Yorkville, Toronto

Yorkville
—  Dissolved municipality  —
Village of Yorkville (Dissolved)
Coat of arms
Historically Yorkville was the area north of Bloor and east of Avenue Rd., today a number of other areas are also considered part of the district
Location within Toronto
Coordinates: 43°40′13″N 79°23′28″W / 43.67028°N 79.39111°W / 43.67028; -79.39111Coordinates: 43°40′13″N 79°23′28″W / 43.67028°N 79.39111°W / 43.67028; -79.39111
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
City	Toronto
Established	1830 (1830)
Incorporated	1853 (as village)
Annexed	1883 (by City of Toronto)
Government
– MP	Bob Rae (Toronto Centre)
– MPP	Glen Murray (Toronto Centre)
– Councillor	Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale)
Time zone	Eastern Time Zone (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	Eastern Time Zone (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	416, 647

Old row housing (Roden Place) in Yorkville, 1938

Bloor Street

Bloor Street

Yorkville is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, well known for its shopping. It is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of the 'The Annex' neighbourhood officially. It is recognized as one of Canada's most exclusive shopping districts. The local section of Bloor Street, the main shopping avenue, vies nationally with Vancouver's Robson Street. In 2006, both were the 22nd most expensive streets in the world, with rents of $208 per square foot. In 2007, Bloor and Robson slipped to 25th in the world with an average of $198 per square foot.^[2]

Yorkville now commands rents of $300 per square foot, making it the third most expensive retail space in North America.^[3] In 2008, Bloor St. was named the seventh most expensive shopping street in the world by Fortune Magazine, claiming tenants can pull in $1,500 to $4,500 per square foot in sales.^[4]

Character

Yorkville is known for upscale shopping, restaurants, and the first five star hotel in Canada. Upscale boutiques include Burberry, Prada, Gucci, MAC Cosmetics, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Holt Renfrew, Tiffany & Co., Escada, Ermenegildo Zegna, Cartier, Harry Rosen, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, Vera Wang, Lacoste, Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Williams-Sonoma, Bang and Olufsen, Betsey Johnson, Max Mara, Montblanc, Bulgari, Birks, Coach, Guerlain, Swarovski, and other upscale designer boutiques. The Holt Renfrew store on Bloor is the luxury retailer's flagship and largest store with 4 floors and various boutiques. Many flagships of other companies are located here as well, such as Harry Rosen, Town Shoes, Lacoste, Gucci, Coach, and Chanel (in which the Canadian flagship became one of the largest in the world.)^[5] Browns Shoes opened on Bloor, with merchandise that is much more expensive than at their other boutiques.

In recent years, mid-market retailers have also begun to locate along Bloor. In 2005, Winners and La Senza opened stores, later followed by French Connection, Puma, Aldo, Aritzia, Club Monaco, Banana Republic, American Apparel, Roots Canada Ltd, Guess, Nike, Zara, Roots, Lululemon, Sephora, Gap and H&M. Discount retailer, Labels 4 Less, recently opened their own store, to the disappointment of many of its neighbours. Nonetheless, Yorkville has been recognized as one of the most luxurious shopping streets in North America, being compared to New York's Fifth Avenue, Chicago's Magnificent Mile, and Los Angeles' Rodeo Drive.^[6] Demand is still high on Bloor St., according to real estate firm, Cushman and Wakefield. 5 years ago, retail space rents were $110 per square foot. Although, last year's Cushman and Wakefield report indicate rents of $198 per square foot, their Q407 Toronto Retail Report^[7] mentions current deals reaching $300 per square foot, making Bloor St. the third most expensive retail street in North America. This has led to higher rents on Cumberland St. and Yorkville Ave., with several new developments asking $125 per square foot. Expensive Indian fashion boutique INDIVA, which moved to a smaller boutique on Yorkville Ave., claims that the monthly rent at their previous location was $85,000.^[8] Many independent retailers struggle to meet these demands, and many in past years have closed or relocated to other streets. However, it is estimated that some retailers pull in more than $2000 per square foot in sales.^[9]

During the Toronto International Film Festival, Yorkville becomes an excellent place for celebrity-spotting, especially in the Hazelton Lanes shopping complex. Most recently, however, the celebrities once seen during the Toronto International Film Festival have migrated elsewhere and are now most often seen in the entertainment district bars and after-hour clubs near the CITY-TV building. Yorkville still remains the top celebrity hangout in Toronto, and celebrities can be spotted there throughout the year.

Luxury hotels in Yorkville include the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville, Four Seasons, the Park Hyatt, the Hazelton Hotel, the Windsor Arms Hotel, the Residence on Bay and the Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel.

There are also many offices and professional services. Notable companies/organizations include the Retail Council of Canada, Canada Post, IBM Canada, Alliance Atlantis, Famous Players, Paramount Pictures, Showcase Television, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Unilever and the consulates of several nations.

MTV Canada headquarters are located in Yorkville as well. Canada's largest museum and the fifth largest in North America, the Royal Ontario Museum is located at the intersection of Bloor and Avenue Rd. The area north of Bloor St. on Cumberland and Yorkville contain petite streets with cafes, restaurants and specialty boutiques. It resembles more of a European style district.

Yorkville is also home to some of Toronto's most expensive condominiums, most starting at over one million dollars and going well beyond, including: The Prince Arthur, Renaissance Plaza, 10 Bellair, One St. Thomas, Windsor Arms Hotel, The Hazelton Hotel & Residences, Hazelton Lanes.

Bloor Street Transformation Project

Begun in 2008, the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area and the City of Toronto are updating the street-scape from Church Street to Avenue Road. The objective is to create an enhanced pedestrian experience with widened sidewalks, mature trees, flower gardens, modern lighting and public art.^[10]

History

Founded in 1830 by entrepreneur Joseph Bloor (after whom Bloor Street, one of Toronto's main thoroughfares, is named) and William Botsford Jarvis of Rosedale, Toronto, the Village of Yorkville began as a residential suburb. Bloor operated a brewery north-east of today's Bloor and Church Street intersection. Jarvis was Sheriff of the Home District. The two purchased land in the Yorkville district, subdividing it into smaller lots on new side streets to those interested in living in the cleaner air outside of York. The village grew enough to be connected by an omnibus service in 1849 to Toronto. By 1853, the population of the village had reached 1,000, the figure needed to incorporate as a village and the Village of Yorkville was incorporated. Development increased and by the 1870s, Potter's Field, a cemetery stretching east of Yonge Street along the north side of Concession Road (today's Bloor Street) was closed, and the remains moved to the Necropolis and Mount Pleasant cemetery.^[11]

By the 1880s, the cost of delivering services to the large population of Yorkville was beyond the Village's ability. It petitioned the City of Toronto to be annexed. Annexation came on February 1, 1883, and Yorkville's name changed officially from "Village of Yorkville" to "St. Paul's Ward"^[11] and the former "Yorkville Town Hall" became "St. Paul's Hall". The character of the suburb did not change and its Victorian-style homes, quiet residential streets, and picturesque gardens survived into the 20th century. In 1923, Toronto Hebrew Maternity and Convalescent Hospital was opened at 100 Yorkville Avenue and a year later the name was changed to Mount Sinai Hospital. The facade of this building still stands today and houses retailer Teatro Verde.

In the 1960s, Yorkville flourished as Toronto's bohemian cultural centre. It was the breeding ground for some of Canada's most noted musical talents, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot, as well as then-underground literary figures such as Margaret Atwood, Gwendolyn MacEwen and Dennis Lee. Yorkville was also known as the Canadian capital of the hippie movement. In 1968, nearby Rochdale College at the University of Toronto was opened on Bloor Street as an experiment in counterculture education. Those influenced by their time in 1960s-70s Yorkville include cyberpunk writer William Gibson. Its domination by hippies and young people led MPP Syl Apps to refer to it as "a festering sore in the middle of the city" and call for its "eradication."^[12]

Transition into high-end shopping district

After the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway the value of land nearby increased as higher densities were allowed by the City's official plan. Along Bloor Street, office towers, the Bay department store and the Holt Renfrew department store displaced the local retail. As real estate values increased, the residential homes north of Bloor along Yorkville were converted into high-end retail, including many art galleries, fashion boutiques and antique stores, and popular bars, cafes and eateries along Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue. Many smaller buildings were demolished and office and hotels built in the 1970s, with high priced condominium developments being built in the last decade or so.

Parks

Village of Yorkville Park

Village of Yorkville Park
Coordinates	43°40′12″N 79°23′30″W / 43.67°N 79.39167°W / 43.67; -79.39167
Operated by	Toronto Parks
Website	yorkville-park

The Village of Yorkville Park is a series of unique gardens located on the south side of Cumberland Street stretching west from Bellair Street. It was designed by Oleson Worland Architects in association with Martha Schwartz / Ken Smith / David Meyer Landscape Architects to celebrate the surrounding neighbourhood and reflect the diversity of the Canadian landscape.

At the east end, a paved square of land is dotted with Scots Pines growing out of circular benches. Further west, is a set of metal archways among a row of crabapple trees. Next, there is a marshy wetland. A silver-coloured metal structure houses a waterfall bordering one side of a courtyard filled with benches and chairs, while a 650-tonne hunk of billion-year-old granite, cut out of the Canadian Shield and transported to the park in pieces, is towards the west end. The westerly exit of Bay subway station arises next to the rock.

The park has received the American Society of Landscape Architects Award 1997, the International Downtown’s Association Award of Merit 1997 and the City of Toronto Urban Design Award of Excellence 1997.

Frank Stollery Parkette

Named for the local businessman and politician Frank Stollery, this small wedge shaped urban park runs west from Yonge Street between Davenport Road^[13] and Scollard Street. The theme of the park now celebrates the history of Davenport Road.^[14]

Jesse Ketchum Park

Named for the Canadian politician Jesse Ketchum, this greenspace park has a playground^[15] and is located next to Jesse Ketchum Public School.

Town Hall Square

Town Hall Square
Coordinates	43°40′19″N 79°23′18″W / 43.67194°N 79.38833°W / 43.67194; -79.38833
Website	Town Hall Square

Commemorating the site of the Yorkville Town Hall, this small urban oasis has paths and benches sheltered between rows of hedges, trees and oversized pots. The square abuts on the east side the Yorkville branch of the Toronto Public Library.

Events

Bloor-Yorkville has also become the home of some of Toronto's most exciting and dynamic events.

• Toronto International Film Festival
• Sante International Wine Festival

Shopping Centres

• Cumberland Terrace
• Hazelton Lanes
• Holt Renfrew Centre
• Hudson Bay Centre
• Manulife Centre

Hotels

• Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
• Park Hyatt Toronto
• The Residence on Bay
• The Windsor Arms Hotel Toronto
• Marriott Toronto Bloor Yorkville
• The Hazelton Hotel & Residences
• InterContinental Toronto Yorkville

Restaurants

• Peridot Resto.Lounge
• ONE
• Dimmi Bar & Trattoria
• Flo's Diner
• Prego Della Piazza
• Sassafraz
• Pangaea
• Yamato
• Bistro 990
• Trattoria Vaticano
• Ciao Wine Bar

Art Galleries

• Gallery One
• Drabinsky Gallery
• Beckett Fine Art
• Maslak McLeod
• Scollard Street Gallery
• Old Master Gallery
• Feheley Fine Arts
• Gallery Gevik
• Hollander York Gallery
• Kinsman Robinson Gallery
• Miriam Shiell Fine Art
• Loch Gallery
• Mira Godard Gallery
• Ingram Gallery

See also

• List of neighbourhoods in Toronto
• List of upscale shopping districts

References

1. ^ This coat of arms, today mounted on Toronto Fire Services Station #312, was once affixed to Yorkville's Town Hall
2. ^ Marr, Garry (2007-11-14). "Cushman & Wakefield LePage says Canadian retail rents cheap". National Post. http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpposted/archive/2007/11/14/cushman-wakefield-lepage-says-toronto-retail-rents-cheap.aspx. Retrieved 2009-03-16. 
3. ^ Bonoguore, Tenille (2008-07-19). "The Downside of Up". The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080719.VACANCY19/TPStory/TPEntertainment/Ontario/?pageRequested=1. Retrieved 2009-03-16. 
4. ^ "The world's most expensive streets - Bloor Street, Toronto". Fortune. CNNMoney.com. 2008-08-26. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0808/gallery.right_address.fortune/7.html. Retrieved 2009-03-16. 
5. ^ "Toronto: Bloor Yorkville: Designer Couture". http://www.showmetoronto.com/tour_bloor_couture.htm. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
6. ^ City Mayors: Most expensive shopping streets
7. ^ "Q407 Toronto Retail Report" (pdf). http://www.elepage.com/huffmanretailteam/files/retail_toronto_4q07_1_.pdf. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
8. ^ "Print Edition". globeandmail.com:. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/content/subscribe?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20080607.INDIVA07%2FTPStory%2FTPEntertainment%2FOntario%2F&ord=87116188&brand=theglobeandmail&force_login=true. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
9. ^ "Post #40". http://www.urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=6382&page=3. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
10. ^ "Bloor Street Transformation". http://www.bloor-yorkville.com/09bloor.html. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
11. ^ ^{a b} Filey, Mike (February 1, 2009). "Yorkville - the first 'burb". Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/life/columnists/2009/02/01/8221486-sun.html. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
12. ^ Henderson, Stuart. "Making the Scene" (pdf). http://qspace.library.queensu.ca/bitstream/1974/820/1/Henderson_Stuart_R_200710_PhD.pdf. Retrieved July 13, 2010. 
13. ^ City of Toronto: Frank Stollery Parkette
14. ^ Goin' down the Davenport Road
15. ^ City of Toronto: Jesse Ketchum Park

• "Annex neighbourhood profile". City of Toronto. http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/cns95.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-16. 
• "Making the Scene: Yorkville and Hip Toronto in the 1960s". University of Toronto Press. http://www.utppublishing.com/Making-the-Scene-Yorkville-and-Hip-Toronto-in-the-1960s.html. Retrieved 2011-05-25. 

External links

• "Yorkville, a hippie haven" - video clip from CBC Archives, first aired September 4, 1967
• Bloor Yorkville - business listing