Lawrence Heights
| Lawrence Heights | |
|---|---|
| Neighbourhood | |
 |
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| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Ontario
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| City |
 Toronto
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Lawrence Heights is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north-west of central Toronto, in the district of North York. The neighbourhood is bounded by Lawrence Avenue to the south, Highway 401 to the north, Allen Road to the east and Dufferin Street to the west. It is part of the greater Yorkdale-Glen Park official Toronto neighbourhood.
Lawrence Heights has been referred to as the "Jungle" by residents and police alike soon after its creation in 1962. The Globe and Mail news outlet's article "Toronto's new murder capital" gives an insight on the crime in the area without actually specifically going into the reasons for the "Jungle" moniker, but does contain a quote "It's like you're in the jungle. It is like a war," says Linkx, a 20-year-old rap producer from nearby Rexdale who wears Crip colours and spoke on condition of anonymity. "
The area is divided into two distinct subsections. The area bounded by Yorkdale Shopping Centre to the north, Lawrence Avenue to the south, Dufferin Street to the west and Highland Hill to the east. The neighbourhood is a post World War II development of bungalows and storey-and-a-half dwellings. As the frontage of these homes average 45 feet, the area has had significant changes as older houses are torn down and replaced by "Monster Homes" as the area's proximity to major city arteries and the downtown core make it lucrative to builders.
The other housing area, which is east of Flemington Road, is short-term public housing. Because of the area's proximity to Downsview Airport, high-rise buildings were not originally permitted to be constructed in this area, and the majority of the housing is in low to mid-rise buildings.
According to Statistics Canada, the total population of Lawrence Heights (census tract 5350286.00) is 3685 persons. In the 2011 census, 1625 people reported to make under $30,000 while 750 people reported to make between $30,000 and $59,999. Only 335 people reported to make over $60,000. The average income for Lawrence Heights is $32,256 while the median income is $23,575. These figures point to substantial income inequality in the neighbourhood, as a higher proportion (approximately 60%) of respondents are at or below the average income, with most scoring closer to the mean income. Given that the low-income cut-off or the 'poverty line' in Canada is $23,298 (for an individual or families of two or more living in a city with a population over 500,000), Lawrence Heights can be considered a low-income neighbourhood. There are fears that the revitalization plan will push out low-income populations as similar plans have done elsewhere in Toronto.
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Wikipedia