For residents’ shopping needs, there is the outdoor York Mills Plaza, which has a grocery store, a pharmaceutical store, a restaurant, specialty shops and gourmet food shops. There is also the nearby Bayview Village Shopping Centre, which offers more upscale shopping, such as designer clothing shops, jewellery stores, and fancy restaurants. As well, there is the York Mills Centre, which has many retail stores, a food court, medical offices and service shops.

For recreational needs, there is the large York Mills Park, which has plenty of public facilities. There is a playground, a baseball diamond, an ice rink, and an outdoor pool, as well as the organization of many house leagues, including hockey leagues. There is easy access to Windfield’s Park from York Mills Park, which has a ravine that is perfect for cyclists, walkers and joggers. Other parks in the York Mills area include St Andrew’s Park and Tournament Park, which offer more recreational opportunities, including a tennis club.

“York” in York Mills refers to the former name of Toronto: the Town of York. The “Mills” refers to the saw mills that ran in the area from 1804 to 1926. This area was a high industrial growth area at the time, including a distillery and a blacksmith shop. The growth in industry brought growth in residents, and churches, a school and a post office were built. One can still hear the church bells of St. John’s church ring every day at noon. Soon, York Mills began to turn more residential with the building of more schools and a championship golf course.