In the mid 19th century, what is now West Hill was part of the larger Highland Creek community, which extended from today's Galloway Rd over to the Pickering border.

Following Shackleton's tenure as postmaster, the post office was relocated back to the east side of the valley.

However, access to the direct east and west had to navigate Highland Creek and required a steep descent and ascent.

Another change occasioned by the building of Highway 401 was a drop in business for the large number of motels lining Kingston Road.

The neighbourhood grew quickly and by the mid-1960s there were several new public schools to serve the new residents, who were generally young families drawn to the lower home prices in the area.

Development was largely limited to single family homes and low rise apartment blocks.

During the 1960s, new bridges were built spanning the deep sections of Highland Creek on Lawrence, Morningside and Kingston.

The completion of the Bloor-Danforth subway line to Warden Station allowed more frequent TTC bus service into the neighbourhood.

Commercial development in the Morningside and Malvern neighbourhoods improved, and residents who used to come to West Hill to shop now no longer had to do so.

In addition, the neighbourhood's population is slowly shrinking as the resident per home average continues to drop.

Newcomers to the neighbourhood tend to be younger families looking for inexpensive housing in the city with convenient commuting connections.

TDSB operates two active secondary school in the neighbourhood, West Hill Collegiate Institute.

Fast food establishments do not dominate and there are many sit-down restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines including, Canadian Chinese, Caribbean and Middle Eastern, echoing the ethnic diversity of the neighbourhood.

The area is well served by physicians, dentists and lawyers and features three pharmacies, including both major chains.

The Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) bus service provides public transportation through the neighbourhood, operating on all the major streets in the area, allowing access to TTC's Line 2 Bloor-Danforth subway at Kennedy station and the Line 3 Scarborough at Lawrence East station.