The neighbourhood of Malvern has seen a huge rise in popularity over the last few years and is now one of the most exciting places to live in Scarborough. It has the highest concentration of young people in Toronto, and is a perfect destination for students, young professionals, or young families who want to live in a vibrant multicultural neighbourhood. The young population, proximity to transportation, and wide selection of shopping options make Malvern an extremely attractive place to live.
Looking for a condo or townhouse in Malvern? Start your search here.
Where is Malvern?
Malvern is located in the northeast section of Scarborough, between Markham Road and Morningside Avenue, with Finch as its northern boundary and Highway 401 to the south. It’s just minutes from the 401, connecting the neighbourhood to the rest of the city.
Toronto Public Library
The history of Malvern
Malvern dates back in 1856, when the Malvern Post office was opened on the corner of Finch Avenue and Markham Road. For the next hundred years, it was a farming community. Then, in the 1950s, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation started building affordable housing in the area. Construction of Malvern’s residential area continued for the next several decades, and the first residents moved into their homes in 1972. Since then, the neighbourhood has grown tremendously.
The types of homes you’ll find in Malvern
The residential areas in Malvern were built between the 1970s and the 1990s. There’s a mix of single-family detached and semi-detached homes, townhouses, low-rise garden apartments, high-rise apartment buildings, subsidized housing communities and condos.
Malvern has long been a popular landing spot for immigrants coming to Canada, and has developed one the most diverse populations in all of Toronto. Other than English, the languages most spoken at home in Malvern are Tamil, Chinese, Urdu Tagalog and Gujarati.
The area has seen a tremendous amount of condo development in the last 30 years, with a group of high-rise condos situated around Neilson Road and McLevin Avenue and another at Sheppard Avenue and Markham Road.
Need to store your stuff in Malvern?
Whether you’re moving into a new house, staging your home for sale, or just looking to get rid of clutter, self-storage can be a great way to free up space. Storwell Self Storage, located at Markham Road and the 401, is just a 10-minute drive away. You can visit the facility in person to demo a unit at 85 Executive Ct, Scarborough, ON M1S 5W9 or call 416-534-5555.
Malvern’s one-stop shopping destination
Malvern Town Centre is a large shopping centre at the heart of the neighbourhood, right at the corner of Neilson and Tapscott Road. It has a Freshland Supermarket, jewelry stores, a dental clinic, hair and nail salons, and a grocery store that specializes in West Indian food. And if there’s something you can’t find at Malvern Town Centre, take the 401 west to the nearby Scarborough Town Centre, which has an amazing selection of retail and food options.
A revamped library
Right across the street from Malvern Town Center on Sewells Road, you have the Malvern branch of the Toronto Public Library. After a complete 2004 remodel, this branch is one of the nicest libraries in Scarborough, housing works in dozens of languages.
The Malvern Community Recreation Centre is connected to the library, and it has :
a full-sized gymnasium
two indoor dry pads
a computer training room
a skateboard area
two indoor ice rinks
Malvern’s pro sports facility
The Nike Malvern Sports Complex is a multi-pad sports facility that can be used for soccer, basketball and track. It was built in 2006 from a recycled shoe material called Nike Grind: 50,000 Toronto residents donated shoes to help build the facility and give the youth of Malvern access to a high-performance sport surface.
Connect to nature in Malvern
There’s no shortage of green spaces in this neighbourhood. Get your nature fix in Malvern Woods Park near Sheppard and Morningside: the tightly-packed tall-standing trees are a slice of the forest in the heart of the city.
Neilson Park, just south of Finch and Neilson, has three full-sized, well-maintained baseball diamonds, two of which have lights for night games. The park is also home to one of the few skate parks in Toronto, with obstacles to accommodate any skill level.
And of course, a major benefit to living in Malvern is that you’re just a short drive away from the Toronto Zoo, an amazing way to spend the day and a fun experience for people of all ages.
Malvern Schools
There’s an abundance of excellent schools in Malvern. The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board both operate in Malvern, and each board has one secondary school in the area: Lester B. Pearson and St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy.
As for elementary schools, there’s a wide selection, including the standout Fleming Public School at Morningview Trail and Little Road. Of the over 3,000 elementary schools ranked by the Fraser Institute in 2020, Fleming came in in the top 200 schools in Ontario. St. Barnabas Catholic School also received a very strong Fraser Institute grade, ranking in the top 300.
Other Malvern schools that received high marks include:
Emily Carr Public School
Mary Shadd Public School
Burrows Hall Junior Public School
The best restaurants in Malvern
As one of the most culturally-diverse neighbourhoods in Toronto, Malvern is known for its Caribbean-Canadian populations, with many Jamaican, Trinidadian and Guyanese people calling the area home. The Caribbean influence can be felt in the local cuisine. Nicey’s Eatery is a neighbourhood staple, a Caribbean grocery and take-away spot serving signature jerk dishes and patties. Caribbean Wave is a sports lounge that serves a Caribbean-Chinese fusion, and Lucky Lin’s specializes in Caribbean lo-mein.
Malvern: a neighbourhood on the rise
The young, ethnically-diverse population makes Malvern one of the most vibrant places to live in all of Scarborough. With great shopping centres, parks, sports facilities, schools, and a fusion of different cultures and people, it’s a community that’s completely unique.
Looking to buy or rent a great place in Malvern? Talk to a property.ca agent today!