Markham: The city has grown up

By NextHome Staff
November 19, 2018
by Gale BeebyHousing OptionsWhat was once considered a suburb of Toronto, Markham's housing options were primarily single-family detached homes, both in new subdivisions and heritage villages. But the city has grown up and is now offering any number of condominium and townhouse developments.The revitalization of Downtown Markham has been spearheaded by The Remington Group's multi-use development along Main Street, which includes expansive retail shops, a Marriott Hotel, a Cineplex, as well as a variety of condo buildings and townhomes.Click here to see a list of condo developments for sale.Leisure Pursuits The Markham Museum offers a variety of buildings representing the continued growth of the city, including mills, businesses and family homes. There are 30 buildings on the 25-acre site, including the James Maxwell Log Cabin (1850), the Ninth Line Baptist Church (1848), the Wilson Variety Hall (1875), the Locust Hill Train Station (1936), the Acadian Train Car (1921), the Blacksmith Shop (1862) and the Cider Milll and the Saw Mill.The Flato Markham Theatre offers over 300 live performances each year, showcasing the wide cultural diversity of the city.The Varley Art Gallery encompasses the historic Kathleen McKay house (1840), which was the home of Group of Seven member Frederick Horsman Varley for the last 12 years of his life. Now measuring 15,000 square feet, the gallery is the second most popular tourist attraction in York Region.Parks & Rec Markham has dozens of parks with baseball diamonds, soccer pitches and children's play areas and splash pads. The city also boasts over 22 kilometres of scenic pathways with 12 bridges that provide recreational activity for joggers and cyclists.The largest park in Markham is the Milne Dam Conservation Park. Measuring 305 acres, it is bordered by thick forest on the south and east and the Rouge River runs through the middle. The park is a stop-off point for many migratory birds. Mount Joy Park is over 16 acres and has an outdoor ice skating rink adjacent to a community centre.Toogood Pond is an 82-acre park that features a partially naturalized pond and marsh. The pond recently underwent revitalization, including sediment removal, restoration of the shoreline and the planting of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.Retail TherapyDowntown Markham offers some of the best shopping in the GTA, with great little restaurants, cafés and boutique stores.Markville Shopping Centre is currently the largest mall in Markham with over 160 shops and services. But the Pacific Mall – the largest Chinese indoor mall in North America – is a must for anybody looking for a bargain, with over 500 shops and services. It incorporates a traditional Asian-style market with over 450 mini shops selling everything from herbs, Asian fashions, flowers, accessories, cellphones, eyeglasses and computers.Easy AccessPublic transit in Markham is provided by York Region Transit/Viva, which connects with all nine York Region municipalities, as well as connecting with transit services in Toronto and the Region of Peel. GO Transit also serves Markham with train and bus service, taking riders to a variety of locations in the GTA and beyond.Markham also has easy access to Highways 404 and 407 and the DVP.BY THE NUMBERSWalk Score: 47Population: 329,000Motto: Leading While Remembering

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