Masonville is one of the neighbourhoods in London that boasts incredible convenience and beauty. Anyone who has been around for a while can remember back when Masonville was mostly just rural farmland when it became part of the City of London (which happened back in 1961). The real development of the neighbourhood, specifically the surrounding housing, took place in the 1980s. Since then it has become a flourishing part of the city, stuffed full of amenities, shopping, entertainment, and places to eat. On top of that, it’s a transit hub.
Landmarks
When you think of the Masonville neighbourhood, what landmark comes to mind? CF Masonville Place is the feature of the neighbourhood that we immediately associate. If we’re being totally honest, Masonville Place is the best mall in the city. First of all, the shopping options in Masonville Mall is completely unparalleled to other malls in London. There are more options waiting for you in Masonville Place. Not only does it have well known restaurants like The Keg, Three10, and Milestones, but it also has incredible entertainment options like Silver City and Rec Room, which is basically a giant mecca for fun.
The amenities and conveniences spill outside of CF Masonville Place. Right across from the mall sits a ton of restaurant options, even more incredible shopping options, grocery and necessity stores, and even an LCBO and Beer Store!
One landmark that is tucked away in the middle of a forested green haven is Windermere Manor. This venue and hotel is a stunning historical building that brings you the conveniences of a modern space with the beauty and elegance of historic splendour. It was originally built in 1925 and has classic Tudor design elements. The grounds, complete with the remains of an old stone bridge, are just as breathtaking as the details indoors, like the hand-hewn beams and wood-burning stove.
There is a gorgeous Georgian manor nestled among abundantly lush greenery called Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre. This beautiful building offers state-of-the-art meeting and conference spaces as well as absolutely gorgeous backdrops that make for the perfect venue for weddings and events. Ivey Spencer Leadership Center also offers farm-to-table casual dining as well as incredible hotel accommodations, including comfortable and convenient rooms.
Tetherwood Park/North Branch Park sits in the bottom eastern section of the neighbourhood and is a large, beautiful park. With tons of trees and open greenspace, these parks are a great place to go to when you feel like you need to get out of the city but don’t actually want to have to leave the city.
Guest House on the Mount is a beautiful brick building perched atop a hill next to the Thames River and with beautiful lush grounds, walking paths, and gardens making it a beautiful place to stay. This hotel is filled with amenities and is so close to the university and downtown that its location is beyond convenient.
Cradling the neighbourhood is one of London’s Environmentally Significant Areas, the Medway Valley Heritage Forest. The Medway Valley Heritage Forest is 129 hectares and follows the Thames River. This 10.6 km of trails are filled with incredible forested areas, swamps, green spaces, and marshes. Plenty of different wildlife and types of vegetation can be found here. The Medway Valley Heritage Forest is a place to reconnect with nature and escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Revera Windermere on the Mount is a sophisticated and elegant senior living residence. The stunning brick building is eye-catching and the beautifully landscaped grounds will make you feel like you’ve just entered into paradise. Their suites are luxurious and they have above-and-beyond services on-site, including a spa!
If you haven’t visited the London Public Library in the last few years then you’re missing out. The Masonville branch is more than just a place to check out books. They have drop-in programs, crafts, book clubs, movies and films that you can check out, computers and technology that you can use, and so much more.
Location
Masonville used to be the most northern neighbourhood in the city, but as the Sunningdale area has been built up with housing and amenities developments more and more, Masonville is becoming a little more central-north.
In terms of amenities, Masonville is close to so many different shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences: CF Masonville Place, the Hyde Park super-centre, Sherwood Forest Mall, Fanshawe Park Road and Wonderland shopping centre, the Northdale Shopping plaza, and the Huron and Adelaide plaza. Convenience is king in this neighbourhood.
All of Western University’s campuses (Brescia, Main, Ivey, Huron, and Kings) are all close to this neighbourhood, and getting to any of the campuses is quick and easy. Downtown is a quick shot straight down Richmond, which is one of the major roads through this neighbourhood. The Thames River creates the southern and western borders of Masonville.
Housing
Masonville has a mix of single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and small apartments and both new and old builds. It’s a great location to buy if you’re wanting a newer-ish home but still with a decent-sized backyard. More and more the new builds are having smaller backyards, but these homes were built before developers started restricting backyard sizes. If you’re looking for a home with a pool, there are a good number of homes here that have pools in the backyard. In terms of style, the newer builds veer away from the cookie-cutter type of home. Pricing falls into the mid to high $500,000. You’re also going to notice more mature residential streets than other neighbourhoods in the North end.
Who Should Live Here?
If you’re looking at buying a house in London, Ontario and want to know what neighbourhood is best suited for you, let’s take a look at who would benefit from living in Masonville.
Because of its location, Masonville is an incredibly convenient location for those who need to go to any of Western’s schools (main campus, Brescia, Kings, Huron, or Ivey Business School) regularly either as a student or employee. On top of that, its easy access also makes it a great place for those who frequent the downtown core.
On top of that, families can thrive in this neighbourhood, with large backyards and all of the shopping and household essentials being easily accessible. Plus, families will never be bored with the entertainment options that are so close by in this neighbourhood.
If you’re someone who enjoys nature and relishes in the idea of an afternoon in the park or walking ESA trails, then you would love living in the edges of the neighbourhood where there is plenty of green space within walking distance.
It’s not the first neighbourhood that you should check out if you have a smaller budget. There are cheaper areas of the city to live, and while there are plenty of entertainment options in Masonville, they tend to not be on the thrifty end of things.