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Toronto/East End

The East End is a district of Toronto, known for its Greektown, the beaches of The Beach district and the trendy shops and restaurants along Queen St East.

Orientation
The East End used to be the most easterly portion of old city of Toronto before it amalgamated with its immediate suburbs in 1998. (Scarborough is now the most easterly portion of today's Toronto.)

The East End is made up of various districts or neighbourhoods such as Greektown, Leslieville, Riverside District Gerard Indian Bazaar & The Beach. It's a varied, vibrant part of town. Although largely residential, the East End is defined by commercial districts with an interesting mix of small shops, restaurants and bars along its major thoroughfares (Queen St. East, Gerrard St. East, Danforth Ave.), where the majority of the attractions are located, and the residential streets where most of the neighbourhood's residents live. These residential streets are quiet and shaded by old oaks and maples, and contain old homes and townhouses of an astonishing variety of architectural styles.

Embedded within these residential streets are a number of large parks, including Riverdale Park, with its breathtaking view of the skyline, Withrow Park, Greenwood Park, Jimmie Simpson Park, Kew Gardens, Beaches Park, and countless smaller neighbourhood parks.

The main throughfare of the East End is Danforth Ave (locally called The Danforth) of which the most lively stretch lies between Broadview Ave. and Jones Ave. Between those two streets, there are two retail business areas. The area west of Chester Ave (and Chester Subway Station) has been branded "The Danforth" by the local merchants while the area east of Chester Ave is the more lively Greektown. However, from a visitor point of view, it is one continuous district, full of restaurants, bars, cafes, and shops with a greater concentration of Greek businesses in Greektown, which has the largest Greek community in North America. The combined area attracts residents and non-residents alike creating a busy, bustling, vibrant place, especially on summer weekends.

Along Queen Street East in the East End there are 3 other districts all having a mix of small shops, restaurants and bars. They are, from west to east, Riverside District (at Broadview Ave.), Leslieville (between Logan Ave. and Leslie Street) and the very popular Beach district (between Woodbine Ave. and Neville Park Boulevard).

Riverside District is a small shopping/restaurant district with some attractive old buildings such as the Queen/Saulter library building. The Broadview Hotel, an 1891 landmark in the district, has been renovated and converted into a boutique hotel. This district was once used as a movie set for the film Cinderella Man.

In Leslieville, an enormous revitalization effort has been under way, transforming an area once known for its booze-cans, cheap diners, and tacky furniture shops into one of the hippest up-and-coming areas in the city. A plethora of new restaurants, eateries, bars, bakeries and shops have made this a real gastronomic destination, and since it has been the centre of Toronto's film industry for years, the Queen East has finally reached a tipping point, drawing in hip, young, upwardly mobile people from all over the GTA, transforming the area from a low-rent backwater into a trendsetter reminiscent of Queen West in the early 1990s.

Further east on Queen Street, past Woodbine Ave., the long-established Beach neighbourhood (a.k.a The Beaches) attracts thousands of visitors during the summer, who dine and drink in its restaurants and bars, walk the boardwalk by the lake, sunbathe on the sand beach, bring the kids to the park at Kew Gardens, or walk around the residential streets with their unique homes and laid-back atmosphere.

These are not the only attractions the East End has to offer: there's also Chinatown East radiating from the intersection of Gerrard Street and Broadview Avenue, a smaller, quieter version of Spadina's Chinatown with many fresh food markets and restaurants; Gerrard India Bazaar (a.k.a. Little India) on Gerrard between Greenwood and Woodbine is especially lively in the summertime when South Asians from all over the GTA descend on the neighbourhood to catch a Bollywood flick at one of the only Bollywood movie theatres in the city, enjoy barbecued corn on the street, chew paan purchased from one of the specialized vendors, browse the many shops, jewelry stores, and sari boutiques, or eat in one of a number of South Asian restaurants.

Leslieville
Leslieville began as a small village in the 1850s, which grew up around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie and sons, after whom the community is named. Most of Leslieville's residents were gardeners or were employed at one of the brick-making factories in the area.

Alexander Muir, the composer of "The Maple Leaf Forever", was the first principal of the Leslieville Public School, one of the first buildings in the village. Muir was inspired when a brilliant maple leaf fell on his jacket from a Leslieville tree. Though the tree fell victim to a storm in the summer of 2013, the maple wood will be repurposed to honour its history.

Get in
Going east on Bloor Street by subway, bus or car, you cross the Prince Edward Viaduct made famous by the Michael Ondaatje book In the Skin of a Lion. This bridge used to be infamous for being used by people committing suicide. The city installed barriers to prevent people from jumping off the bridge into the Don Valley below. After you cross the Don Valley the street name changes to Danforth and there are lots of Greek restaurants. The main section of restaurants and cool shops is between Ellerbeck and Pape with Carrot Common (at Chester subway) being ground zero.

By subway
TTC Line 2 Bloor-Danforth has 4 stations to serve Greektown: Broadview, Chester, Pape and Donlands.

If you are approaching Broadview Station by subway from the west, then get on the very front of the train and look out the front window for a cool view of crossing the Prince Edward Viaduct. Kids love it. If the seats by the covetous rail fan window are occupied, then try to get a window seat on the right side of the train in order to see the view of the valley while on the bridge. There is a different view for each direction.

The Bloor-Danforth subway line 2 has a number of stations in the East End with connections to streetcars and buses to move people north and south from the Danforth. From Broadview Station, you can take the 504B King or 505 Dundas streetcar to Chinatown East, or the 504B King streetcar to Riverside District. From Woodbine Station, you can take the 92 Woodbine South bus to the west end of The Beach. From Coxwell Station, you can take the 22 Coxwell bus to Gerrard Street to visit Gerrard India Bazaar.

By streetcar
The 501 Queen streetcar serves the nearly the breadth of the East End, with bus connections to most of the stops on Bloor-Danforth subway line 2 between Pape and Coxwell stations. It directly serves Riverside District, Leslieville and The Beach.

The 504B King enters the East End from Downtown along King Street and then heads north along Broadview Avenue. terminating at Broadview Station on Bloor-Danforth subway line 2. It directly serves Riverside District, Chinatown East and the west end of Greektown.

The 505 Dundas enters the East End from Downtown along Dundas Street, and like the 504B, also heads north along Broadview Avenue to Broadview Station. It directly serves Chinatown East and the west end of Greektown.

The 506 Carlton mostly runs along Gerrard Street through the East End, all the way to Main Street where it turns north to terminate at the Main Street Station on Bloor-Danforth subway line 2. It directly serves Chinatown East and Gerrard India Bazaar.

By car
The Don Valley Parkway provides the easiest access from the Hwy 401. Head south on the DVP to the Bloor exit if looking to go to Greektown / the Danforth. Exit and follow the road up the hill and you will come to a light - turn left. You are at CastleFrank subway and about to cross the bridge which will become the Danforth once you pass Broadview.

If you're looking to go to the southern part of the East End (the Beach), exit at Lake Shore Blvd from Gardner Expressway. Follow Lakeshore Blvd east until it becomes Woodbine Ave and turn right onto Queen St East.

By bike
Alternatively, there is the bike path along Bloor which ends at Broadview/Danforth. This route allows you to stop in the middle of the Prince Edward Viaduct for a spectacular view of the Don Valley south to the lake including all the skyscrapers of downtown. Or another bike route is to travel along the Don bike path from north or south and exit the path at Pottery Road (long uphill warning) with the reward of Dairy Queen at the top of the hill. This DQ has one of the best views of the city. From the DQ head south on Broadview to the Danforth and then to the east.

The Beach

 * This section of Lake Ontario shoreline is known as the Eastern beaches, and includes, from east to west, Balmy Beach, Kew Beach, and Woodbine Beach. The 3.5-km Boardwalk winds along the beaches from Silver Birch Avenue to Ashbridge's Bay Park, west of Woodbine Avenue. The Boardwalk is a great place for strolling and people-watching, especially in the summer, when it's always a bit cooler at the lake than elsewhere in the city.

La dolce vita

 * The best thing to do on the Danforth is to find a sidewalk cafe and sit there drinking coffee, wine, beer and eat Mezes. There are plenty of options here and they all are well worth it.

Outdoor activities

 * Run, bike or inline-skate along the Martin Goodman Trail: The Beach-section of this trail, is a smooth asphalt path running parallel to the Boardwalk. The Martin Goodman trail is 20 km long in total, and is part of the longer 350-km Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail. It can be very busy on weekends.
 * Swimming in Lake Ontario. The most common concern is water pollution. Toronto's beaches are tested daily from June to Labour Day weekend. You can check the water quality at any of Toronto's beaches on-line or by calling the City of Toronto's hotline at +1 416-392-7161. The Toronto Police Lifeguard Service program supervises Balmy, Kew, Beaches Park, and Ashbridge's Bay-Woodbine Park Beach from the first week of June to Labour Day, 11:30AM to 6:30PM daily. Swimming in the lake poses some dangers: the lake bottom is uneven and there may be sharp objects in the sand, and there can be dangerous currents. Take note of warning flags, and never swim alone.
 * Discovery Walk. Take a self-guided tour of the Eastern Ravine & Beaches, (PDF map), including the Boardwalk, Ashbridge's Bay and the Glen Stewart ravine. This 9-km walk will take about 3 hours, but you can just do a section of it if you prefer.
 * Discovery Walk. Take a self-guided tour of the Eastern Ravine & Beaches, (PDF map), including the Boardwalk, Ashbridge's Bay and the Glen Stewart ravine. This 9-km walk will take about 3 hours, but you can just do a section of it if you prefer.

The Beach

 * There are lots of small, unique shops along Queen Street East in The Beach (a.k.a. The Beaches), from west of Woodbine Avenue all the way east to Victoria Park Avenue.

Gerrard India Bazaar

 * Venture into the East at the Gerrard India Bazaar (a.k.a. Little India) at Coxwell and Gerrard. Great for picking up bargains like an armful of bangles, and to shop for takehome souvenirs.

Eat
Here are listings by district within the East End.

Greektown & The Danforth
There is lots of choice for restaurants in Greektown. After dinner, the sidewalks lure many locals out for a casual stroll along the Danforth. It's a great way to spend a summer weekend evening.

The Beach

There are many restaurants along Queen Street East in The Beach.

Upper Leslieville
Upper Leslieville is located along Gerrard Street, north of Queen Street East.

Cope
Public washrooms are located along the beach at Balmy Beach (at the foot of Silver Birch Ave.), Kew Gardens (at the foot of Lee Avenue), Ashbridge's Bay Park, Woodbine Beach Park.

title: Toronto/East End


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Toronto/Etobicoke

Etobicoke (pronounced /ɛˈtoʊbɨkoʊ/, the last two letters are silent) is the westernmost of the six former Metropolitan Toronto boroughs before the city of Toronto was amalgamated in 1998. It is a predominantly suburban area, intersected by several major arterial highways, and home to a population of over 500,000. Most of the borough's industry is located in the northwest corner of Etobicoke, near Pearson International Airport in adjacent Mississauga. While a majority of this enormous chunk of land is single family-homes, there are also notable enclaves of high-density high-rises apartments in the north, and low-rise apartments along Lakeshore Blvd. in the south. Other exceptions include the neighbourhood surrounding Islington subway station, at the intersection of Islington Avenue and Bloor Street which was intended as a 'downtown-west' with a transit-oriented centre integrated with a high-rise office and condo project, and plenty of street-level restaurants and shops.

Continuing to the east along Bloor Street around its intersection with Royal York Road the affluent Kingsway neighbourhood is widely known for its high concentration of high-end restaurants and boutiques. The current City-Centre-West is located at the former Etobicoke City Hall at the intersection of Burnhamthorpe Road and Highway 427, however in 2017 a design competition will be held for a new City Centre adjacent to the Kipling Subway Station at the intersection of Kipling Avenue, Bloor Street West, and Dundas Street West (the 'Six Points' Interchange).

Some other well-known and popular neighbourhoods in Etobicoke are Markland Woods, the furthest residential community along Bloor Street West, the trifecta of Mimico-New Toronto-Long Branch, which cover the entire width along Lakeshore Boulevard from the Humber River to the border with Mississauga, and Rexdale-Thistletown-West Humber which cover the entire portion north of Highway 401.

As it was a separate municipality ('the City of Etobicoke') until 1999, this section of Toronto has clearly defined perimeters: the Humber River (which separates Etobicoke from Old Toronto, York and North York in the east), Etobicoke Creek/Eglinton Ave/Highway 427 (the border with Mississauga in the west), Steeles Ave (the border with York Region in the north) and Lake Ontario (in the south).

Understand
Etobicoke has some pocketed communities, such as the shops on Bloor Street West near the Royal York subway station. Abundant with restaurants such as the French Merlot, Spanish Barcelona's and Italian cuisine it is rather nice to take a stroll before dinner and experience some smaller, community oriented shops.

The Kingsway area has always been known for its opulence. Large, older homes have a lot of character and full-grown trees that canopy the roads in the area. They are particularly beautiful in the autumn season.

Surrounded by trails that connect Etobicoke's many parks, residents are often found jogging, bike riding or going for a stroll. The Terry Fox Run landmarks can be found throughout the trails.

The crown jewel of Etobicoke parks is Centennial Park, a 525-acre park inaugurated in 1967 on the occasion of Canada's centennial birthday. Today it offers Etobians myriad opportunities for: skiing, BMX biking, Frisbee golf, go-carts, a 27-hole public golf course & driving range, double indoor hockey rink, as well as hiking, trails, fishing, soccer and baseball fields, and plenty of free parking. It also plays host to many seasonal festivals including Ribfest and Jerkfest.

By plane

 * Toronto Pearson International Airport, on the city border with Mississauga, is served by two bus routes; both cross Etobicoke to reach the subway: Lawrence West (52) or Airport Express (900). A taxi from the airport to locations throughout Etobicoke costs $24-47.

By rail

 * Most intercity rail goes to Union Station in downtown Toronto, but a few "GO" commuter trains do stop in Etobicoke on their way into the city from points further west. Etobicoke's GO stations are on three different lines, which all converge in downtown Toronto at Union Station:
 * Long Branch and Mimico are on the Lakeshore line (Hamilton-Toronto-Oshawa daily), the summer weekend service to Niagara passes through without stopping here.
 * Kipling is on the Milton line (Milton-Mississauga-Toronto, weekdays) and connects directly to the otherwise little-used TTC subway station of the same name.
 * Etobicoke North is on the Kitchener line (Kitchener-Guelph-Georgetown-Brampton-Malton-Toronto, weekdays)

By intercity bus

 * Most intercity bus service ends at Bay/Dundas in downtown Toronto, although a handful serve Toronto Pearson Airport directly from Ontario cities such as Kingston and Peterborough
 * GO commuter bus services stop at the Etobicoke North rail station, at the Woodbine Mall and Racetrack (Hwy. 27 @ Rexdale Blvd) and at Dixon @ Martin Grove Rd.

By subway

 * Etobicoke is the western endpoint of Toronto's subway system and has four stations (Kipling, Islington, Royal York, Old Mill) on the Bloor-Danforth line 2.

By local bus

 * From Mississauga, Kipling TTC station is the main terminal for buses connecting to the subway. There is no free transfer from Mississauga buses to the TTC.
 * From Brampton (Züm) and Vaughan (York Region YRT, Viva), city bus connections lead to the Humber College North Campus in the northwest corner of Etobicoke.

Get around
With attractions spread out and free parking available at most places, car is the most common and easiest way to get around.

 * TTC,, provides local city bus, streetcar and subway system within metropolitan Toronto, including Etobicoke

Humber Bay Shores
The Humber Bay Shores neighbourhood has a beautiful series of inter-connected lakeside parks and walkways west of the Humber River in southern Etobicoke. There is about of walking distance if you decided to walk all the parks listed here. Thus, if either time or energy is in short supply, a short list would be: Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat, Humber Bay Park East (more attractive than Humber Bay Park West) and Mimico Waterfront Park. The following sites are listed in roughly east-to-west sequence.

Humber Bay Park consists of two man-made peninsulas each being a separate park, logically named Humber Bay Park East and Humber Bay Park West. Both protrude into the bay. The two parks are separated by Mimico Creek but connected by a pedestrian/cyclist bridge at the base of the two peninsulas. The east park is more rustic than the west park.

Mimico Waterfront Park is a promenade running along the lakeshore from Humber Bay Park West to Norris Crescent Parkette for a distance of 1.1 km. Some of the walkway is on footbridges over the water along the shore. Inconsistant park signage names the promenade as Humber Bay Promenade Park and Mimico Waterfront Park. Another sign says the promenade is a component of the much longer Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.

Do

 * A walk, jog and cycle path along the Etobicoke Creek (the Etobicoke-Mississauga border) stretches from Neilson Park Community Centre to Centennial Park. Millwood Park, near the centre of this path in the quiet residential community of Markland Wood, has some of Etobicoke's oldest growth forest and an oak tree that dates back over 300 years.

Airport hotels
A large hotel strip on Dixon Road in Etobicoke (which becomes Airport Road across the 427 freeway in Malton) serves air travellers; see Mississauga for a few additional hotels on the other side of the 427.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Toronto/Etobicoke


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Toronto/Harbourfront

The Harbourfront neighbourhood in Toronto encompasses the area from the lakeshore corridor railway line in the north down to Lake Ontario in the south and from Exhibition Place in the west to Parliament Street in the east. Nearly the entire neighbourhood is built on land reclaimed from Lake Ontario in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Understand
Toronto has always been a waterfront city, but the harbour was strictly industrial for most of the city's history. The original shoreline was further north than where it is today (close to Front St); parts of the harbour were filled from the 1800s onward, as the lakebed was dredged to accommodate larger ships, and new space was needed for shipping activities, factories, and warehouses. As the railways began to shape the region's economy, they also shaped the land along the waterfront, building a large yard between the harbour and the city's downtown as well as a network of tracks to serve industry.

After peaking in the mid-1900s, changes in transportation and manufacturing made Toronto's harbour less valuable to industry. Governments began planning for a waterfront with a mix of uses, eventually replacing many of the industrial and shipping facilities that separated the growing city from Lake Ontario. In the early 1970s, Ontario Place and the Harbourfront Centre opened to attract families and visitors to the lake on the west side of Yonge St, inspired by Expo 67 in Montreal and the plans for Granville Island and False Creek in Vancouver.

The east side retained its industrial character for a few more decades- the Redpath Sugar Refinery and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario warehouse only opened around 1950. By the 1980s, a warehouse block at Queens Quay and Jarvis St was a large nightclub complex that was an important part of Toronto's music scene until it was demolished in 2015, when it was known as The Guvernment. At that time, the east half of the Harbourfront was mostly empty lots and sprawling parking lots. Today, many of those lots have been redeveloped with typical Toronto residential towers, new parks, and a George Brown College, surrounding the sugar refinery.

Queen's Quay acts as the main street for the neighbourhood, with an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. Most of the shopping is in Queen's Quay Terminal, a large shopping and condo development which acts as something of a central point for the neighbourhood. The south side of Queen's Quay, along the lake's edge, is a series of slips separating large piers with a mixture of condo towers, repurposed warehouses and small parks.

In the summer, the neighbourhood is a buzz of activity with small concerts, festivals and markets in the park and plaza around Harbourfront Centre, cyclists and skaters crossing the downtown on the Martin Goodman Trail, and daytrippers catching ferries to the Toronto Islands across the harbour.

By streetcar
From Union Station, the Harbourfront and  Spadina streetcars run underneath Bay Street to an underground station at Queen's Quay West. Both routes then run above ground along Queens Quay. The 509 continues west until Exhibition and the 510 turns north at Spadina Ave, to the subway at Spadina Station. Some southbound streetcars from Spadina Station turn back at Queens Quay and Spadina Ave instead of continuing east to Union Station.

At Exhibition Loop/Exhibition GO, the streetcar connects to the  Bathurst streetcar, which runs between Exhibition and the Bathurst subway station. GO Transit's Lakeshore West line serves the adjacent rail station.

Dufferin Gate Loop, at the far north-west end of Exhibition Place, is served by about half of the streetcars on route King, in addition to buses on Dufferin Ave.

By bus
While Queens Quay West (west of Yonge Street) is well served by streetcar, only bus routes serve Queens Quay East. Bus routes 114 and 202 (seasonal) run from the east side of Union Station on Bay Street to George Brown College (between Sherbourne Common and Sugar Beach Park) beyond which there is little of visitor interest.

By subway and train
The nearest subway station is Union Station on Line. From there you can either take the 509 or 510 streetcars to Queen's Quay or you can walk south along Bay Street from Front Street, passing underneath the Gardiner Expressway. For more information on the subway and streetcar lines, visit the Toronto Transit Commission website.

Union Station is also the main terminus for GO Transit trains and buses, and intercity trains operated by VIA Rail. Most trains also stop at Exhibition GO, which is a short walk to destinations in the western half of the Harbourfront, such as Exhibition Place and Trillium Park.

By car
The Gardiner expressway runs the length of the harbourfront one block north of Queen's Quay and there are exits at Spadina, York, Bay, and Jarvis. There is a large parking garage underneath the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel and several commercial surface lots, including ones at Queen's Quay and York Street, Queen's Quay and Rees Street, on Bay Street across from the Air Canada Centre and on Queen's Quay next to the Redpath sugar refinery.

See
The Waterfront is massive redevelopment of the city's 46-kilometre waterfront in the city. The redevelopment of Queens Quay West was completed in 2015 providing a bicycle path and a wider pedestrian area. Toronto's waterfront is already quite spectacular, with galleries, walking trails and art, film and theatre complexes. Redevelopment of Queens Quay East is still underway, but there are a few sites to see east of Yonge Street.

Sites are listed from east to west.

Eat

Also check the Drink section for pubs serving meals.

Go next

 * Downtown East — follow Parliament St north under the Gardiner Expressway, at the east edge of the Harbourfront to explore the Distillery District.
 * Entertainment and Financial Districts — some of Toronto's most famous landmarks are found here, such as the CN Tower.
 * Kensington and Chinatown — Queen Street West is home to a range of independent and mainstream shops and restaurants. Further north, Kensington Market is a cluster of unique shops, bars and restaurants between Dundas and College Streets.
 * Toronto Islands — without the large buildings and traffic of downtown, biking, disc golf, swimming, or just having a picnic are popular activities. Centreville Amusement Park is a collection of rides and attractions, mostly for children.

title: Toronto/Harbourfront


text:
Toronto/Islands

The Toronto Islands is a large park with a small residential community in the City of Toronto. The park is a popular summertime daytrip for Torontonians who want to get away from the hustle of the city. They provide a spectacular view of Toronto's impressive skyline, and with no cars allowed, the area a favourite for cyclists, walkers and rollerblade enthusiasts.

Understand
Torontonians commonly refer to the islands as if they were one: "the Island", or "Toronto Island". In fact, there are three major islands, eight islands with names and several without names. Despite its name, Ward's Island is not an island but a peninsula of Centre Island, the main island. To add to the confusion, Centre Island Park is on Middle Island rather than Centre Island.

The many lagoons and waterways are populated by ducks and swans, and some areas are off-limits to people, designated as “wilderness zones” for migratory birds. Their charm extends to the residential neighbourhoods, year-round home to some 250 families, containing cottages from the 1920s and featuring English-style gardens.

Each island has its own atmosphere. Centre Island, which features huge picnic areas, an amusement park, greenspace, a maze, a beach, a chapel and award-winning gardens, is the most popular.

Winter
The island ferries are on a very reduced winter schedule from about late October to about mid-April. With the winter schedule, only the ferry to Ward's Island operates. Most eateries, facilities and attractions are closed during the winter, and only three washrooms remain open. Nevertheless, the park remains accessible, and for warmly-dressed and well-prepared visitors it can provide a peaceful solitude amongst snow and ice within view of the city's skyline. Remember that the island tends to be a few degrees cooler than the mainland, and strong lake winds can make it feel even colder. There are no heated shelters; expect to be outside from the time you step off the ferry until you're back on board for the return trip.

Shoulder season
The shoulder season is from about mid-April to the Victoria Day weekend (in late May), and from after Labour Day to about late October. The ferries service all 3 terminals on the island but not as frequently as in summer. The only eating establishments open may be the Riviera (former Rectory Cafe) and perhaps a Pizza Pizza stand at Centre Island. Bicycle rentals are available from May to September. However, as the month of May progresses, more establishments start opening mostly near the Centre Island ferry terminal.

Get in
Access to the islands is only via ferry, taxi or private yacht, and there is no access between the Toronto Island Airport and the rest of the Toronto Islands.

 * Ferries sound a very loud horn just prior to leaving the dock. If you are very close to the ferry slip, you may have a running chance of catching the ferry once the horn sounds. The loud ferry horn may startle some people, but consider it part of the ferry trip experience.
 * Ferries sound a very loud horn just prior to leaving the dock. If you are very close to the ferry slip, you may have a running chance of catching the ferry once the horn sounds. The loud ferry horn may startle some people, but consider it part of the ferry trip experience.

Get around
Walking or cycling is the main means of getting around on the islands. The roadways on the island resemble wide recreation trails, as only city and service vehicles are permitted. Lakeshore Avenue runs from Hanlan's Point ferry docks to Ward's Island Beach, via Gibraltar Point and Centre Island Beach. For most of the Ward's Island peninsula, it is a boardwalk right along the lake. East of the Centre Island beach, Cibola Avenue branches away from Lakeshore Ave to the Ward's Island ferry docks, following the city-side shore. From the Centre Island ferry docks, Avenue of the Islands leads to Lakeshore Avenue at the beach.

The distance between the Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island ferry docks is about  or about 90 minutes on foot, but this excludes any detour to visit the Centre Island Park on Middle Island.

From the Centre Island ferry dock, the pier, beach, and Lakeshore Avenue are about or a 10 minute walk. Hanlan's Point ferry dock is another from here, or Ward's Island ferry dock is.

The ferries and water taxis permit bicycles on board as long as space permits. During busy summer days, the Centre Island ferry is often busiest with larger groups, wagons and strollers. If cycling, it can be faster to take whichever ferry is leaving first with space on board, since it is quick to cycle between docks on the islands. Bicycle Rentals are available on Centre Island south of the Centre Island Ferry docks.

In summer, there is a Tram Tour (really a tractor train).

Do

 * Beaches:

Buy
Despite the presence of the island community, there are no shopping opportunities on the Toronto Islands.

Drink
Water fountains are available throughout the islands, typically along Lakeshore Avenue and near the ferry docks. They can be some distance away from the beaches; remember to pack a refillable bottle. Besides restaurants in Centreville and at Ward's Island, here are patios licensed to serve alcoholic beverages.

Sleep

 * Some residents of the Toronto Island Community offer "Bed and Breakfast" accommodation; expect to pay around $150-$250 per night.

Cope
There are three winter washrooms open to the public year-round: Other public washrooms are closed during winter. More washrooms are open in the warmer months especially in summer.

Connect
There is no post office outlet and probably no establishments offering free WiFi on the islands. It's best that you wait until you are back on the mainland to "connect".

title: Toronto/Islands


text:
Toronto/Kensington-Chinatown

Kensington Market and Chinatown are neighbourhoods in the western side of downtown Toronto. Kensington Market is one of the most eclectic and unique locations in the entire city. Everything from fresh food markets to restaurants and bars, vintage clothing boutiques, spice markets, and music shops are all contained in two small north-south streets and a handful of cross-streets. Chinatown, the second largest in North America after New York City, contains many Chinese and East Asian restaurants, shops and businesses. At the eastern edge of Chinatown is the acclaimed Art Gallery of Ontario. And south of these neighbourhoods is Queen St West and the Fashion District, home to both mainstream and independent shops.

Kensington Market
During the 1920s, Kensington Market was known as the Jewish Market, once a centre of Jewish life. But since then it has morphed into the centre of Toronto's bohemian scene. Visitors will be assaulted by sounds and smells unlike anywhere else in the city, as narrow streets bustle with immigrants, punks, and yuppies alike. Today, you can sense the city's rich, multicultural mix, obvious in the shops packed with goods from Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South America and Asia. A visit to Kensington is like a sensory trip around the world. It's also a treasure trove of vintage and second hand clothing shops, tucked in among eclectic restaurants and cafés.

Shopping in Kensington Market is centred along Augusta, Baldwin and Kensington as well as all along College Street. Many of the shops on Augusta tend to cater to a largely working-class clientele, with multiple shops selling tough, cheap clothing. Baldwin is focused mainly on food, with some of the finest butchers, grocers, bakers and fishmongers in the city. Kensington contains a jumble of Victorian row-houses housing second-hand clothing shops. College Street is packed with discount computer shops, particularly the closer you are to the university; further towards Bathurst Street, College becomes a centre of Latin-American restaurants and shops.

On Sundays throughout the summer the streets are shut down to motorists, and pedestrians take over the streets. There are frequently concerts, exhibitions of art (visual and performance), and occasionally political displays, which generally relate to ecology, going car-free, or anti-globalization.

Kensington Market is, first and foremost, a market: its shops are generally accepted as some of the finest in the city to purchase fresh food (especially cheese and meat), spices, vintage/thrift clothing and almost anything esoteric or exotic. Cash is often preferred by stores here, especially smaller shops. Some vendors do accept cards, but sometimes only above a minimum amount set above a single drink or snack.

The Market is also home to an eclectic art community, and there are several galleries, many of them free, offering constant shows of local talent. This is helped by proximity to OCAD (The Ontario College of Art & Design. If you see something in the sky that looks like the offspring of a crossword puzzle and a Rubik's Cube standing on pencil crayons, you're looking at OCAD.) There are no major concert venues in Kensington, but especially in summer, many cafes and restaurants offer live music; in particular, Supermarket (South of College on Augusta) is popular with young urbanites.

This is a very friendly enclave, but locals and regulars are protective of their independent stores, bars, cafes and restaurants, and chain businesses have not been welcomed along Kensington's streets. It's a great place to bring the kids and spend a day exploring the world, but it is not a shopping mall. It's gritty, it's real, and it's organic.

Chinatown
Chinatown runs along Spadina Street and is one of North America's largest Chinese districts. This ever-expanding area is home to ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and elsewhere. A wealth of oriental shops and fruit markets spills out onto the street, and a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants feature such delicacies as dim sum. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview/Gerrard area, and three other distinctive Chinatowns are located in the suburbs.

Queen Street West
The intersection of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue is at the northern end of Toronto's former Fashion District that ran south on Spadina Avenue to Front Street; however, the garment industry jobs have long since left for cheaper places. The area is pretty much gentrified now and is losing its hipsters to up-and-coming West End neighbourhoods, such as West Queen West and Parkdale, with fewer Starbucks' and lower rents. The neighbourhood is centred along Queen Street running from University Avenue to Bathurst Street. The section of Queen from University to Spadina has become something of an open air Eaton Centre with chain clothing stores such as Club Monaco and The Gap dominating; despite this, there are still enough diverse restaurants and quirky independent shops to make this section of Queen a worthwhile visit. Immediately west of Spadina still contains remnants of the textile industry: a great many fabric shops. Further west towards Bathurst Street, Queen West shops seem more oriented to serve the surrounding residential neighbourhoods, with cafes and grocery stores.

By transit
Kensington Market and Chinatown are accessible by a number of streetcar routes, all of which are operated by the TTC. The 506 Carlton runs along College Street from High Park in the west to Main Street station on subway line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) in the east, it runs through Church-Wellesley and Cabbagetown, Queen's Park, the University of Toronto and Little Italy and connects to subway line 1 (Yonge-University) at College and Queen's Park subway stations. For Kensington Market, get off at Augusta Avenue or Spadina.

The 510 Spadina runs from Union Station in the Financial District to Spadina subway station in The Annex. It has its own right-of-way, making it much faster than other routes and even driving, however it can be extremely crowded, particularly during rush hour. For Kensington Market, get off at Nassau Street.

505 Dundas runs mainly along Dundas Street between Dundas West and Broadview stations on subway line 2 (Bloor-Danforth), with connections to subway line 1 (Yonge-University) at Dundas and St Patrick stations.

Another option is the 501 Queen streetcar, which runs along Queen Street through the northern end of the former Fashion District, south of Chinatown. It runs with traffic so it can be extremely slow, and it can also be extremely busy. Just south of that is 504 King streetcar which runs along King Street. It has two routes with overlapping branches, 504A and 504B, and both routes serve the Kensington-Chinatown area. While 504 King is much further south than 501 Queen, 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton, 504 King can be a good option during rush hour because a portion of King Street (including the entire portion along Kensington-Chinatown) has restricted vehicle movements which provides a faster and more reliable transit experience.

The more adventurous can hike over from Queen's Park subway station to Kensington Market. Exit the station by taking a right, then a left, and walk West until you hit Spadina. You can either continue along College, taking you past the border of the University of Toronto campus, or cut Southwest and pass through quiet, but pleasant, residential areas. When you hit the streetcar line, do a block or two more to the West, and you'll be in Kensington.

Chinatown can be reached from the St Patrick subway station. It is about two blocks west along Dundas St.

By car
As Kensington is quite comparable to an open-air market, it's not an especially car-friendly place. There are "Green P" (Municipal) lots in the area, and there is street parking on most thoroughfares, but the sheer pedestrian volume (especially on weekends in summer) can make driving a daunting prospect. In particular, Kensington has "Pedestrian Sundays" in the summertime: any cars parked between noon and 7-10:00 PM (Depending on the location) will be towed to a local lot at the owner's expense.

If you must drive, park on Spadina or College instead. If you must drive through Kensington, keep an eye out for jaywalkers, and do note that most of the local streets are one-way.

By foot
Kensington Market is one of the most walkable neighbourhoods in the city. It is located immediately next to the University of Toronto and adjacent to Chinatown. College Street or Spadina Avenue are the best ways to access the area on foot as their sidewalks tend to be significantly wider than most in the city.

Grange Park
At or near Dundas Street West and McCaul Street.

Chinatown

 * The intersection of Dundas and Spadina is the most visible symbol of the Chinatown community. On weekends, especially, the sidewalks are crammed with open-air food stalls, vendors, and thousands of people from all backgrounds eager to shop, eat, and socialize.

Events

 * Chinese New Year. With the large Chinese population in Toronto, this event grows every year. One of the most accessible ways to celebrate is to attend the Dragon Dance Parade, which winds through the Dundas St. Chinatown (end of Jan. or early Feb.). Colourful dragons, over 20 ft. long and supported by 12 or more people, dance through the streets to bless the shops and restaurants. Drummers, whose constant beat drives away evil spirits, accompany the dragons.

Walking Tours

 * Because of its interesting history and unique nature, there are several tours covering the Kensington Market neighbourhood. Tasty Tours offers a Sweets Tour where you get to sample a variety of multi-ethnic sweets from different stores.

Kensington Market
The Kensington Market is a great place to find second hand clothing. There are many second hand and new clothing stores spread out through the market. On Kensington Ave, south of St Andrew St, houses on both sides of the street were converted to shops making the street look very bohemian.

Chinatown
In Chinatown, street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese, and there are two large shopping malls that cater to a large Chinese clientele – the Chinatown Centre and the Dragon City complex, both near Dundas and Spadina streets.

Queen Street West
Stroll along Queen Street West, between University and Spadina Avenues, where there is a mix of unique, eccentric stores and North American chains.

Banking
There are a cluster of major banks at Spadina and Dundas; don't mind the Chinese signage, the tellers also speak English, as do the ATMs. Many of Kensington's smaller shops will not accept credit cards or debit, so visitors are advised to bring at least some cash with them if they plan on doing any shopping.

Kensington Market
There are many places to buy food.

Kensington coffee shops
Kensington Market has perhaps the highest concentration of independent coffee shops in the city. Here are just a few of them:

Chinatown
The restaurants are a big attraction to visitors, as the familiar "North American Chinese" menu is all but non-existent here. Instead, chefs in the area produce a variety of authentic cuisines, including Szechwan, Hunan, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Their ingredients are purchased fresh from the stalls lining the streets. And it's not unusual to pass dozens of shop windows lined with barbecued pork, duck, steamed buns, and other more exotic fare.

There is an immense (and frequently changing) selection of restaurants in Toronto's Chinatown. Most are cheap, and many use plastic tablecloths that are picked up by the corners along with all the dishes. They may look bad, but the food is frequently excellent. If you're on a tight budget, this is a good way to go. Bakeries are particularly cheap and filling, and do offer many meat and veg options.

North of AGO
North of the art gallery, there are restaurants on the north side of Dundas Street, the west side of McCaul Street and on both sides of Baldwin Street (Baldwin Village) within 1 block west of McCaul Street. Baldwin Village is quaint with houses converted into restaurants and shops along a tree-lined street.

Drink
Kensington is a great place to go to find an out of the way quiet bar with cheap drinks and a friendly atmosphere. Spadina and Queen West have some of Toronto's best known bars for live music, like the El Mocambo and Horseshoe Tavern.

Sleep
Neither Kensington Market nor Chinatown are major hotel neighbourhoods, most visitors stay in hotels in other parts of the city. Yorkville is a nearby neighbourhood with many high-end hotels.

Go next
Here are a list of neighbouring downtown districts:
 * Entertainment and Financial Districts: CN Tower, Union Station.
 * Harbourfront: Harbourfront Park, harbour tours, Toronto Islands.
 * Yonge-Dundas: City Hall, Eaton Centre, Yonge-Dundas Square.
 * Yorkville and the Annex: Yorkville, Mirvish Village, Royal Ontario Museum, University of Toronto.

title: Toronto/Kensington-Chinatown


text:
Toronto/Midtown

Midtown is a district in Toronto north of downtown. It isn't an area with a large number of museums, theatres, or other tourist attractions - although there are a few sights to see. The best way to enjoy it is to pretend that you live there, and enjoy the shops, restaurants, and cafés. For this guide, we look at “Midtown” in a larger geographic sense. It includes what is considered the traditional neighbourhood of Midtown, Leaside, and the old borough of York. Rough boundaries are Davenport Rd in the south, Lawrence Ave in the north, the Humber River in the west and the Don Valley in the east. Midtown has two axes: Yonge Street is the north/south axis along subway line 1, and St Clair Avenue West is Midtown's east/west axis along the 512 streetcar line.

Understand
Toronto has many streets, or sections of streets, lined with shops, restaurants and the occasional pub. These streets are attractive walking areas that are easily accessible by public transit. Most are in the older parts of the city. Often the local "business improvement association" (BIA) gives the area a pleasant name and arranges little things such as sidewalk benches, potted plants and street decorations.

Yonge Street
Here are the mid-town retail areas along Yonge Street:

Rosedale/Summerhill/St.Clair is a 1.6-km section of Yonge Street stretching from Crescent Road at Rosedale Station, passing Summerhill Station to Heath Street, a short distance north of St. Clair Avenue and St. Clair Station on subway Line 1. The former Summerhill railway station at Schriviner Square is a landmark south of the subway's Summerhill Station. The steep slope on Yonge Street north of Summerhill Station was the shore of Glacial Lake Iroquois which existed here 13,000 years ago. If you climb the slope, take a look at Fire Hall 311, a national historic site built in 1911, on Balmoral Avenue near Yonge Street.

The Yonge & Davisville area stretches along Yonge Street from Merton Street near Davisville Station to Berwick Avenue in the north, 1 block south of Eglinton Avenue and Eglinton Station on subway line 1. This 900-metre stretch contains a number of restaurants.

The Yonge & Eglinton area has 2 strips. One strip runs 1.4 km along Yonge Street from Eglinton Avenue north to Glencairn Avenue. Uptown Yonge is cast in plaques at various sidewalk locations. A second, short strip with restaurants and bars runs along Eglinton Avenue East from Yonge Street to about Redpath Avenue.

Yonge-Lawrence Village is a 1.1-km strip along Yonge Street from Lawrence Avenue (Lawrence Station on subway Line 1) to Yonge Boulevard. (The name is on all the street name signs in the area.) This strip has shops, cafes and restaurants, most of which are north of Bedford Park Avenue. However, take a look at Fire Station 131 built in 1931 at the corner of Wanless Avenue and Yonge Street.

Here are the Mid-town retail areas near Yonge Street:

Mount Pleasant Village is a 800-metre strip along Mount Pleasant Road south of Eglinton Avenue East. (The name is on all the street name signs in the area.) This strip has shops (some specialty shops) and restaurants including two French-style patisseries. To access Mount Pleasant Village by public transit, take any eastbound bus from Eglinton Station on subway Line 1, or it's close enough from Eglinton Station to walk.

South Bayview is a 600-metre retail strip along Bayview Avenue one block south of Eglinton Avenue East. (The name is on all the street name signs in the area.) This strip has shops, cafes and restaurants including two French-style patisseries. To access South Bayview by public transit, take bus 11 from Davisville Station on subway Line 1.

St Clair Avenue West
The most interesting parts of St Clair Ave are west of St Clair West Station between Bathurst St and Lansdowne Ave where there are 4 retail areas with many shops and restaurants along the 512 streetcar line. Here are areas from east to west:

 * Wychwood Heights and Hillcrest Village are 2 contiguous retail areas with shops and restaurants, each with its own BIA. However, from a visitor point of view, they appear as one even using the same style of street name signs to brand the area. Both areas lie between Bathurst St on the east and Winona Avenue on the west.
 * Going further west after a short gap in the shops and restaurants, we come to Northcliffe Village between Oakwood Ave in the east to Northcliffe Blvd on the west. Most of its shops and restaurants are on the north side of St Clair Ave.
 * From Northcliffe Blvd on the east to Lansdowne Ave on the west lies Corso Italia which has a dense concentration of shops and restaurants on both sides of the street, and because of that concentration, this area is the most interesting of the four areas along St Clair.

Ethnically, there is a mixture of Italian, Portuguese and Latin American businesses in the 4 areas.

Neighbourhoods
Rosedale is generally considered to be among the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Canada and its narrow, tree-filled streets are lined with beautiful, turn-of-the-century mansions, with large front gardens. The generally accepted boundaries are: The CP railways tracks to the north, Rosedale Ravine to the south, the Don Valley to the east and Yonge Street to the west. While it serves as the neighbourhood's western boundary, Yonge Street also serves as the area's main street, filled with expensive restaurants and shops, and buzzing with nightlife.

Deer Park is centred on the intersection of Yonge Street and St Clair Avenue, both of which have a variety of large office buildings and restaurants. The boundaries of this neighbourhood are roughly defined as: the CP railway tracks in the south, the BeltLine trail in the north, Avenue Road and Oriole Parkway in the west and the Rosedale Ravine in the east.

Leaside is predominantly upper-middle-income families who value the neighbourhood as an ideal place to raise children. Leaside has abundant green space and parkland, a variety of schools, one of Toronto's shopping districts on Bayview Avenue, and access to public transit. Located northeast of Downtown Toronto, in the vicinity of Eglinton Avenue East and Bayview Avenue.

Part of the old borough of York, Weston is bordered on the north by Highway 401, on the west by the Humber River, and on the east by Jane St. and on the south by Weston Rd. Weston has a large Caribbean population, and is home to some of the best authentic Caribbean food in Toronto. The town's symbol is an old-fashioned bicycle, outlines of which are hung on streetlights on Weston Road. This originates from Weston once having a CCM bicycle factory, and being a manufacturing centre.

By subway
Taking subway line 1 along Yonge Street to Rosedale, Summerhill, St. Clair, Davisville, Eglinton, or Lawrence station will put you in Midtown Toronto.

Castle Frank station, on subway line 2 (Bloor-Danforth), provides connections to the Rosedale neighbourhood of Midtown.

Rail fans might want to view the Davisville subway yard at Davisville subway station from a pedestrian bridge crossing over the yard. The bridge is part of the Kay Gardner Beltline Park which runs along a former railway right-of-way.

By bus
Bus 82 runs from the Rosedale subway station, travels the neighbourhood and terminates immediately north of Rosedale; bus 75 terminates in the eastern end of Rosedale after serving Sherbourne Street through downtown.

By streetcar
The 512 Streetcar runs along St Clair Avenue from St Clair station to Weston Road. It operates in its own right-of-way with a raised curb between the streetcar tracks and regular traffic and a limited number of stops compared to regular services. As a result, the 512 Streetcar is an excellent way to see St Clair Avenue. The 512 Streetcar is often described as the midtown streetcar line.

By car
Coming from the 401, Yonge Street will take you through the heart of Midtown. Other exits, like Bayview Ave and Avenue Rd, will also provide access to the district. Eglinton Ave is the main east-west crossroad.

See

 * Toronto has a number of older, classic-looking fire stations located mainly in the central districts. If you are in the area as a tourist, you should take short detour to view their exteriors. One of the mid-town stations is a designated National Historic Site.
 * Toronto has a number of older, classic-looking fire stations located mainly in the central districts. If you are in the area as a tourist, you should take short detour to view their exteriors. One of the mid-town stations is a designated National Historic Site.
 * Toronto has a number of older, classic-looking fire stations located mainly in the central districts. If you are in the area as a tourist, you should take short detour to view their exteriors. One of the mid-town stations is a designated National Historic Site.

Do
Take a self-guided Discovery Walk through the area's parks, the Don Valley Ravines and Mt Pleasant Cemetery (Central Ravines, Belt Line & Gardens - PDF map). This walk is 11 km long and takes about 3 hours to complete. You can just do a portion of the walk if you prefer. There will be signs along the way to indicate that you're on the Discovery Walk route. For safety in the ravines, take a friend with you.

Yonge & Eglinton
The "Uptown Yonge" area along Yonge Street from Eglinton Avenue to Blythwood Road tends to have more of the larger stores than other Midtown commercial districts.

Mount Pleasant Village
There are several specialty shops in this area south of Eglinton Avenue.

South Bayview
Bayview Avenue south of Eglinton forms its own little village with some specialty shops.

Millwood Road
There are a couple of specialty shops located along Millwood Road east of Bayview Avenue.

Saint Clair Avenue West
There are clusters of shops along Saint Clair Avenue west of Bathurst Street, all lying along the 512 St Clair streetcar line.

Eat
There are a lot of restaurant choices in Midtown, ranging from some of Toronto's best (and priciest) restaurants to neighbourhood establishments. Midtown also has some of the best pastry shops in the city.

St Clair West

 * St Clair Ave west of Bathurst St; see also Yonge & St Clair.

Sleep
To say that there are very few accommodation options in the area would be an understatement. It's better to choose a downtown hotel and travel to midtown.

title: Toronto/Midtown


text:
Toronto/North York

North York is a suburb of Toronto that was a separate city until 1999 when six municipalities were merged into the present City of Toronto. North York has a unique charm being its own brand of multiculuralism. North York has a university, historical sites, parks, ravines, and various unique neighbourhoods.

Understand
The area of the former city of North York is demographically, ethnically and culturally diverse and can be classified into many areas or districts depending on one's perspective. Some examples appear below but many are largely generalizations that provide an incomplete perspective. Its name can be somewhat confusing as North York is located south of York Region but north of the former city of York which amalgamated along with North York to form the current city of Toronto.

North York has the following districts:

 * North York Centre. Yonge St, from Highway 401 to Finch. Rural in character until after World War II, this is the central business and cultural district. Home to a performing arts centre, movie theatres, shopping centres and other amenities, the area boasts a significant concentration of highrise condo buildings and an impressive skyline.
 * Koreatown North. Yonge St between Churchill Ave and Steeles Ave. Second largest population of Koreans in Toronto next to the downtown Koreatown, it is one of the largest congregation of Koreans outside of their native land. Developed starting in the early 1990s, this new Koreatown has many retail stores, Korean grocery stores (some quite large), karaoke bars (especially active on Fridays) and family restaurants catering to younger Koreans and those living in the north part of Toronto. Large numbers of Chinese live here as well. You'll find the Persian section bleeds into the Korean strip to the south.
 * Persian Section. Yonge St between Finch and Steeles. Many Persian grocers and restaurants line this section of Yonge Street, while the residential streets house a large Persian population. Some of the cheapest and best Shish Kebabs, Halva, and Baklava can be purchased here. You'll find the Korean strip bleeds into the Persian Section to the north.
 * The Peanut. Don Mills Road, between Sheppard and Finch Ave, this community has a significant public housing population, immigrants and refugees, sole-support families and youth. It has been an area with a notable level of criminal activity.
 * York Mills. Yonge St and Leslie St, Lawrence Ave to Highway 401. Home to the famous Bridle Path, lined with multi-million dollar estates and mansions, this area boasts the highest household incomes in Canada. Also home to Glendon College, part of York University.
 * Lawrence Manor. Allen Rd to Avenue Rd, Briar Hill Ave to Highway 401. Developed in the 1950s, this is the heart of Jewish Toronto, when many Toronto Jews moved out of the city core. Many orthodox Jews live on the residential streets off Bathurst, which is lined with synagogues, Hebrew schools, bookstores, delis and kosher markets.
 * Little Moscow. Bathurst from Sheppard to Steeles and Steeles from Dufferin to Yonge. Known for its Russian populace, with a large Russian Jewish population, one will find various stores with Russian signs. As in its multi-ethnic namesake city, there are Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, and other ethnic groups from the former USSR. It has grown significantly since the breakup of the USSR and has swollen into Thornhill and Richmond Hill.
 * Downsview. Downsview was a farm in the 1870s near the present-day intersection of Keele Street and Wilson Avenue. It now extends beyond the intersection of Sheppard Avenue and Dufferin Street, in the former City of North York. The area includes several large post-World War II subdivisions. It includes Downsview Airport, the former site of Canadian Forces Base Downsview, which has been largely converted into Downsview Park. The airport is still used as a manufacturing and testing facility for Bombardier Aerospace.
 * Jane and Finch Corridor. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Black Creek Ravine to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north within Downsview. The Jane-Finch community has long been a media darling, with attention focussed on crime and gang activities. While there is little doubt that Jane-Finch has crime, there are other areas of North York and Toronto which have similar challenges. It also has one of the highest proportions of youth, sole-supported families, refugees and immigrants, low-income earners and public housing tenants of any community in Toronto. In January 2009, there was an effort to return to its original community name of University Heights to get rid of its notorious tag.
 * Flemingdon Park is bordered on the north by Eglinton Avenue East, on the west by the Don River (west branch), and on the east and south by the Don River (east branch). The 2 branches of the Don join at the neighbourhood’s southwest corner. The south border is a parkland access road that used to be known as Old Lawrence Avenue. The community derives its name from its first European owner, Robert John Fleming, the mayor of Toronto in 1892-1893 and 1896-1897, and the nearby Don River. This is another community with a significant crime rate, and highest proportions of immigrant, low income and sole-support families.

Public transit
Line 1 Yonge-University runs in a 'U' shape, travelling from North York south along Yonge Street, through the downtown area to Union Station, then travelling north through North York to the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto.

Using the eastern arm of Line 1 from south of Finch station, Central North York is easily accessible by transit to and from downtown from stations Sheppard-Yonge, North York Centre and Finch stations. York Mills station also serves North York, but is south of the North York city centre. Finch subway station is also a regional hub hosting Viva express buses from York Region, GO commuter buses and a large number of TTC buses.

The western arm of Line 1, south from Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, has a number of stations serving North York: Pioneer Village (on Toronto's and North York's northern boundary), York University, Finch West, Downsview Park, Sheppard West, Wilson, Yorkdale, Lawrence West and Glencairn stations. Yorkdale Station has a GO bus terminal and a pedestrian link to Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

The street levels of the northern six subway stations on the western arm of Line 1 from Downsview Park to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre are architecturally interesting. You must exit the station at ground level to appreciate them: to do this, you should have a day pass or use a Presto card to take advantage of the 2-hr unlimited stopovers. If time is short, York University and Pioneer Village are recommended, and these two stations are within walking distance of each other.

Subway Line 4 Sheppard is entirely within North York. It connects with Line 1 Yonge-University at Sheppard-Yonge Station and travels east to Don Mills stations. Bayview Village Mall is next door to Bayview Station, and Fairview Mall is adjacent to Don Mills Station.

Other areas of North York are not served by rapid transit (subways). Some areas are well served by bus, with waiting times as little as 5 minutes between buses, while other areas are less well served, resulting in times as long as 20 to 30 minutes between buses, particularly outside rush hours.

York Cemetery
York Cemetery is a large park-like cemetery, divided into eastern and western sections by Senlac Road. It officially opened in 1948 although the first burial occurred in 1946. It has several points of interest for visitors.

Do

 * Golf: Oakdale Golf & Country Club has 27 holes. It hosted the Canada Open in Aug 2023 and will do so again in 2026.
 * Cricket is played at the Cricket, Curling and Skating Club at 141 Wilson Ave off Hwy 401. Canada doesn't play full Test matches, but plays 50- and 20-over internationals, usually here or occasionally at Maple Leaf CC in King City ON.
 * Golf: Oakdale Golf & Country Club has 27 holes. It hosted the Canada Open in Aug 2023 and will do so again in 2026.
 * Cricket is played at the Cricket, Curling and Skating Club at 141 Wilson Ave off Hwy 401. Canada doesn't play full Test matches, but plays 50- and 20-over internationals, usually here or occasionally at Maple Leaf CC in King City ON.

Learn

 * York University founded in 1959 as an offspring of the University of Toronto, is one of three universities in Toronto and is quite excellent in its education offerings. Some would say that its northerly location in the suburbs of the city give it a homey feel while its structure and landscape are breathtaking. Others feel that it is remote and lacking in architectural distinction. Visiting the university is easy as it has its own on-campus subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University.
 * Glendon College, part of York University, but located on its own, very green and historic campus, is home to a bilingual faculty of liberal arts along with a few graduate programmes. It also has links with College Boreal, the French-language community college serving southern Ontario. It can easily be reached by bus routes 124 and 162 from Lawrence station on Line 1 Yonge–University.
 * Seneca College is the main community college serving North York (though Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning attracts many students from the western part of North York especially). Seneca has several campuses, the largest in the eastern section.

Eat
There are dozens of plazas and strip malls in North York that beg for exploration. Don't be dissuaded by visions of suburban purgatory! If you have your own transportation, you can explore and sample tasty authentic Persian, Middle Eastern, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Jewish, Chinese, Caribbean, Indian, Latin American or classic diners and more. Often at better prices and greater quality than downtown strips. When multiculturalism is talked about in Toronto, it is the areas of North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke.

Stay safe
Like any major city, North York (as part of Toronto) has its share of crime, though far less than the rate found in American cities of equal (and even smaller) size. While it is easy to name specific areas (Jane and Finch, Don Mills and Finch) these are based as much on local legend as police data. Additionally, they tend to be out of the way and purely residential areas and so most tourists will have little reason to venture to them. A lot of the crime is gang-on-gang and in the wee hours. Practice good safety routines, keep your wits and you'll be fine. Plan your route ahead of time as best you can, stay in well-lit areas and avoid walking alone at night in deserted areas. Feel free to enjoy late night events, sights, sounds and smells in areas with lots of people. All said, North York is generally one of the safer areas of Toronto, and there is little to fear. If you seem lost or confused, simply ask someone!

title: Toronto/North York


text:
Toronto/Scarborough

Scarborough is the easternmost of the six former municipalities which formed Metro Toronto.

It includes all if the City of Toronto east of Victoria Park Avenue, including the city's zoo and a stretch of Lake Ontario and Rouge River shoreline (as its southern and eastern borders, respectively).

Understand
As late as the 1950s, "Scarborough Township" was largely rural. A piece of road from Oshawa to the current Highway 2A in Scarborough's east end had been built as freeway by 1939, but until 1956 this traffic poured onto Scarborough surface streets such as Kingston Road (at the time, the main motel strip for traffic from the east) or Danforth Avenue on its way across the Don River into Toronto. As the city grew, suburbs gradually sprawled north through Don Mills, east into Scarborough and westward through Etobicoke and across the county line to Mississauga, largely following the freeways and an east-west subway line first opened in 1966. Toronto surpassed Montréal in size sometime after 1976, becoming Canada's largest city. As the easternmost point still within Metropolitan Toronto, the city of Scarborough was unofficially nicknamed "Scarberia" through much of the 1980s. In the 1990s Agincourt, a neighbourhood in the northern portion of Scarborough, was nicknamed "Asiancourt", as it had become a third Toronto Chinatown, accommodating an influx of immigrants arriving from Hong Kong before its 1997 retrocession to communist China.

Since then, huge amounts of suburbia have sprawled northward into Markham and eastward into Durham as the city expanded. The six former Toronto boroughs, from Scarborough to Etobicoke, were annexed to the City of Toronto in 1998.

Get in
All Toronto-bound traffic from points eastward (such as Montréal) enters the city by road and rail through Scarborough.

By car
The borough's major freeway is Ontario Highway 401, Canada's busiest highway. Twelve lanes of chaos are packed at peak hours with motorists from the eastern suburbs (such as Pickering and Oshawa in Durham) all flooding into the city at once.

The north-south Highway 404/Don Valley Parkway does not enter Scarborough, but runs just west of it. Exiting the 404/DVP onto any of the eastbound cross streets, from Steeles Avenue south to the lakeshore, should take you across Victoria Park Avenue into Scarborough.

By train

 * VIA Rail stops at the Guildwood GO Transit station on Kingston Road on its way into Toronto from Ottawa and Montréal.
 * GO Transit offers regular commuter train service to Toronto and throughout the GTA (from Oshawa to Hamilton or Niagara). Main train connections are at the Rouge Hill, Guildwood, Eglinton, and Scarborough stations. The Stouffville line offers limited rush hour service to and from downtown Toronto with stops at Milliken, Agincourt and Kennedy stations in Scarborough.

By bus

With the temporary closure of the Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal until about 2030, the following bus services have various on-street, curb-side stops near Scarborough Town Centre (mall) and near on Line 3 Scarborough:

Get around

 * The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides bus and subway service throughout Scarborough and all of Toronto. On subway Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, all stations from Victoria Park to Kennedy Station serve Scarborough.
 * In 2023, Line 3 Scarborough/Scarborough RT was replaced by buses and will not reopen.
 * Bicycle routes cover most of Scarborough as well as the rest of Toronto. You can rent a bike with Bike Share Toronto. With a day's worth of cycling, it is possible to cycle most of Scarborough.

Shopping districts

 * Kennedy Avenue from Lawrence Avenue East to Ellesmere Avenue is a commercial district featuring dozens of independent furniture, electronic, houseware and computer businesses that all share some of the best deals the city has to offer, together with a couple of large electronic chains. It is often very congested on weekends by automobile, and many merchants lack adequate parking, but it is within walking distance of the Scarborough RT and there is bus service from the Kennedy subway station on the Danforth line. This is not really a destination for tourists, and it's quite a drive from the city centre, but if you're in the area, and want to do some discount shopping, there may be something here to suit your needs.

Stay safe
High lake levels in 2017 have resulted in landslides along the Scarborough Bluffs. Thus, visitors are advised to stay away from top edge and lower base of the bluffs. Safe access to the water is provided at Bluffer's Park, Sylvan Park, Guild Park and Gardens, or East Point Park.

Go next

 * Markham has two attractive main streets.

title: Toronto/Scarborough


text:
Toronto/Yorkville and the Annex

Yorkville and The Annex are two neighbourhoods along Bloor St where downtown Toronto meets midtown. Helped by the University of Toronto and the stately homes in the area, the district has a different feel than the downtown neighbourhoods to the south with their modern condos and busier lifestyles. So take a walk along Bloor St, browse through the designer boutiques in Yorkville or take an afternoon (or a day) to roam the halls and exhibits of the Royal Ontario Museum.

The Annex
The Annex is one of Toronto's oldest neighbourhoods and its first streetcar suburb, characterized by its distinctive tall narrow houses, lively community along Bloor Street, and indeed its name. Considered a food and shopping mecca, this district is well known by Torontonians as one of the friendliest neighbourhoods in the city. Due to the proximity of the neighbourhood to the University of Toronto and Central Technical School with its famous art school The Art Centre - there is a large population of students and faculty, the commercial strip along Bloor Street has quite the feel of a college neighbourhood (albeit an affluent one). Most of the commercial activity in the neighbourhood takes place along Bloor St, which is filled with small restaurants, pubs and bookshops. The side streets are mostly residential, with long, narrow townhouses to the south of Bloor and large, stately mansions to the north. The borders of the neighbourhood are, to some extent, debatable, however, less so than many other neighbourhoods in the city. The eastern and western boundaries are generally agreed to be Avenue Road and Bathurst Street respectively and the southern boundary is generally agreed to be Harbord Street. The northern boundary is generally considered to be Dupont Street.

Yorkville
During the 1960s, Bloor-Yorkville served as the centre of Toronto's hippie culture. After large scale development in the 1980s and 1990s, it has become Toronto's upscale shopping district, containing boutiques dedicated to haute couture. It has also become a focal point during the Toronto International Film Festival, making the area "ground-zero" for celebrity watching.

Along the narrow Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue, between Bay Street and Avenue Road, you will find smaller but expensive independent clothing stores. Near the corner of Yorkville Avenue and Hazelton Avenue, you will also find a number of private art galleries with more on Dupont Street near the northern end of Hazelton Avenue.

In 2018, the Yorkville is being redeveloped again as condo towers are beginning to replace the low-rise buildings that give the neighbourhood its character.

The Mink Mile
Bloor Street from Yonge Street to Avenue Road is known as the "Mink Mile" for its pricey, high-end stores such as Tiffany and Holt Renfrew.

Discovery District
Much of the district is synonymous with being Toronto's Discovery District, so named as it contains many of Toronto's most important centres of education, such as the University of Toronto (U of T), the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Ontario Museum. Canada's foremost centres of medical research are also located in this neighbourhood, with several of Canada's most prestigious hospitals arranged in a row along University Avenue between College and Dundas Streets.

Get in
Yorkville and the Annex are within walking distance of many major attractions and a central point for the Toronto's subway system. Streetcar and bus connections link the subway stations to the surrounding neighbourhoods.

By car
From the Don Valley Parkway: exit at Bloor Street, follow Bloor Street West to Spadina.

From the 401: exit at Allen Road. Follow Allen Road south until Eglinton. Turn left on Eglinton, and right on Bathurst. Follow Bathurst to Bloor. Or: Exit the 401 at Avenue Rd., proceed south to Bloor St, where you make a right turn and continue until you reach spadina.

From the Gardiner Expressway: exit at Spadina. Follow Spadina north until Bloor St.

Parking: Finding a parking space on Bloor Street or any of the side streets is extremely difficult at the best of times and basically impossible during regular business hours. There is one parking lot in the neighbourhood, a commercial one just off Bloor Street, on Lippincott Street, one block east of Bathurst Street.

By subway
The neighbourhoods are well-served by the subway. Subway line 1 (Yonge-University) runs to Spadina Station; the St George Station on the same line is several blocks east of the Annex. Museum and Queens Park stations provide access to the University campus and some of the museums.

Subway line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) runs underground immediately north of Bloor Street, it stops at Spadina Station and Bathurst Station, on either end of the Annex, while the Bay and Yonge-Bloor stations access Yorkville. The Spadina and Bathurst stations have transfer-free connections to 510 and 511 streetcars respectively.

By streetcar
The 510 Spadina LRT Streetcar runs from Union Station south to Queen's Quay in the Harbourfront neighbourhood, along which it runs west to Spadina, it then runs north on Spadina to Spadina Subway Station where it connects to the Bloor-Danforth line. The 510 runs entirely in its own right-of-way. The 511 Streetcar runs from Exhibition Place in the Harbourfront neighbourhood, along Fleet Street to Bathurst, it then runs north on Bathurst to Bathurst Subway Station. The 511 runs with traffic for most of its route.

Route 506 runs along College, Carlton and Gerrard Streets from High Park to the west to Main Street station to the east. It runs across the southern edge of the University of Toronto and connects with the subway line 1 (Yonge-University) at College Park and Queen's Park.

By bus
Route 94 runs along Wellesley, Hoskin and Harbord from Castle Frank station to Ossington station and connects with the Yonge line at Wellesley station. It runs straight through the U of T campus and stops at the north end of Queen's Park.

Route 5 runs along University Avenue and Avenue Road from the coach terminal to Eglinton station, connecting with the University-Spadina line at Queen's Park and Museum. This route runs straight through Queen's Park.

Route 6 runs along Bay Street from Queen's Quay to Yorkville, stopping at Union station and Bay station as well as the coach terminal. This route runs along the eastern edge of the U of T campus.

By bike
There are bike lanes running east-west on Harbord and College Streets. Bloor St is also quite bike friendly despite not having a bike lane. There are poles reserved for bike locking along all major streets, including Bloor.

Get around
This area is very walkable and cyclists can easily navigate around the neighbourhoods. It is well served by public transit. Driving is not advised due to expensive parking, many one-way streets and turn restrictions. Park your car and walk.

Yorkville
Yorkville has a mix of Victorian and modern buildings with many Victorian houses having been converted to shops, eateries and offices. On summer days, the neighborhood is crowded with locals and visitors alike.

University of Toronto
The University of Toronto St George Campus lies immediately south of Yorkville and The Annex. With its green spaces and many interlocking courtyards, the campus forms an urban park of 71 ha. Most buildings on the eastern and central portions of the campus were built between 1858 and 1929 using a combination of Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture.

Central campus
The central campus lies between Queens Park Crescent and St George Street, and can be reached by taking the 506 Streetcar to McCaul St. The courtyards within the surrounding walls of the University College and Knox College buildings may make you feel that you are within Harry Potter's Hogwarts.

Eastern campus
The eastern campus lies on the east side of Queens Park separating it from the rest of the university. It contains two colleges with several older buildings. Museum Subway Station is adjacent to the eastern campus.

Western campus
The western campus lies between St. George Street and Spadina Avenue and contains a mix of old and modern buildings. It can be reached by the 506 streetcar at Beverley Street or St George Street, or by the 510 streetcar to Willcocks Street.

Do

 * Annex Neighbourhood Stroll. If you're interested in Victorian architecture, the Annex is a great place to just wander. The area includes countless detached and semi-detached homes, most built in the elegant Victorian style at the turn of the century. North of Bloor are the mansions, south of Bloor are the rowhouses; both are equally worth a look. Admiral Road and Elgin Avenue are particularly attractive.

The Annex
True to its bohemian character, The Annex is dotted with small bookshops and independent record stores centred around Bloor and Bathurst. You'll find the predictable headshops and ethnic/tribal stores, but there are also some truly exceptional places to shop.

Bloor-Yorkville
Bloor Street between Avenue Road and Yonge Street is often called "the Mink Mile" because of its cluster of expensive, high-end stores. Along Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue, one and two blocks north of Bloor Street respectively, there are rows of shops, restaurants and art galleries.

The Annex
The Annex has more restaurants packed in per square metre than any other part of the city. Keeping true to Toronto's multicultural flavour, you're likely to find sushi restaurants, pizzerias and falafel stands within a few steps of each other. Whatever you crave, you can find it in the Annex.

Splurge
The expensive restaurants tend to be found in Yorkville just north of the Mink Mile.

Go next
Here is a list of adjacent districts:
 * Downtown East: Church-Wellesley Village, Cabbagetown.
 * Kensington-Chinatown: Kensington Market, Chinatown, Art Gallery of Ontario.
 * Midtown: Casa Loma
 * West End: Koreatown, Little Italy, High Park
 * Yonge-Dundas: Yonge-Dundas Square, City Hall

title: Toronto/Yorkville and the Annex


text:
Toronto/West End

The West End of Toronto is bounded roughly by Bathurst St to the east, St Clair Avenue to the north, the Humber River to the west and Lake Ontario to the south. The West End covers a vast swath of Toronto and includes ethnic enclaves and quiet, residential neighbourhoods inhabited largely by recent immigrants to Canada. The West End has undergone explosive growth and gentrification, and is quickly becoming one of the hottest areas in the city in which to live.

Understand
The neighbourhoods of the West End are some of the most diverse in the city, owing to its significant immigrant population and also to the gentrification of former industrial areas and formerly rundown neighbourhoods.

From the early 1900s, Italian immigrants who worked in railway and road construction began buying up affordable Edwardian-style homes and opening up shops along College Street, in the area now known as Little Italy. The neighbourhood has become popular with young professionals because of its great restaurants and cafes, vibrant nightlife, and proximity to the downtown core. More recent Italian immigrants have chosen to settle a little farther north, along St. Clair Avenue, in an area known as Corso Italia.

Little Italy also has a strong Portuguese presence. However, that presence is more visible along Dundas Street with neighbourhoods marked as Little Portugal and Rua dos Açores (street of the Azores) on the local street name signs. You can find authentic churrasqueiras (Portuguese BBQ restaurants) in these areas.

Ossington Village is an area of shops and restaurants between Queen Street and Dundas Street. Prior to gentrification, this was a semi-industrial area with a number of automotive servicing shops of which the only one is still in business; another has been converted into a restaurant with the dining room in the former service bays. Some Portuguese businesses are found towards the north end of the area.

High Park is a huge park on the west side of the district having gardens as well as naturally wild landscapes. There is also a pond big enough to be considered a small lake. The 506 streetcar ends just inside the park in a rustic setting.

Just east of High Park lies Roncesvalles Village, named after a valley in northern Spain, which, oddly enough, is the heart of the city's Polish community where you will find Polish restaurants and pastry shops.

North of High Park, centred on the corner of Dundas Street and Keele Street, you'll find The Junction, so named because of the railway lines that meet in this neighbourhood.

Along Queen Street west of Bathurst Street, formerly run-down neighbourhoods have been gentrified becoming very trendy locales. East of Dufferin Street is the ultra-hip West Queen West neighbourhood, an area home to many of the city's hottest bars, lounges and cafes, including the ever-popular Drake and Gladstone Hotels. Going west of Dufferin Street, we pass through Parkdale, the new "it" neighbourhood, with its antique shops and quaint Victorian-style homes.

South-east of King Street and Dufferin Street is Liberty Village, a former industrial area that used to be crisscrossed with railway tracks that served the many factories in the area. With gentrification, the factories in the eastern part of Liberty Village were demolished and replaced by condominiums. The central portion of the area became a small shopping area. On the western side, the factories have largely been preserved but converted to house numerous small businesses.

Adjacent to Mirvish Village is Koreatown between Bathurst Street and Christie Streets (just west of The Annex and north of Little Italy). The neighbourhood is home to dozens of Korean (and Japanese-Korean) restaurants and bars, as well as Korean grocery, clothing and bookstores.

Much further west, past High Park, lies Bloor West Village, an area with quaint shops, lovely grocery stores with fruits and flowers piled high outside and a wide variety of restaurants line Bloor Street from Jane Street to Runnymede Road, while older houses, many in the American Craftsman style, line the area's side streets. The area has a Ukrainian presence with its Annual Ukrainian Festival in September.

By subway
The West End is served by Bloor-Danforth subway line 2. Dundas West station is a major transit hub for the area, providing connections to streetcar lines, buses, and GO Transit commuter trains at the Bloor GO station.

By streetcar
Streetcars run across much of the West End, making it easy to get around.

The 501 Queen route runs along Queen Street from The Beach, through the downtown core, the West Queen West and Parkdale neighbourhoods, and out to Etobicoke and the Mississauga border in the west.

The 504A King route runs along King Street, through Parkdale's southern edge, and north through Roncesvalles Village to the Dundas West subway station. (Route 504B King terminates on Dufferin Street at Exhibition Place.)

The 505 Dundas route serves Little Portugal and connects to the Dundas West subway station.

The 506 College route runs along College Street and passes through Little Italy on its way to High Park. It has connections to Main Street in the East End, and the College and Queens Park subway stations.

By car
Bloor St, Dundas St and Queen St provide east-west transit across the breadth of the West End and connect it to Etobicoke in the west and downtown and the East End to the east. From the 401, heading south on Dufferin St or Jane St (via the 400) will bring you to the West End. From the Gardiner Expressway, the Jameson Ave exit will put you in Parkdale.

By bus
Bus 63 runs along Ossington Ave and Bus 29 runs along Dufferin St.

Bus route 47 runs from Yorkdale Mall to Parkdale along Lansdowne Ave, also serving Lansdowne station on Bloor-Danforth subway line 2.

By train
Some GO Transit trains stop at the Bloor GO station, adjacent to the Dundas West subway station. UP Express, the train that operates between Toronto Pearson Airport and Union Station in downtown Toronto, makes a stop at the Bloor GO Station as well.

By bicycle
College St has bicycle-only lanes on either side of the street, one of the only major streets with bicycle lanes downtown. There are numerous poles to which you can lock your bike all along College St. The bike lanes run next to parked cars, therefore it is important to watch for drivers opening doors.

There are dedicated bicycle lanes along Bloor Street starting at Runnymede into downtown.

See

 * just south of the
 * just south of the
 * just south of the
 * just south of the

Bloor Street West

 * Koreatown (the Bloor-Bathurst and Bloor-Christie area) has a heavy concentration of karaoke lounges.
 * Koreatown (the Bloor-Bathurst and Bloor-Christie area) has a heavy concentration of karaoke lounges.
 * Koreatown (the Bloor-Bathurst and Bloor-Christie area) has a heavy concentration of karaoke lounges.
 * Koreatown (the Bloor-Bathurst and Bloor-Christie area) has a heavy concentration of karaoke lounges.

The Junction
The Junction is the area around Dundas Street West and Keele Street north of Bloor Street. Dundas Street itself is a typical Toronto main street with local bars and restaurants sharing the street with shops and apartments. The north and east parts of the Junction are the old industrial areas lining the two railways. Many industries have now left the area in favour of more modern facilities in the suburbs, and it is now a hub for local beer (luckily for this new beer scene, prohibition was repealed in the year 2000 - the last community in Southern Ontario to do so).

Go next
Here is a list of adjacent districts:
 * Entertainment and Financial Districts: CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, Roy Thomson Hall, Union Station.
 * Etobicoke: Islington Village
 * Kensington-Chinatown: Kensington Market, Chinatown, Art Gallery of Ontario.
 * Midtown: Casa Loma, Corso Italia
 * Yorkville and the Annex: Royal Ontario Museum, University of Toronto, Yorkville.

title: Toronto/West End


text:
Toronto/Yonge Street

Yonge Street (pronounced "Young") is the main street of Toronto, Canada. It divides the city into east and west streets. Numbering for east-west streets begins at Yonge Street and increases in either direction.

Begun in 1794, it is one of the oldest streets in the city, but few of its current buildings date back to much before 1900.

Within the City of Toronto, Yonge Street is roughly long.

Under Yonge Street runs the eastern branch of Line 1 Yonge–University, serving nearly the entire length of the street in Toronto. You can drive along this street if you want (give up trying to find parking), but the smart way to explore Yonge is on foot, with a TTC day pass to whisk you between the spots you want to see.

Understand
Until 1999, the Guinness Book of World Records repeated the urban myth that Yonge Street was the longest main street in the world, running from Toronto's harbour to Lake Superior, a distance of. It was erroneously assumed that Yonge Street ran the full length of provincial highway 11 (actually, it only runs a distance of to Barrie, Ontario on Lake Simcoe). Nonetheless, the myth is enshrined by a bronze map set into the sidewalk at the southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets.

History
Yonge Street was fundamental in the original planning and settlement of western Upper Canada (now Ontario) in the 1790s, forming the basis of the concession roads in Ontario today.

The street was named by Upper Canada's first colonial administrator, John Graves Simcoe, for his friend Sir George Yonge, an expert on ancient Roman roads.

Yonge was a member of the British Parliament, and acted as Governor of the Cape Colony (South Africa) for a short period from 1799 to 1801. He never visited Toronto or Canada.

Districts
Here is a brief description of Yonge Street as it passes each district from south to north:

 * Harbourfront: Yonge Street starts at the water's edge at Harbourfront. A long sidewalk plaque at the foot of Yonge Street promotes the myth that Yonge Street is the world's longest street.
 * Financial District: The section of Yonge between Front and Queen Streets passes through the Financial District typified by large office buildings, most of them built in the 1970s or later, but with several beautiful older exceptions. If you want to have a good look at the skyscrapers of the Financial District, walk west from King Subway Station to the corner of King and Bay Streets.
 * Yonge-Dundas: The area between Queen and Dundas Streets is dominated by the Eaton Centre shopping mall and, at Dundas Street, by the flashy Yonge-Dundas Square. The east side has two historic performance venues, the Ed Mirvish Theatre and the stacked Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. In addition, Massey Hall is located just to the east on Shuter Street. From College Street north to Bloor Street, Yonge Street serves smaller street-level retail, mostly in two- to three-storey buildings of a hundred years' vintage. The businesses here, unlike the large chains which dominate south of Gerrard Street, are mostly small independent shops and serve a dense residential community on either side of Yonge Street with amenities such as convenience stores.
 * Yorkville: Yonge Street crosses the "Mink Mile" at Bloor Street, a strip of very expensive stores near the equally upscale Yorkville district.
 * Midtown: Toronto's Midtown is characterized by multiple local shopping/restaurant strips consisting mostly within two-storey buildings with apartments on the second floor. In the strip along Rosedale, Summerhill and St. Clair subway stations, you will see a few sights such as the architecture of the former North Toronto Railway Station and Balmoral Fire Hall built in 1911. The intersection at Eglinton Avenue has become a focal point, serving as a high-density residential, commercial and transit hub.
 * North York: At Hoggs Hollow, a steep ravine beside parkland, Yonge Street crosses into North York. After passing Highway 401, shops again line Yonge Street. However, north of Finch Avenue, Yonge Street starts to look more suburban with retail strip malls until it leaves Toronto at Steeles Avenue.

title: Toronto/Yonge Street