Introduction to Markville Community
Markville community is a popular neighbourhood that is named after the nearby Markville Mall. Markville is considered a maturing and growing community with many great amenities, parks, schools, and shopping. It is perfect for families with children!
Location
Markville’s borders are 16th Avenue in the north, McCowan Road in the east, Hwy 7 in the south and to the west, Monarch and Quantztown parks divide Markville from Unionville.
History of Markville Community
The Markville neighbourhood was originally nameless and was known as the McCowan and Carlton area. Historically, the neighbourhood may have been thought of as part of Unionville. Unionville is an unincorporated community. Therefore, its boundaries were not particularly well defined and surrounding neighbourhoods could claim to be a part of it. However, now Markville has clearly defined boundaries and a charm of its own.
The Homes
Most of the homes in Markville were built in the 1980’s. The housing types comprise mainly single detached homes and townhouses with 3 – 4 bedrooms. Lots of homes in this area have been renovated and homeowners are the majority in this area with only 5% renters in the community.
Shopping
The Markville community is home to the Markville Shopping Centre, a mall with over 140 stores, including a Walmart supercentre, Sporting Life, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hudson Bay, Best Buy and Winners. It is a popular shopping location for Markham residents.
Transport & Commuting
Markville has several York Region Transit (YRT) public transport services to and from the shopping mall. As the mall is situated on Highway 7 and McCowan road, there are many transport links in the neighbourhood making it very easy to travel around. Commuters can use the Centennial GO station which is a 10-minute drive and an 11-minute bike ride from the furthest corner of the neighbourhood. This makes it easy to commute to downtown Toronto. Biking is a little more challenging as there are no bike lanes, but roads are wide and there are lots of cyclists in the area.
Parks & Recreation
Markville is fortunate to have some great parks and access to nearby trails in the neighbourhood. Markham Centennial Park is a large well kept park with a children’s playground, a skatepark and a sports field. It is next to the Centennial community centre which has a fitness centre, a pool, an ice rink, bocce courts and a gymnasium.
Monarch Park has some natural areas and a large area of mown grass for sports with a children’s playground. Lincoln Park has a baseball diamond and an open field, it is popular with local dog walkers. Central Park is another large open field with a children’s playground and a soccer field. Manhattan Woods is a wooded natural area popular with dog walkers. Quantztown Park has a soccer field, a children’s playground and a natural area with a large natural pond, home to lots of birds and smaller wild animals such as squirrels and skunks.
The neighbourhood also has a great trail – Austin Drive Park – that connects with other Markham trails. It is very popular with walkers, runners and cyclists.
Finally, the Markville community is home to the Markham Irish Canadian Rugby Club which has a full-sized rugby field, a practice field and a small playground for children.
Schools
Markville Secondary School is a great school, ranking second out of all secondary schools in Ontario. There is an elementary school in the community, Central Park Public School which is a very good school and is well regarded. For more information on schools near this neighbourhood see our Complete Guide to Schools in Markham blog.
Conclusion
The Markville neighbourhood has some of the best shopping in Markham! There are great schools and transport links. It boasts some lovely outdoor trails and parks to relax or play sports. Furthermore, it offers family homes that have enough room for large families. We are not surprised that it is one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods in Markham!
