Toronto Neighbourhoods

Introduction

Intersting building in Toronto

© pd_yatri

Each of Toronto's neighbourhoods has a unique character, a mix of ethnicities and new blood moving into the neighbourhoods.

Chinatown

The main Chinatown is centered around Dundas and Spandina. Very large with many good restaurants, and tons of opportunites for discount shopping.

Kensington Market

Kensington Market, just west of Chinatown, bordered by College on the north, Dundas on the South, Kensington Street on the east and Bellevue on the west, the market is a very lively place where hippies, hipsters, latinos, West Indians, East Europeans, Portuguese, Chinese and more all mix together. There are lots of restaurants, including many vegetarian options, and more discount shopping.

Queen Street West

Queen Street West, running from vaguely from Spadina to Bathhurst, has lots of funky shops and restaurants.

Entertainment District

The Toronto Entertainment District is home to hundreds of restaurants, nightclubs, sporting facilities, boutiques, hotels, attractions and live theatre. The district contains two of Toronto's main theatres, the Royal Alexandra and the Princess of Wales Theatre. At night, the area comes alive with young kids hitting the nightclubs along the area. The Entertainment Distrct is loosely the area from King Street south to Front Street street, bounded in the Spadina in the west and University Street in the east.

The Annex

The Annex, centered around Bloor Street West and Spadina, is close to the University of Toronto. There are lots of places full of students and good patios to have coffee/beer. If you go further west you'll hit Korean business area and Honest Ed's, a very large discount store you'll ever see.

Little Italy

Little Italy runs along College Street, west of Bathurst. Tons of bars and restaurants with a number of cuisines more than just Italian.

The Danforth

"The Danforth" (also known as Greektown), along Danforth Ave from Broadview to Pape. Good restaurants and shopping.

Little India

Little India, on Gerrard Street between about Greenwood and Coxwell has an Indian bazaar that can bring to mind all the sights and sounds of India.

The Beach

The Beach or The Beaches - Queen Street East at about Woodbine - If you want to go somewhere a little quieter but still urban, you can take a walk along the lake, then go to the somewhat yuppie cafés on Queen.

Yorkdale

Yorkdale, running along Bloor from Yonge Street to Avenue Road, has some of the highest end shopping in all of Toronto. It might not have much for the bargain seeking shopper, but there are some nice patios in the area.

Gay Village

The Gay Village, centered around Church Street and Wellsley Street, is a lively area full of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered bars and restaurants, though most of the bars are "hetro-friendly" for straight visitors.

Casa Loma

Named after the renowned Gothic Revival hilltop castle and its gardens, Casa Loma is a posh residential area offering serene streets lined with Edwardian, Tudor and Georgian houses. This neighbourhood also features the sprawling Sir Winston Churchill Park, with its hiking and dog park, plus 19th-century manor house Spadina Museum and contemporary plays at Tarragon Theatre. It’s a very walkable, low-crime area with ample medical care, solid schools, and beautiful parks.

High Park-Swansea

High Park-Swansea is famous for its abundant greenspace for which it's named. High Park (the largest public park in Toronto) offers an escape from the urban jungle without ever really leaving it. It's This neighbourhood is bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, High Park to the east and the Humber River to the west. With easy access to the Queensway, the nearby St. Joseph’s Hospital and a healthy helping of green space, this neighbourhood is like catnip for young, working families. It's one of the most sought after and covetable neighbourhood in Toronto with high real estate prices.

Riverdale

Riverdale is one of the larger neighbourhoods in Toronto. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south. "Riverdale" can refer to a smaller area or a larger area around it as well. The smaller, core area of Riverdale refers to the stretch of Toronto east of the Don Valley Parkway and west of Jones, between Danforth Avenue (north) and Gerrard Street (south). This area is occasionally referred to as "North Riverdale" or prime Riverdale. "Riverdale" sometimes is used to refer to a much wider area that includes "South Riverdale" and less frequently areas east of Jones. This area includes many smaller communities, usually centered around a 'high street' or commercial area. There are buzzy restaurants along the Danforth, shopping deals galore on Gerrard and great schools, both public (Withrow Avenue) and private (Montcrest).