Toronto Tourism Visitor Guide 2009 - (Page 11) Neighbourhoods HearT of THe CiTy Bloor-Yorkville map D, E-3; www.bloor-yorkville.com DETAILS In the 1960s, Yorkville was the locus of hippie culture in Toronto. Now, Yorkville is more “hip haute” than hippie with its designer boutiques and fine-dining establishments. See cobblestone courtyards, laneways and an award-winning park. Alongside the five-star hotels are charming Victorian restorations housing antiques shops, clothing and home décor boutiques, cafés and art galleries. At its southern edge, high fashion retail reigns supreme, sharing this strip of Bloor with homegrown purveyors of fine clothing, jewellery and home accessories, such as Harry Rosen and Holt Renfrew. LOCATE Along and just north of Bloor St. W., between Yonge St. and Avenue Rd. TTC Bay subway station. IDEAS The winner of a global design competition, the Village of Yorkville Park features The Rock, a massive piece of granite transported hundreds of miles from the Canadian Shield. DISCOVER Hollywood. Cinema’s boldfaced names gather in the city for 10 days every September for the Toronto International Film Festival, and Yorkville’s restaurants, bars and shops provide great vantage points for stargazing. LOVE William Ashley’s famous “Great Wall of China” window display. with art houses, theatres, beatnik coffee shops, budgetwise stores and well-stocked bookstores peppering a dense kilometre of restaurants and bars. Anchored in the southwest corner by Honest Ed’s — the eclectic landmark discount store of the late philanthropist Ed Mirvish — the neighbourhood is also home to Koreatown. Ever lively, this area reflects the liberal ambience of university life, with kitsch meeting nerd-chic head-on. The myriad restaurants and shops make the Annex and Koreatown ideal for dining, shopping or simply lounging around. LOCATE Bloor St. W., from Queen’s Park to Christie St. TTC Subway stations St. George, Spadina, Bathurst and Christie. DISCOVER The Royal Conservatory of Music — it’s now housed in a new structure, featuring new performance spaces, a new rehearsal hall and restoration of its 19th-century heritage building. IDEAS The initial concept for the stunning Crystal expansion at the Royal Ontario Museum was sketched by famed architect Daniel Libeskind on a paper napkin at a family wedding that he attended at the ROM. LOVE Honest Ed’s, a one-of-akind bargain centre, founded by the late Ed Mirvish. The Annex & Koreatown map C-3; www.bloorannexbia.com DETAILS The community surrounding the University of Toronto is among the most diverse in the city. This is where bohemia and academe meet, Photo: Hong Tae Jeon www.SeeTorontoNow.com 11 http://www.bloor-yorkville.com http://www.bloorannexbia.com http://www.SeeTorontoNow.com
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