Mirvish Village Homes & Real Estate Toronto

Mirvish Village is a single block of Markham Street running south off Bloor Street West at Bathurst Street – a small enclave bordered by The Annex, Little Korea and Palmerston Little Italy neighbourhoods. The designation of “village” is the city’s tribute to one of its best-loved sons – Ed Mirvish, innovative retailer, entrepreneur extraordinaire, and patron of the arts.

On the south-west corner of Markham and Bloor, the iconic Honest Ed’s department store anchors the neighbourhood and, indirectly, created it. Legend has it that Ed wanted to build an outdoor parking lot for the store, and from 1959 to 1963 bought up the east side of the Markham Street block.

Whether dissuaded by the disapproval of the city or his sculptor wife, Anne, Ed’s plans changed. Rather than demolish the Victorian homes, he made them available at affordable rent for independent art galleries and studios — and an urban art colony was born. The first to open and give the block its unique cachet was the David Mirvish Gallery, owned by his son.

Later, Ed purchased the homes on the west side of Markham Street, painted them in pastel shades, and leased these, too. In the years since, Markham Village has become home to a community of studios, galleries, boutiques, vintage stores, and delightful cafés and restaurants with quiet patios on the tree-lined street.

Mirvish Village is an unhurried place... a place to stroll and discover the unusual. Honest Ed’s famous slogan says it for the store and for the neighbourhood: “There’s no place like this place — anyplace!!!”

For current information on available listings for Mirvish Village real estate, please see the column at the right of this page. Listings are updated daily, so we recommend that you bookmark this page and check back frequently.