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Overview
Whitby is perhaps the most well-rounded of all the towns in Durham Region. Buyers considering Whitby homes will like that it’s located not much further out from Toronto than Ajax and Pickering but without the cookie-cutter, suburban streetscapes. True, you’ll find your fair share of big box stores here but Whitby’s town centre has the kind of boutique shopping and quaint cafés that you’d expect from a small village further north and not a bustling town within commuting distance to Toronto. There is also a massive, revitalization project underway in downtown Whitby to bring more shopping, entertainment and business to the area and create a truly pedestrian-friendly core.
Those interested in houses for sale in Whitby will find a strong artistic community here with art galleries, museums, theatres and a beautiful new public library downtown, as well as great sports and recreation facilities. The Whitby waterfront is a particularly lovely stretch of Lake Ontario with lots of trails for fitness enthusiasts, picnickers and dog-walkers alike. To top it all off, local Whitby-area public schools are really strong in terms of Frankland Institute scores, ranking above most schools in neighbouring Ajax and Pickering. There’s also a new university just outside of its borders in north Oshawa, UOIT (University of Ontario Institute of Technology).
The one con of Whitby-living is that taxes are a little higher than surrounding areas and there does tend to be a premium for homes within Whitby’s borders versus, say, those located a little further east into Oshawa.
Best For
Young families looking for new build homes with character, in a great school district, at more affordable prices than Toronto.
Homes
Whitby homes run the full Real Estate gamut with lots of options for buyers. In general, you’ll find the newer homes in north Whitby and character, historic homes in the downtown core (although there are some to the north in historic Brooklin, as well).
For those who love heritage properties, start your property search in the southern end of downtown Whitby south of Dundas. Further south towards the lake, the Port of Whitby offers a quaint, village-like setting for waterfront-living enthusiasts. For buyers looking for upscale, family-sized homes, Bluegrass Meadows and Rolling Acres in East Whitby provide some great options. Williamsburg is a popular area for professionals who want an exclusive neighbourhood but still want to stay under the $1M mark and those interested in true, luxury properties can find sprawling estates in north Whitby in areas like Ashburn just north of Brooklin along with some parts of Taunton North.
One of the fastest growing communities in Whitby that deserves a shout-out is the Village of Brooklin. The rapid infrastructure development and population increases in recent years is thanks largely to the addition of Highway 407 (there’s a new ramp right in Brooklin).
Brooklin offers a wide range of houses within its relatively small footprint: everything from new build, starter-homes for the price of a starter condo in Toronto to older homes on extra-wide lots on streets like Way Street and New Street that go for much more money. Tear-down bungalows in Brooklin just off of its main street (Baldwin) are being snapped up by investors who are rapidly replacing what little remains of the older housing stock with custom-built, mini-mansions. Thankfully, most of Brooklin’s new builds (whether they be builder homes in subdivisions or one-off, custom homes built by investors or commissioned by end-users) are respectful of the area’s heritage and landscape.
Fun Facts
A good stretch of downtown Brooklin is a designated heritage district which ensures that its character and history will be preserved for generations to come.
Why We Love Whitby
It's Got an Old Soul
Despite the volume of new build homes in Whitby, there’s something about this town that feels historic in a way that, say, Ajax and Pickering does not. The township has done a good job of saving many of the heritage properties in the area. Expect to follow quite strict renovation and maintenance rules if buying an historic home with heritage designation in Whitby or Brooklin.
The other reason for it’s old-soul feel (even in new build communities) is the style of homes. You’ll find a lot of character features in Whitby new builds, particularly in neighbourhoods like Williamsburg, Lynde Creek and Brooklin that favour Victorian era decorative features like gingerbread trim overhead of covered entryways or Colonial touches like gabled roofs and substantial columns that support large, front porches.
Many of the homes here are actually a mishmash of decorative styles from both bygone eras and contemporary times but there's almost always a nod to history to be found. In general, you'll find less of the purely modern and contemporary architecture in Whitby that Toronto new builds are known for. In other words, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a minimalist cube here; unless you build it yourself, of course, which the great bang-for-your-buck land values give you the option of doing.