Travel to Toronto: 10 Reasons to Stay in Yorkville
Numerous art galleries, stylish shopping opportunities and other spectacular attractions make Yorkville one of Toronto’s most dynamic neighbourhoods in Canada’s largest city.
A bohemian hippy hangout in the 1960s, Yorkville is one of Toronto’s most elegant shopping areas. Its old Victorian houses have been transformed, creating a chic neighbourhood of boutiques, art galleries, sidewalk cafés and gourmet restaurants.
Here are 10 reasons to stay in the neighbourhood:
Proximity to Greatness
Known as the ROM, the Royal Ontario Museum is the only museum in North America to present art, science and archaeology under one roof. Boasting a dramatic new wing, the Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the museum is worth visiting for its world-renowned Asian collection alone.
Art Galleries Galore
Yorkville is home to more than 30 art galleries within a few short blocks. The monthly Yorkville Gallery Walk provides a great opportunity to see a wide range of styles and media, and to meet some outstanding artists.
A Ceramic ‘Gem’
The Gardiner Museum is a gem, housing some 3,000 pieces of ceramic art. The contemporary ceramics gallery showcases the work of artists such as Chagall, and modern works by First Nations potters were specially commissioned for the museum’s recent expansion.
Cuban Influence
Catering to cigar connoisseurs, Thomas Hinds Tobacconist sells countless fine specimens from Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, while La Casa del Habano focuses on all things Cuban.
It’s Literally Literary
A jewel on the literary scene, Toronto Reference Library offers fabulous programmes in the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, hosting renowned authors from across the globe. It is also home to the outstanding Arthur Conan Doyle Collection.
The Style! The Shopping!
Yorkville’s fashion scene has been compared to New York’s Fifth Avenue or L.A.’s Rodeo Drive, boasting boutiques such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co., as well as Canadian icons Holt Renfrew and Harry Rosen.
Oui Oui
For devoted Francophiles, Maison de la Presse Internationale is the place to go for books, magazine, newspapers and all things French.
Cooking Up Acclaimed Chefs
A haven for cookbook collectors, The Cookbook Store is a cosy nook that frequently hosts internationally acclaimed authors and chefs, from Jamie Oliver to Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.
Music To Your Ears
The historic Victorian-era home of the Royal Conservatory of Music has been expanded and modernised to include the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, housing three venues with spectacular acoustics that attract music lovers worldwide.
The Vast, Varied Landscape
In the heart of Yorkville, Yorkville Park pays tribute to the vast and varied landscapes of Canada. Standout features include a fragrant herb garden, groves of native trees and a granite Canadian Shield boulder flanked by a curtain-like waterfall.
