Highland Creek - the original village by the Rouge

Highland Creek (CDN 134) is a northeast Scarborough community centred on the historic village at Old Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue. Settled in the early 1800s as a milling village on the Highland Creek waterway, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in what is now the City of Toronto, and the original village core - with its small commercial strip, churches and older homes - still anchors the neighbourhood today.

The modern Highland Creek neighbourhood extends north and east of the original village to roughly Ellesmere Road / Hwy 401, west to Morningside, and east to Conlins / Port Union, encompassing a range of subdivisions built from the 1950s through the 1980s. Housing stock is primarily detached two-storey homes, side-splits and bungalows on 35-50 foot lots, with substantial pockets of semi-detached homes and townhouses. The area has a strong family-suburban feel reinforced by its tree-lined streets and quiet cul-de-sacs.

The University of Toronto Scarborough campus is the single biggest neighbourhood-defining institution. UTSC sits on Highland Creek's eastern edge, employing thousands of staff and faculty, housing thousands of students, and supporting a steady year-round buyer and tenant pool. Centennial College's Morningside Campus is on the southern edge. The combination supports a healthy market for both end-users and small investors.

Transit and access are practical. Highway 401 runs along the northern edge of the neighbourhood with full interchanges at Morningside and Port Union. The TTC's 116 Morningside, 86 Scarborough and the 905 Eglinton East express connect Highland Creek to the rest of the subway and GO network. Rouge Hill GO, on the Lakeshore East line, is about a 5-minute drive south. The future Eglinton East LRT extension will reach UTSC, which will materially improve transit options for the entire community.

Lifestyle in Highland Creek revolves around the village, the campus and the Creek itself. Highland Creek Park, Colonel Danforth Park and the trail system along the creek give Highland Creek some of the best ravine access in east Toronto. Rouge National Urban Park - Canada's first urban national park - is on the doorstep. Saturday morning means the small farmer's market in the village, family soccer at Highland Creek Park, and a walk along the creek. From a real estate perspective Highland Creek is one of the more interesting east-end markets because the buyer pool is unusually balanced: young families, UTSC professionals, returning empty-nesters and investors all compete here, which keeps the market healthy.