Neighbourhood Profiles

Playter Estates

Playter Estates is an exclusive enclave of homes located just east of the Don Valley. This neighbourhood has many desirable features including beautiful homes, a first class shopping district on Danforth Avenue, and convenient access to Toronto's transit system.

HISTORY

Playter Estates is named after the Playter family who held the original land grants on both sides of the Don River near Bloor Street. Captain George Playter, the patriarch of the family, was an United Empire Loyalist who emigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania in the 1790's. George's son James Playter, owned the land where Playter Estates is today.

However, it was James' eldest brother John who actually settled on this land. John's grandson, John Lea Playter, erected the Playter Homestead at 28 Playter Crescent in the mid 1870's. This charming brick home is still owned by members of the Playter family. The property around the homestead was used for farmland up until 1912, when the current neighbourhood was developed.

**The Toronto neighbourhood text profiles, sketches and maps displayed on this web site were originally published in “Your Guide to Toronto Neighbourhoods”, are © Maple Tree Publishing Inc. and have been reproduced by Toronto Real Estate Board under license.