CITY GUIDE: Vaughan, ONTARIO

Located just north of Toronto, Vaughan is a city in York municipality. It is known as the only location within York municipality that has attained the city status. Thus, although Vaughan is a suburb of a bigger city, it is a city on its own. Vaughan is the fifth largest city in the Greater Toronto. Vaughan is also known as the 17th-largest city in Canada. Reports from the most recent census which was carried out in Vaughan shows that the population of the city is about 306,223. Up until recently, Vaughan wasn't a well known and established city. The population of Vaughan grew significantly from 1991 especially within a period of one decade, from 1996 to 2006. During this period, Vaughan was known as the municipality with a fastest growth rate as it grew by about 80%. The slogan of Vaughan, "the city above Toronto", aptly describes its relations with Toronto. The south boundary of Toronto known as Steeles Avenue is the north boundary of Toronto.

The Vaughan Appeal:

Although Vaughan may be described as a small city because of its population, the city has numerous features that have attracted residents and still attract visitors till date. Vaughan is known as the location of the largest theme park in Canada. Canada's wonderland is located in Vaughan, and this theme park is one of the reasons why a lot of persons visit the city for the first time. There are over a hundred rides and attractions within this theme park that receives visitors within different demographics, from the young to the older members of society. Vaughan is also known for the expanse of greenery. This city of Vaughan offers great camping and hiking experiences for residents as well as visitors. Vaughan's shopping scene is also notable as the city hold one of the largest shopping centres in Canada. Vaughan Mills which is located just next to Canada's Wonderland is another great feature of the city. This mall is said to receive about 13 million visitors every year

Education:

Vaughan has several educational facilities that serve residents appropriately. The educational facilities within the city include tertiary institutions as well as high schools and elementary schools such as the Toronto Waldorf School, Annie and Max and Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto. The high schools and elementary schools in Vaughan are governed by the York Catholic District School Board and the York Region District School Board. York University, One of Toronto area’s largest University is situated in Vaughan. York University is located on the boundary of Vaughan and Toronto. York University is the largest university in Canada with a well-established student and staff population spread across 10 faculties. Visitors and tourists typically tour the campus as part of their activities.

Culture & Entertainment:

Legoland Discovery Centre is another highly appealing feature of the city of Vaughan. This fun-filled attraction is a hub of activities with a lot of attractions for visitors. Vaughan also has an open-air museum that is known as Black Creek Pioneer Village. This museum takes visitors back in time with a lot of structures preserved very close to their original states. Vaughan is also the home of Canada's largest reflector microscope. This microscope is housed within David Dunlap Observatory (DDO). Vaughan is also the home of other noteworthy facilities such as the largest reptile zoo in Canada. Reptila houses the largest crocodile in Canada as well as over 200 more reptiles. Other fun activities Vaughan is known for include swimming and golf. It is said that one can swim at any time of the year in Vaughan because of the wide availability of indoor pools. The National Golf Club of Canada, a high-ranking golf club is located in Vaughan. Eagles Nest Golf Club is another prestigious golf club located in Vaughan. Kortright Centre for Conservation is a facility within Canada worth mentioning. Vaughan is also known as a particularly artistic destination as a year of person visit to experience the art scene McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg is a major element of the artistic environment of Vaughan.

Vaughan Real Estate:

The real estate market of Vaughan has experienced a lot of growth especially with the significant growth in the population of the city from 1991. Persons looking to live in a smaller suburb such as Vaughan while working in larger cities such as Toronto find a great option in Vaughan. The fact that Vaughan is located to the north of Toronto with an excellent network that connects both cities has made the city much more appealing to persons that work in Toronto. The city is also known to have attracted residents with its commercial development. As more firms moved into Vaughan, residents followed and the real estate market of Vaughan became more active. The economy of Vaughan is known to be supported majorly by establishments that include Alexander Dennis, Canada's Wonderland and Canadian National Railway. Vaughan makes a great residential area with the necessary facilities to boost. There are well-established shopping and recreational facilities in Vaughan. .

Vaughan has five established communities. These communities tend to include other smaller communities as their extent has exceeded the initial traditional boundaries. The five communities of Vaughan include Woodbridge, Kleinburg, Maple, Thornhill and Concord. The areas that make up these communities differ. Maple, for example, is bounded on the north and south by King Vaughan Line and Rutherford respectively, and on the east and west by Bathurst and Hwy 400 respectively. A new community, The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, is in the works. The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre has a vision of being a downtown core area that is heavily populated with modern facilities and high-rise buildings.

Vaughan is known as a fast growing community. Properties listed on the Vaughan real estate market are also known as some of the fastest selling properties because of the improved residential and investment appeal of the city over time.