Named after the magnificent Summer Hill House, its charming brick facades and winding tree-lined streets have made it one of Toronto's most preferred neighbourhoods.

Built in 1842 by transportation baron Charles Thompson, Summer Hill House stood on the crest of what is now known as Summerhill Gardens, stretching from the present day Yonge Street to Mount Pleasant Road. On this site Thompson established Summer Hill Spring Park and Pleasure Grounds, an amusement park featuring rides, games, swiming and dance pavilion. In 1903, the Summerhill neighbourhood was annexed by the City and eight years later the Summer Hill Estate was sold to land developers.

From the 1880's onward, the neighbourhood developed around the North Toronto Railway Station. The first residents of Summerhill worked at the railway station and in the 1920's, the Canadian Pacific Railway made it their main Toronto station. In 1954, Summerhill became a designated station on the Yonge Street subway line and in 2003, the North Toronto Railway Station, with its iconic clock tower and marvellous architecture, was refurbished and brought back to life as one of the largest liquor stores in Canada.

Originally, Toronto's wealthiest and most prominent families established country estates in Summerhill since this elevated enclave was prized for both its views of the city and its healthier atmosphere. Today, Summehill residents are within walking distance to the many boutique shops and restaurants centred around Yonge Street and Summerhill Avenue. The Summerhill Subway Station provides easy access along the Yonge Street corridor to Toronto's Downtown Financial and Entertainment Districts.

Summerhill's turn-of-the-century residences, built between 1880 and 1915, consist of detached and semi-detached houses, encompassing Victorian and Edwardian styles of architecture. Summerhill also contains a large number of modern townhouses and a handful of low-rise luxury condominium buildings, built mostly in the 1980's and 1990's.