One Sentence Description

Friendly Merchants and Real Neighbours

About this neighbourhood

The Kingsway is one of the sleepiest neighbourhoods in Toronto. Compared to its bustling neighbour, Bloor West Village, The Kingsway enjoys a slower more relaxed pace. The shopping strip has changed recently with the addition of numerous 'ethnic' restaurants, the re-vitalization of the Kingsway Theatre and addition of a few shops including the likes of Whitehouse Meats have helped to make it a bit more of a destination. The Kingway is a fairly well-off part of town and a quick stroll through the streets to the north will make you feel as though you were somewhere in England, right down to the lack of sidwalks.

What's Fun ?

Fun in the Kingsway is a bit of an oxymoron, but if you look hard there is plenty to do. There are a few pubs and bars along the strip including the iconic Old Sod, where you can feast on wings and cheap beer while listening to some live music. The recently renovated Kingsway Theatre offers a great old-time movie experience. Next door to the movie house is one of Etobicoke's best kept secrets, The Cooked Cue. Climb up the steep stairs to an old bowling alley that has been transformed into one of Toronto's coolest pool-halls. The food is good, there are plenty of big screen tv's a fireplace or two and snap and crackle of snooker and boston/eight-ball. Other 'fun' can be had at some of the eating establishments along Bloor like Casa Barcelona, where Edwardo and his team will serve you up a whole suckling pig (call in advance) with an awsome selection of wine - beware the peron. Grab a dance lesson (or just watch through the window) at the Arthur Murray Dance School, where gracefull instructors teach aspiring Fred and Gingers. If you include The Old Mill in the Neighbourhood, the Homesmith Bar has a good jazz lineup and the dinning room usually has something going on"

Fun for Kids and Teens

Sing with the High Park Choirs of Toronto! Divisional choirs for children aged 5 to 18. http://www.highparkchoirs.org Despite the name, the choirs include children from 55 different schools across Toronto. We're a short ride from you in Bloor West Village. Artistic staff include internationally-renowned conductor Zimfira Poloz, Margaret Stanfield, Marina Filippova and Sheldon Rose. Children have lots of fun and learn while developing their vocal skills. Come and sit in on a rehearsal, attend a concert or an event. To audition, please contact [email protected]

Hungry?

Eating is the main form of entertainment on The Kingsway. You'll find a few chain-restaurants like Swiss Chalet, Gabby's, and the ubiquitous Timmy's/Starbucks/Second Cup, Just Greek, Green Mango and the like. There are a couple of interesting places to eat that are unique to the Kingsway; going west from Prince Edward Road, on the south side of Bloor Jean-Jaque's authentic French Bakery Pâtisserie Saint Honoré, with an amazing selection of on-premise baked goodies is worth a stop. Rub elbows with the blue-rinse crowd during lunch and grab a sandwich and salad. A bit further along is The Magic Spot. Under new ownership the prices have gone up but not the quality - still the areas only greasy-spoon (kind of). As mentioned, Casa Barcelona is a landmark Spanish restaurant with an excellent (and large) tapas selection. Merlot is another place to find a real dinning experience. This quant little bistro serves up solid French fare at honest prices. The upstairs/outdoor patio is one of the best places to enjoy a glass of wine or two during the summer. For a more serious - upscale dinner, Cru on Royal York is the neighbourhoods premium eating joint, replacing the stalwart ViBo, Italian eatery recently for top spot. For cheap and cheerful and a little tacky, try Romi's for pizza/pasta (complete with faux wine-press fountain), there are also a slew of mid-priced, family oriented places further west from which to pick. If you are a fan of Fish and Chips, a visit to the aptly named Kingsway Fish and Chips should be on your list. Check out the teapot collection and prepare to stand in line. Locals will line up for breakfast at Creme de la Creme on weekends for great homecooked meals. No self-respecting faux-English neighbourhood would be complete without a good place to get a proper currie and Chutney's fills the bill. There are a few good pubs along the strip, with a good selection of imported and local brews. Be warned that Henry VIII does not take debit cards, but they will let you use the on-premise instant teller and charge you a couple of bucks to do so.

History

How did the neighbourhood get its name? Who founded this neck of the woods? When? Anything cool happen recently? Say the past 5 years, stuff still in people's memory, say the past 5 minutes, y'know?

Who are the people in your neighbourhood?

Neighbourhood personalities, for example...

• the nice librarian
• the cool busker
• the friendly crossing guard

and where to meet them.

Housing and Accommodations

What's the housing scene like? How much for how much? Architecture Styles. Price Ranges. How new or old are most of the housing here? Condominiums, Townhouses... Major complexes, best apartment buildings, golden cockroach award? If applicable: Hotels / Motels / Hostels / Bed and Breakfasts for out-of-towners, here's the scoop.

Transit

Transportation overview, transit options, bike lanes, official routes, highways, Bus. Streetcar. Subway. TTC routes which pass through or cover this neighbourhood. TTC stations / Go Transit / Greyhound Stops

Major Streets and Intersections

Major thoroughfares through this neighbourhood, if any. Existing ones or those planned for the future. Major North-South streets. Major East-West streets.

Parks and Recreation

Indoor outdoor pools, wading pools, waterslides, splashpads, arenas, rinks, golf courses, etc Off leash dog walking areas. Nice places to walk and talk.

Schools

Also see Neighbourhoods for info on other areas of Toronto