Downtown Toronto

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Downtown Toronto as seen from the north on a clear summer night
Downtown Toronto as seen from the north on a clear summer night

Downtown Toronto is the heart of the City of Toronto. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street (including areas slightly north of Bloor around Yonge Street) to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west. Downtown Toronto contains the headquarters of many Canadian companies. Downtown has a large residential population. In recent years numerous large high-rise condominiums have sprung up throughout the area, catering to the growing number of people looking for a downtown lifestyle.

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[edit] Neighbourhoods

The Bloor Yorkville area has more than 700 designer boutiques, spas, restaurants, hotels, and world class galleries.

Downtown Yonge is a relatively concentrated area, located in the centre of the downtown core. It is easily accessible by car, regional transit, and public transit, with 6 subway stops and 6 streetcar lines. It is the home of a large concentration of retail, with shopping available at the Eaton Centre, on Yonge Street, and throughout the district. Within the Downtown Yonge area alone there are more than 600 retail stores, 150 bars and restaurants, and 7 hotels. In recent years the area has been experiencing a renaissance as the Business Improvement Area (BIA) has brought in new retail, created Dundas Square, and improved the cleanliness. Shopping can be found at Atrium on Bay, College Park, the Toronto Eaton Centre, Yonge Street and the PATH. For entertainment there are four theatres and four indoor venues. Historical sites and landmarks include the Arts & Letter Club, the Church of the Holy Trinity, Mackenzie House, Maple Leaf Gardens, Old City Hall, and the Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre.

The area of Old Town Toronto is where Toronto began and features heritage buildings, theatres, music, dining and many pubs. It is a community of distinct downtown neighbourhoods including the site of the original Town of York, which was Toronto's first neighbourhood, dating back to 1793. The area boasts one of the largest concentrations of 19th century buildings in Ontario. Of particular note are the St. Lawrence Hall, St. James' Cathedral, St. Michael's Cathedral, St. Paul's Basilica, the Enoch Turner School House, the Bank of Upper Canada, Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel, and the Gooderham Building. Old Town is bordered on the west by the St. Lawrence Market, rated one of the world's 25 best markets by Food & Wine Magazine, and to the east by Corktown and the Distillery District. On Saturday there is a farmers market.

The Entertainment District is home to hundreds of restaurants, nightclubs, sporting facilities, boutiques, hotels, attractions, and live theatre. The district encompasses eight square blocks and experienced a revival in the early 1980s, becoming a major centre for entertainment. The area, once in decline, was fully refurbished with the assistance of the Mirvish family, including the rescuing of the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The district hosts Toronto's four major league sports teams in its two largest stadiums within three blocks of each other. Most of the shopping in the area can be found in the PATH.

The PATH Underground, which is an extensive network of tunnels connecting the buildings of the area, helps take people from off the streets, especially during the winter months.

Among the important government headquarters there is the Ontario Legislature, and the Toronto City Hall.

[edit] Notable sites in Downtown

The downtown core, during the day, looking down from atop the CN Tower, November 2005
The downtown core, during the day, looking down from atop the CN Tower, November 2005
The downtown core, at night, from looking down from atop the CN Tower
The downtown core, at night, from looking down from atop the CN Tower

[edit] Subdistricts

Aerial view of downtown
Aerial view of downtown

[edit] Architecture

In the 1970s, Toronto experienced major economic growth and surpassed Montreal to become the largest city in Canada. Many international and domestic businesses relocated to Toronto and created massive new skyscrapers in Downtown. All of the Big Six banks constructed skyscrapers beginning in the late 1960s up until the early 1990s.

Today Downtown Toronto contains dozens of notable skyscrapers. The area's First Canadian Place is the tallest building in Canada at height of 298 metres (978 feet). Once the tallest free-standing structure in the world, the CN Tower, is the tallest landmark in Toronto, standing at 553.33 metres (1,815 ft., 5 inches). Other notable buildings include Scotia Plaza, TD Centre, Commerce Court, the Royal Bank Plaza, The Bay's flagship store, and the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

[edit] Education

The University of Toronto, established in 1827, is the oldest university in the province of Ontario and one of the world's leading public research institutions. The St. George campus is located in downtown Toronto. The area is also home to a number of other post-secondary educational institutions including Ryerson University, George Brown College the Ontario College of Art & Design and the Royal Conservatory of Music. There are many public schools of the TDSB (Toronto District School Board) in downtown Toronto.

[edit] Retail and transportation

Downtown Toronto is home to the flagship department stores of The Bay and Sears Canada (formerly Eaton's). The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large, multilevel enclosed shopping mall and office complex. It houses 330 stores and the building itself occupies several blocks.

The most famous and busiest road in Toronto is Yonge Street, which starts at the end of Lake Ontario and runs through Downtown, continuing north all the way to the city of Barrie, Ontario. Other streets like Dundas, Bloor, Queen, King, and University are very popular also. The Toronto Transit Commission is the Toronto area system of public transportation.

A TTC streetcar on Dundas Street.
A TTC streetcar on Dundas Street.

Important streets in Downtown:

[edit] Trains

[edit] Commuter

[edit] Subway

[edit] Streetcar

[edit] Regional

[edit] Buses

[edit] Highways

[edit] Gallery

Toronto City Hall.

Yonge Street.

Yonge-Dundas Square.

Roy Thomson Hall, and the towers of the financial district

The Toronto-Dominion Centre.

The Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is located at the corner of Front & Yonge in downtown Toronto

The Royal Ontario Museum.

[edit] External links