Parkway Forest: Ravines and Architectural History

Parkway Forest is especially interesting for travelers who want to get to know a residential landscape through its layout and architectural history. In Parkway West, ravines, curving residential streets, and different architectural histories come together. The interplay between the terrain and the pattern of settlement thus provides a unifying theme for a stay in which the landscape and the built environment receive equal attention.

Ravines and the street scene

For geographic orientation: Parkway West lies southwest of York Mills Road and the Don Valley Parkway. The wide boulevards Laurentide Drive and Three Valleys Drive connect a network of curving residential streets and cul-de-sacs. The street network extends south and west to the edges of the Don River ravine. The street layout and the terrain are thus both part of the area's character.

A small group of houses in Parkway West overlooks a ravine and is reached by a loop road with a hairpin turn. This description directly connects the shape of the terrain with the layout of the residential streets. In Parkway West's historic landscape, the Donalda Club's golf facilities also gave way to naturally landscaped parks and groves of mature trees.

A neighborhood with its own architectural history

Don Mills Developments launched Parkway West as a distinct neighborhood in 1957. In the spring of that same year, Nisco Construction put 14 houses in five different styles on the market there. The houses offered by Nisco Construction are characterized as conservative, restrained modernism; attached carports or garages were a feature of all Nisco house models. The two dates refer to the launch of the neighborhood and the market debut of the Nisco houses.

Alvarado Place is a group of houses in Parkway West. An architectural record from 1961 names J. A. Murray as the designer and Geo. Slightham Ltd. as the builder. The year refers here to the documentation of the architectural history, not the time of the design. At another small group of houses in Parkway West, builder Roy P. Rogers Enterprises and architects James A. Murray and Henry Fliess also tackled the unusual challenge of adapting the site to difficult terrain.

A single home provides another architectural point of reference: the Yarmon Residence at 12 Spinney Court was designed by Henry Fliess and commissioned by its owner. It is considered a notable example. Together with the groups of houses and their different styles, it offers a glimpse into the different scales of residential architecture in Parkway West.

The surrounding area and choosing a vacation rental

Nearby, the Donalda Club sits in a deep valley through whose center a meandering river flows. The club offers guests of its members golf, tennis, and shared dinners for extended families; guests must be accompanied by a member. If you plan to take part in any of these activities, factor this requirement into your travel plans.

When searching for a vacation rental in Parkway Forest, you can define the focus of your trip more precisely: Should the residential landscape, with its ravines and curving streets, shape your stay, or are you primarily interested in the architectural history? If you are planning with others, you can weigh these priorities against one another. Club activities are another option, subject to the requirement that guests be accompanied by a member.

Discover more destinations: Scarborough, Rexdale, Eringate.

For the broader travel overview: Toronto.