Downtown Toronto
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Main article: Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the heart of metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, Parliament Street to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west. Downtown Toronto contains the headquarters of many companies.
Downtown has a large population of residents. In recent years numerous large high-rise condominiums have sprung up throughout the area, caterting to the growing number of people looking for a downtown living lifestyle.
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 3 subway stops and 3 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 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. Jame's Cathedral, St. Paul's Basilica, the Enoch Turner School House, the Bank of Upper Canada, Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel, and the Flatiron Building. Old Town is bordered on teh 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 oter. 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, expecially during the winter months.
Among the important government headquarters there is the Ontario Legislature, and the Toronto City Hall.
Important sites in Downtown
- Air Canada Centre
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Bathurst Street Theatre
- Canadian Broadcasting Centre
- Canon Theatre
- Casa Loma
- CHUM-City Building
- Dundas Square
- Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres
- Exhibition Place
- Fort York
- Four Seasons Centre
- Harbourfront Centre
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- Kensington Market
- Maple Leaf Gardens
- Nathan Phillips Square
- Old City Hall
- Ontario Place
- Osgoode Hall
- PATH Underground
- Princess of Wales Theatre
- Queen's Park
- Ricoh Coliseum
- Rogers Centre
- Royal Alexandra Theatre
- Royal Ontario Museum
- Roy Thomson Hall
- St. Lawrence Market
- Toronto City Hall
- Toronto Islands
- Varsity Arena
Subdistricts
- The Annex
- Bay Street (The Financial District)
- Cabbagetown
- Chinatown
- Church and Wellesley (The Gaybourhood)
- Corktown
- Distillery District
- The Fashion District
- Harbourfront
- Gardens District
- Kensington Market
- Mirvish Village
- Queen Street West
- Old Town of York
- Portlands
- Regent Park
- Riverdale
- St. James Town
- St. Lawrence
- Toronto Islands
- Yorkville
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). 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). Technically, it is not a skyscraper. 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.
Education
There are many public schools of the TDSB (Toronto District School Board) located in Downtown Toronto. There are also a number of post-secondary educational institutions including the University of Toronto St. George campus, Ryerson University, and George Brown College.
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 Dowtown, 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.
Important streets in Dowtown:
- Queen's Quay
- Lakeshore Boulevard
- Front Street
- King Street
- Queen Street
- Dundas Street
- Gerrard Street
- Carlton Street / College Street
- Bloor Street
- Bathurst Street
- Spadina Avenue
- University Avenue
- Bay Street
- Church Street
Trains
Commuter
Rapid Transit
Street Car
Regional
Buses
Highways
External links
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