Avenue Road

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Avenue Road is a major north-south street in Toronto, Ontario. Its name is considered unusual and contradictory-sounding by some Torontonians; Robert Fulford once wrote that it "sounded like an identity crisis with pavement."^[1] However, it is a common street name elsewhere, notably London, where at least 40 streets bear this name^[2]. The road is a continuation of University Avenue, linked to it via Queen's Park and Queen's Park Crescent East and West to form a single through route^[3] which was formerly Ontario Provincial Highway 11A.

Avenue Road, the western limit of the former town of Yorkville, officially begins at Bloor Street and ends just north of Highway 401. At its southern terminus, it runs between two of Toronto's major hotels, the Park Hyatt (on the northwest corner of Bloor and Avenue Road) and the Four Seasons Hotel. On the northeast corner of the intersection with Bloor is the Church of the Redeemer. For much of its length the road is fairly residential, with a mix of small businesses, as well as a few large schools and churches. A notable site along this "lower section" is the Hare Krishna Temple, formerly the Avenue Road Church, opposite Dupont Street. Just north of St. Clair Avenue, Avenue Road is interrupted by Upper Canada College, ending at Lonsdale Road and resuming again at Kilbarry Road. The primary traffic route runs east of the school, following widened sections of Lonsdale Road and Oriole Parkway and returning to Avenue Road via Oxton Avenue. (The short section of Avenue Road from Kilbarry to Oxton is an ordinary two-lane side street.)^[3].

North of Eglinton Avenue, the former St. James-Bond Church can be seen. This building, once housing two prime downtown congregations – St. James Square (formerly Presbyterian), and Bond Street (formerly Congregationalist) – was built in the late 1920s, and closed in June 2005. It has since been demolished. It is rumoured that author Ian Fleming was inspired to name Agent 007 (James Bond) after seeing the sign for this church (although this is not confirmed). Near Lawrence Avenue is Havergal College, a large, private girl's school. Although in the former city of North York, much of the area considers itself part of North Toronto.

Avenue Road ends at Bombay Avenue, just after crossing Highway 401 (exit 367)^[3]. Originally Avenue Road continued from what is now the interchange by angling northeast via the Hogg's Hollow Bridge (across the Don River West Branch) to end at Yonge Street; this section of the road was incorportated into highway 401 when it was constructed in the 1950s.

A few miles north of Toronto's Avenue Road, there is a separate Avenue Road in Richmond Hill, running almost due north of the Toronto one.

[edit] Trivia

There is a joke about how Avenue Road got its name. According to local legend, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe was surveying the old town of York and came to a spot on Bloor Street and pointed north. He said (in an English accent), "Let's 'av a new road!"