Downtown
Toronto |
Kensington
market
Between Dundas and College Streets, west
of Spadina Avenue. TTC: Queen's Park station, then take streetcar westbound.
During the 1920s, it was known as the Jewish Market; today it is a mixture
of Caribbean and Portuguese influences. A visit to Kensington is a whirlwind
trip around the world! It's also a treasure trove of vintage and second
hand clothing shops, along with restaurants, cafés and food stores.
Chinatown
At the corner of Spadina Avenue
and Dundas Street West. TTC: Spadina Station, then streetcar southbound.
This ever-expanding area is home to ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Singapore,
Taiwan, Vietnam and elsewhere. With a wealth of oriental shops and outdoor
fruit markets, it's known for a vast selection of authentic Chinese
restaurants. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview
Ave. and Gerrard St. East area.
St. Lawrence Market
Corner of Jarvis and Front Streets.
TTC: Union Station, then walk east. The area — also known as the
Old Town of York — is the site of the city's original market.
Though popular most of the week, the market comes to life on Saturdays.
Farmers, food and flowers — always a winning combination! This
historic area also has numerous old warehouses that have been converted
into residences, stores, restaurants and pubs.
Financial District & Underground
City
Bounded by Queen Street, Front
Street, Yonge Street and Avenue Road. TTC: King, Union or St. Andrew
Stations. Dozens of towering glass, concrete and steel monoliths are
a must-see for architecture enthusiasts. Toronto's Financial District
is actually quite compact and walkable, even in bad weather. That's
because of the “underground city” — 11 kilometers
(6 miles) of interconnecting passageways under the streets that feature
more than 1,200 retail stores and services. Street entrances to the
subterranean walkway are indicated with “PATH” signage.
Queen Street West
Queen Street West, between Yonge
Street and Bathurst Avenue. TTC: Queen Station, then walk or take the
streetcar westbound. Queen West is one of the city's more popular shopping
districts. It features trendy restaurants, cutting-edge fashion, galleries,
antique shops and dance clubs. One of the landmarks is the City-TV building,
a local television studio with many events that spill out onto the street.
Fashion District
Spadina Avenue between Dundas and
Front Streets. TTC: King Station, then streetcar westbound. Toronto's
garment district has terrific bargains on local fashions and fabric.
Harbourfront
Queen's Quay between Bathurst and Jarvis
Streets. TTC: Union Station, then streetcar southbound. Before 1972,
this was a wasteland of warehouses. Now it's a residential and cultural
neighbourhood popular year-round. Highlights include specialty shops
at Queens Quay Terminal, cultural facilities at Harbourfront Centre,
a terrific lakeside walking trail, and the Harbourfront Antique Market.
Cruises of the harbour and ferry services to the Toronto Islands run
from the waterfront as well.
Toronto Islands
TTC: Union Station, then walk southbound
on Bay Street to the Ferry Terminals. The three main islands offer a
quaint summer amusement park; paddleboat and bike rentals; in-line skating
paths, and grass and beaches for picnics. Best of all, there are no
cars! Summer cottages from the 1920s are home for some 250 families,
and feature charming English-style gardens. The Islands are a 10-minute
ferry ride from the docks located at the foot of Bay Street.
|
Midtown
Toronto |
Yonge
& Eglinton
Yonge Street from Eglinton Avenue to Glencairn
Avenue. TTC: Eglinton Station. The Toronto Vegetarian Association's office
is in this busy neighbourhood nicknamed “young and eligible”
after its population of young professionals and number of bars and restaurants.
Bloor/Yorkville
Bounded by Bloor Street West, Avenue Road,
Davenport Road and Yonge Street TTC: Bay Station. Thirty years ago,
this area was home to flower children; today it's strictly for the upper
crust. One of Toronto's more elegant shopping and dining areas, Yorkville’s
designer boutiques, antique shops and galleries are absolutely first-class.
The area features a warren of small courtyards and alleyways, including
a contemporary park located in the very heart of the neighbourhood.
Make sure you visit the “Rock," a huge piece of granite trucked
hundreds of miles from the Canadian Shield!
Church & Wellesley
Area surrounding Church and Wellesley
Streets. TTC: Wellesley Station, then walk east. This predominantly
gay neighbourhood is host to Canada's largest annual gay and lesbian
Gay Pride Celebrations. Find lots of bars, shops and restaurants, along
with the Buddies in Bad Times gay theatre.
The Annex
Bloor Street between Avenue Road
on the east and Bathurst Street on the west. TTC: Bathurst, Spadina
or St. George Stations. So named because it was annexed to the City
of Toronto in 1887, the Annex has excellent shops, restaurants and clubs.
TVA’s old offices were in this area.
Cabbagetown
East of Parliament Street, between
Wellesley Street and Dundas Street East. TTC: College, then streetcar
eastbound. Once a working-class enclave, Cabbagetown is now a gracious
neighbourhood of renovated Victorian homes and lovely parks. Highlights
include the turn-of-the-century Riverdale Farm (site of the original
Toronto Zoo) and Allan Gardens, with its botanical collection in a beautiful
Victorian-style greenhouse.
Rosedale & Forest Hill
Adjacent neighbourhoods located
north of Bloor Street, between Yonge Street and the Don River. Home
to many of Toronto's most established (and monied) citizens, these park-like
districts feature winding streets lined with magnificent homes of impregnable
solidity, well-tended gardens and secluded parks.
Little Italy
College Street between Euclid Avenue
and Shaw Stret. TTC: Queen's Park Station, then streetcar westbound.
This lively neighbourhood (actually more Portuguese) is the spiritual
home of Toronto's Italian community, which has for the most part migrated
further north. It's packed with trattorias, trendy restaurants and cafés
and a few more traditional poolhalls. Like Greektown, Little Italy's
sidewalks are jammed on weekends, especially in the summer, when all
of Toronto, it seems, is sipping espressos on outdoor patios. (see also
Corso Italia.)
|
East
Toronto |
Greektown
Danforth Avenue between Chester and
Jones Avenues. TTC: Chester Station then walk eastbound. A large collection
of restaurants feature authentic Greek cuisine in this lively area, which
also features a fascinating mix of specialty shops. “The Danforth”
(its local nickname) is also a night owl's haven with clubs and cafés
open until the wee hours.
Indian Bazaar
Gerrard Street, around Coxwell
Avenue, Greenwood Avenue and Main Street. TTC: Coxwell Station, then
streetcar southbound on Main Street. Find Indian food restaurants, grocers
and shops that specialize in traditional saris and brightly-coloured
scarves.
The Beaches
Queen Street West between Coxwell
and Victoria Park Avenue. TTC: Queen Station, then streetcar eastbound.
Antique shops, clapboard cottages and quirky stores and restaurants
typify the Beaches. The beachside boardwalk is crowded with joggers,
dog-walkers and picnickers, and the beach itself is packed in the summer.
Home to students, professors and media types, the Beaches has a laid-back
attitude unlike anywhere else in town.
|
West
Toronto |
Corso
Italia
St. Clair Avenue between Landsdowne and Westmount
Avenues. TTC: St. Clair West, then streetcar westbound. Known for its
fashionable shops that reflect what's hot in Europe. Top-of-the-line Italian
fashion shops draw crowds, as do a multitude of cafés and restaurants
offering the cuisine of various italian regions.
Little Poland
Roncesvalles Avenue between King
Street West and Dundas Street West. TTC: Dundas West Station. An enclave
of Eastern European and Russian residents, this area specializes in
traditional cuisine, plus bakeries, cafés, and special events from the
“old country.” St. Casimir’s is the largest Polish
church in Canada.
Portugal Village
Area bordered by Trinity Bellwoods
Park, College Street West, Spadina Avenue and Ossington Avenue. Toronto's
large Portuguese and Brazilian community is focused in this neighbourhood,
with dozens of bake shops, restaurants, cheese stores, and fish markets,
especially along Dundas and College Streets. The community is also well
represented in Kensington Market.
Koreatown
Bloor Street West between Bathurst
and Christie Streets. TTC: Bathurst Station. Shops stocking exotic herbs,
acupuncture centres, and Korean restaurants abound here, although few
Koreans actually live in the area.
Caribbean
Eglinton Avenue West between Marlee
Avenue and Keele Street. TTC: Eglinton West. Traditional West Indies
foods and fashions with reggae and calypso music stores.
|
Suburban
Toronto |
North
York
TTC: North York or Sheppard stations.
This energetic area features its own “downtown” around the
Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue intersection. It's home to fantastic
restaurants, a large commercial theatre complex and great shopping. Mel
Lastman Square often features free summer concerts.
Etobicoke “eh-toe-bi-coh”
This area lies between the airport
and downtown. Although primarily residential, there are several excellent
shopping centres and specialty shops in the neighbourhood. It also contains
the beautiful James Gardens, Humber river parklands and the multi-faceted
Centennial park.
Scarborough
Situated east of downtown, Scarborough
includes the fantastic Scarborough Bluffs, dramatic cliffs rising from
Lake Ontario. It also features wonderful hiking through the Rouge River
Valley and the famous Toronto Zoo. The Chinatown in Agincourt has grown
steadily in the last 20 years and features restaurants, grocery stores
and other chinese-owned businesses.
|
Bordering
on
the GTA |
Halton
Features include: Glen Abbey Golf
Club, Canada's most prestigious public course; the beautiful 2,700 acre
Royal Botanical Gardens; Springridge Farm, with its seasonal fare, crafts
and farm animals, and the Bruce Trail, a spectacular hiking path along
the Niagara Escarpment.
Peel
Features include: the Living Arts
Centre in Mississauga; the Dixie Outlet Mall; The Sega Playdium, and
the rolling Caledon Hills.
York
Features include: the McMichael
Canadian Art Collection, home to the celebrated Group of Seven; historic
Unionville, and Lake Simcoe, in the heart of Ontario's cottage country.
Durham
Features include: Parkwood Estate
& Gardens, a 55-room mansion with breathtaking gardens, and Ganaraska
Ranch, with horseback riding available through an 11,000-acre forest.
|