Don Mills Real Estate vs Leaside: Two Line 5 Neighbourhoods Compared

The short answer

Don Mills real estate and Leaside sit next to each other on Eglinton Avenue East, but the homes in them are very different. In the 2021 Census more than half the dwellings in Banbury-Don Mills were in apartment buildings of five or more storeys. In Leaside-Bennington more than half were single-detached houses.

What they now share is a rapid transit line. Line 5 Eglinton began service on February 8, 2026 and runs through both areas, with three stations in each. For someone moving to Toronto and weighing the two, the useful comparison is the station you would use, the number of stops to work and the kind of home each area actually has.

This post sets those out side by side. For prices by property type, our guides to Don Mills and Leaside carry the latest quarterly figures. Current listings are on our Don Mills homes for sale and Leaside homes for sale pages.

Where Don Mills and Leaside sit

Leaside’s stretch of Eglinton Avenue East has stations from Bayview Avenue to Leslie Street, with Mount Pleasant station at its west edge. Don Mills lies further east and north, with its library and Edwards Gardens on Lawrence Avenue East. The City of Toronto’s Neighbourhood Profiles call the two areas Leaside-Bennington and Banbury-Don Mills. Those are the boundaries the Census figures below use.

Line 5 ties them together. Metrolinx describes the line as 19 kilometres with 25 stations and stops along Eglinton Avenue, more than 10 kilometres of it underground. It connects with Line 1 at Eglinton station, which is the transfer that matters for a trip downtown. Our map of Toronto shows both neighbourhoods and the stations between them.

Line 5 Eglinton stations in each neighbourhood

The two areas get very different kinds of station. The Leaside stations at Bayview Avenue and Laird Drive are full stations with three levels and elevators. Further east some stops are surface platforms in the middle of Eglinton Avenue.

Leaside

Leaside station is at 615 Eglinton Avenue East, at Bayview Avenue. The TTC lists 3 elevators, 60 outdoor parking spaces and connections to the 11 Bayview, 34 Eglinton, 334 Eglinton and 354 Lawrence East buses. Laird station, at 811 Eglinton Avenue East, has 2 elevators, another 60 outdoor spaces and connections to the 34 Eglinton, 51 Leslie, 88 South Leaside and 156 Millwood buses, among others.

Sunnybrook Park station at Leslie Street is different. The TTC lists it as a mid road surface platform, with the 34 Eglinton and 51 Leslie buses at stops on the street. Mount Pleasant station sits at the west edge of Leaside.

Don Mills

Don Valley station is at 1175 Eglinton Avenue East, at Don Mills Road. It is a three level station with 3 elevators, 30 indoor parking spaces and its own bus platform, used by routes including the 954 Lawrence East.

The next two stops east are surface platforms in the middle of the road. Aga Khan Park & Museum is near 1200 Eglinton Avenue East, at the Don Valley Parkway southbound off ramp. Wynford is near 1611 Eglinton Avenue East, at Wynford Drive, with the 34 Eglinton and 100 Flemingdon Park buses on the street.

Station	Area	Address or nearest point	Station type
Leaside	Leaside	615 Eglinton Avenue East	Three levels, elevators
Laird	Leaside	811 Eglinton Avenue East	Three levels, elevators
Sunnybrook Park	Leaside	Near 1075 Eglinton Avenue East	Mid road surface platform
Don Valley	Don Mills	1175 Eglinton Avenue East	Three levels, elevators, bus platform
Aga Khan Park & Museum	Don Mills	Near 1200 Eglinton Avenue East	Mid road surface platform
Wynford	Don Mills	Near 1611 Eglinton Avenue East	Mid road surface platform

Getting downtown: stops to Union station

From either area the trip downtown is Line 5 west to Eglinton station, then Line 1 south. Line 1 is 11 stops from Eglinton to Union. The TTC’s opening timetable lists the Line 5 stations in this order heading west: Wynford, Aga Khan Park & Museum, Don Valley, Sunnybrook Park, Laird, Leaside, Mount Pleasant and Eglinton.

Station	Line 5 stops to Eglinton	Line 1 stops to Union	Total
Leaside	2	11	13
Laird	3	11	14
Sunnybrook Park	4	11	15
Don Valley	5	11	16
Aga Khan Park & Museum	6	11	17
Wynford	7	11	18

The gap between the two areas is three stops on the train. The bigger difference is often the walk or bus ride to the station. Leaside’s stations sit along its own stretch of Eglinton Avenue. Much of Don Mills sits further north, around Lawrence Avenue East, so a bus down Don Mills Road to Don Valley station is part of many trips. Our post on Toronto subway commutes by neighbourhood counts the same trip for every area we cover.

Don Mills real estate and Leaside housing stock

This is where the two areas part ways. The figures below come from the City of Toronto’s 2021 Census Neighbourhood Profiles and match the ones in our neighbourhood guides.

2021 Census	Banbury-Don Mills	Leaside-Bennington
Residents	27,155	16,535
Occupied private dwellings	12,215	6,435
Single-detached houses	3,450 (28.2%)	3,570 (55.5%)
Semi-detached houses	285 (2.3%)	795 (12.4%)
Row houses	745 (6.1%)	100 (1.6%)
Apartments in buildings under five storeys	1,270 (10.4%)	1,410 (21.9%)
Apartments in buildings of five or more storeys	6,430 (52.6%)	515 (8.0%)
Households that own their home	59.7%	72.4%

Banbury-Don Mills had more than twelve times as many apartments in larger buildings as Leaside-Bennington, while the two had a similar number of detached houses. Leaside has more semi-detached houses and more apartments in smaller buildings. Don Mills has more row houses.

For a newcomer this decides what you can look at in each area. In Leaside most listings are houses. In Don Mills a search covers both apartment buildings and detached houses. Our neighbourhood guides break down the latest TRREB quarter by property type for each area, which is the place to compare what those homes cost.

Heritage rules, trees and ravines

Neither area is a heritage conservation district. The City’s list of districts does not include one in Leaside or Banbury-Don Mills. Where a district does exist, the City says new construction, exterior alterations and additions need a heritage permit. Individual properties can still be designated on their own, so check the exact address with the City before planning work.

The City’s tree rules apply in both areas and they matter on older lots with mature trees. A permit is needed to injure or remove a tree of 30 centimetres or more in diameter on private property, measured 1.4 metres above the ground. Street trees of any size are protected and some sit in a front yard next to the sidewalk. If you are unsure who owns a tree, a survey of the property helps or you can call 311 to confirm.

Ravines and natural features carry stricter rules. Inside a protected area the City prohibits harming or removing trees of any size, changing the land on slopes or placing fill without a permit. The City’s Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law Map shows whether an address is affected, so check any house that borders parkland or a slope.

Libraries and everyday life

Leaside has one Toronto Public Library branch, at 165 McRae Drive. Its current building officially opened on March 8, 1950.

Don Mills has two. The Don Mills branch is at 888 Lawrence Avenue East, at the corner of Lawrence Avenue East and Donway West. The Brookbanks branch is at 210 Brookbanks Drive. It opened in 1968 and TPL notes that it was included in a 1997 inventory of North York’s modernist architecture.

Our neighbourhood guides list the parks, community centres and arenas in each area. For schools, both areas are served by the TDSB and TCDSB. Boundaries are set by each board, so confirm them for the exact address.

Don Mills real estate and Leaside at a glance

Factor	Don Mills	Leaside
Line 5 stations	Don Valley, Aga Khan Park & Museum, Wynford	Leaside, Laird, Sunnybrook Park
Fewest stops to Union	16 from Don Valley	13 from Leaside
Largest dwelling type, 2021 Census	Apartments in buildings of five or more storeys, 52.6%	Single-detached houses, 55.5%
Owner households, 2021 Census	59.7%	72.4%
Heritage conservation district	None	None
Library branches	Don Mills and Brookbanks	Leaside

If you are also weighing midtown house neighbourhoods, our Leaside vs Lawrence Park post makes the same comparison with Line 1 at Lawrence.

What to check before you buy

1. Count the stops from the nearest Line 5 station to where you work, then add the walk or bus ride to that station from the exact address.
2. Check whether the nearest station is a full station with elevators or a surface platform in the middle of Eglinton Avenue.
3. Look up the address on the City’s ravine and natural feature map if it borders parkland or a slope.
4. Note any tree of 30 centimetres or more near where you would build.
5. Confirm school boundaries with the TDSB or TCDSB for that address.
6. Compare recent figures for the property type you want in our neighbourhood guides.

Our guide to relocating to Toronto covers what to sort out before and after the move, from health cards to the land transfer tax. To see streets and buildings in Don Mills or Leaside with us, contact us.