babas. They also serve pizza, lasagna and arancini. But the secret is out and lines can get long, really long. Our tip? Try to go on a weekday and although there are tables, get a large box of food to enjoy at home. Not only will the family appreciate it, you’ll be glad that there’s some sweets to eat throughout the week!

Overall, Scarborough is great for slightly larger units and lower prices than Downtown Toronto. Here you will find condos, townhomes and detached single family homes in a wide variety of price ranges. The real winners are the homes by the lake. From the townhomes on the water at Port Union and West Rouge to the large modern and Victorian detached homes in Birch Cliff.

Scarborough was originally named after Scarborough in Yorkshire, England by Elizabeth Simcoe, wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. The bluff’s themselves reminded her of the limestone cliffs in Scarborough, England. An excerpt from Elizabeth’s diary from August 4, 1793 reads "The shore is extremely bold, and has the appearance of chalk cliffs, but I believe they are only white sand. They appeared so well that we talked of building a summer residence there and calling it Scarborough." Before Elizabeth’s arrival, Scarborough was known as Glasgow, named after the Scottish city.