What Is Playter Estates

Playter Estates is a neighbourhood in the east, central part of Toronto bounded by Jackman Avenue to the east, Broadview Avenue to the west, Danforth Avenue in the south, and Fulton Avenue in the north.

The Playter Estates neighbourhood was built on land originally owned by the Playter family who were important pioneers in the settlement of York (which eventually became the City of Toronto). Captain George Playter, patriarch of the family, was an United Empire Loyalist who emigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania in the 1790s.  Captain Playter and his sons were each given original land grants that extended on both sides of the Don River, from present day Yonge Street along Bloor Street, across the Don Valley and over to approximately Pape Avenue.  Two streets here still bear the Playter name – Playter Boulevard and Playter Crescent – while other streets within Playter Estates also relate to Playter family history.  For example, Ellerbeck Avenue was named after a Playter son married Sarah Ellerbeck.  A family homestead, a two-storey farmhouse, built in the late 1870s and located at 28 Playter Crescent, has been heavily renovated, but still exists in its original, prominent location.  Until quite recently, descendants of the Playter family continued to reside within Playter Estates.

The farmland around the original homestead was developed over time, with a significant part of the Playter Estates home building occurring from about 1912.  Many of the original, predominantly Edwardian, brick homes –  with beautiful architectural features such as leaded and stained glass windows and welcoming porches with timber railings – have been beautifully maintained on tree-lined streets.

Playter Estates is often ranked as a highly desirable, stable, family-friendly neighbourhood with an enviable, inner-city location with excellent walking access to good restaurants, shops, entertainment, services and city transportation.  It is near, but not part of, “Greektown”.