Wexford and Bendale represent two neighbourhood poles of an area that spans central Scarborough. Though each has traces of the original rural villages that were here before modern Scarborough, the area grew rapidly when Torontonians leaving the central core after World War II moved here. They desired big back yards and open spaces, all the things the postwar Canadian Dream promised. Today these neighbourhoods are home to some of those original folks but also many more New Canadians. Most interesting are the strip malls found along Lawrence and Eglinton Avenues. Though only beginning to be celebrated, these malls act as old-fashioned main streets, filled with mom and pop stores. Many enterprises that would be unable to afford downtown rents find a home here, and the area acts as an informal economic incubator.