Enjoy the neighbourhoods of Old Town Toronto

Corktown was populated in Victorian times by Irish immigrants, who in 1822 founded the Roman Catholic Church, St. Paul's, was later constructed, in 1889, as a marvel of historic Toronto architecture, The St Paul’s Basilica. The area contains Victorian homes on side streets, and is home to Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, built in 1848 and Little Trinity Anglican Church constructed in 1844, it is the City's oldest Church. The Blackburn Federal and Provincial Heritage site commemorating the success of Underground Railroad immigrants, is there at Eastern and Sackville Sts. The Business and Residents Assoc. can be found at www.corktown.ca

The Town of York began in 1793 with the proclamation of John Graves Simcoe. Today this area of the original ten blocks contains a few historic buildings which includes some of George Brown College. It also offers much of the Home Décor sector, see Town of York Historical Society under links and Home Décor Heaven menu. Contact them at
http://www.townofyork.com

The Gooderham and Worts, Distillery District contains the largest selection of Victorian industrial buildings in North America The Distillery District is the home of artisan shops located along the south edge in a warehouse facilitated by “Artscape”. There are some more of our famous Home Décor shops here. Also, you will find several specialty stores, fine art galleries and restaurants. The owners are focused on the construction of condominiums and do not often participate with others in the Old Town.

The St Lawrence Neighbourhood is centered along The Esplanade, the original waters edge of Lake Ontario. This area was developed in the 1970s from a Brownfield of stockyards and railroad sidings. It is the most successful of such projects and is studied by urban planners even today. The mixture of City Homes, Cooperatives and Condos provides a healthy mix of incomes and ages. The Esplanade park strip connects the St Lawrence Market to the Distillery District. The community centre and swimming pool for Old Town is located right in the middle. The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA)is the one of the largest and most active residents groups in the City, certainly in Old Town Toronto. www.slna.ca

Parliament Square

Upper Canada’s first Parliament buildings where located at Parliament and Front St. East They burnt down by the Americans in the War of 1812. British troops then raided Washington D.C. and burnt the President’s residence. It was quickly whitewashed to cover the embarrassment and hence gained the name “The Whitehouse”. This rich place of history is presently covered by a car wash and Porsche dealership. Heritage activists are working (for many years) to reclaim the site.
If you are able to view the site, you maybe able to envision how wonderful a location this could be. To the south is The Esplanade and the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood you can see the Distillery as well. To the west are the Victorian faces of the Canadian Opera Company and the Berkeley St Theatre, home of the Canadian Stage Company, and just down the street the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People. To the east is the Toronto Library supply building and the renovated Consumers Gas building now 51 Division of the Toronto Police.

St Lawrence Market Neighbourhood is the historic heart of Old Town. It is supported with flower baskets and banners by an active BIA. From the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, past “Toronto’s most” photographed building The Gooderham or Flatiron, including the St. Lawrence Market, Toronto Sculpture Garden and St. James Church and Park, this is an area not to be missed! www.meetmeatthemarket.com

Courthouse Sq. is an area that contains a portion of the famed Yonge Street strip, and the subway station at King St. The original headquarters of Canadian Pacific Railway is at the corner of King and Yonge Sts (the Shoppers Drug Mart) was once the tallest building in the Dominion. King St E was the great shopping “High Street” before commerce shifted to Yonge St. so many beautiful old towers are located here. The Courthouse itself is on Adelaide St. There is a small park behind the Courthouse. Once the centre of town, Toronto Street (#10 was the home office of Lord Conrad Black) connects with the King Edward Hotel.

St James the home of the magnificent St James Cathedral, begun as a wooden structure in 1797. The Church has an active history program offer tours and a gift shop, a museum and many free recitals. The bell tower contains a full set of bell which are often rung by a team. The Victorian garden is supported by endowments and St. James Park features a Bandstand. Just south of the Park is the Toronto Sculpture Garden and the 1850’s public meeting hall, St. Lawrence Hall.

Queen Street East is shopping strip with a wide variety of small businesses housed in the 19th century architecture of storefronts. Much has remained virtually unchanged for over a century and heritage advocate wish to preserve and invigorate the street. The Queen Street streetcar connects the City’s downtown and is considered one of the finest transit rides in the world. Locally it connects City Hall the Eaton Centre to Corktown.