Downtown East Neighbourhood

Just one block east of Yonge, Church St. is the gay street in Toronto, with the intersection of Church and Wellesley streets forming the heart of the city’s Gay Village. There are many gay clubs and restaurants on Church. The largest gay and lesbian pride festival in Canada is held here, and the area also boasts some of the locations where the Showtime series Queer as Folk was filmed. (Public transit: Wellesley subway station.) St. Lawrence Market is the oldest market in Toronto and on weekends becomes overfilled with artists and farmers selling their wares. The surrounding area is one of the prettiest in Toronto, as it is one of the few areas to have preserved the architecture of 'Old Toronto'. There are many beautiful Victorian-era buildings which house many charming stores and restaurants. If you walk north from St. Lawrence Market to King St. East, and walk east, you will find yourself on a stretch of many, many, many upscale furniture/design stores. (Public transit: Eastbound 504 King streetcar from King or St. Andrew station to Jarvis Street. Or, a ten minute walk east from Union Station along Front Street.) At the lower end of Parliament Street, is the Distillery District, a must-see redevelopment of gorgeous historic distillery buildings transformed into a pedestrian-only area of art galleries, unique shops and eateries. This is one of the most-used backdrop areas for film crews in Canada. Eating at a patio on the cobblestone streets here is one of the best al fresco dining experiences Toronto has to offer. (Public transit: eastbound 504 King streetcar from King or St. Andrew subway station; get off at Parliament and walk south to Mill Street. On foot: there's a pleasant, tree-lined walk from St. Lawrence Market along The Esplanade, one block south of Front.) North of the Distillery District, there are some quiet neighbourhoods that are pretty. Lined with historic Victorian houses, Cabbagetown is a quiet neighborhood offering unique attractions such as Riverdale Farm, a turn-of-the-century farm within the city, and Allen Gardens, a free, volunteer-maintained botanical gardens. (Public transit: eastbound 506 Carlton streetcar from College or Queen's Park subway station. When the streetcar turns right, you're in Cabbagetown.)