Leslieville was named after George Leslie and sons who were some of the areas first settlers and they opened a large nursery here in the 1800’s. At the time, most of the residents of Leslieville were either gardeners employed by the Leslie family or by one of the many brick-making factories that were in the area. As the area continued to grow through the 1900s, many more factories moved here including many metal processing plants and tanneries. Throughout most of the last century, Leslieville was a popular place in which to live for mainly working-class factory workers.

Starting in 2000, Leslieville started to go through much gentrification and change. As the old factories shut down or left the area, Leslieville started to become a popular area in which to live for artists and first homebuyers. Today, Leslieville is one of Toronto’s most up-and-coming neighbourhoods full of great restaurants, cafes and shops.