Owners of surviving businesses in Little Jamaica are quick to point out the vacant storefronts along Eglinton Avenue West, from Allen Road to Dufferin Street, which are, for some, ominous bellwethers of the changes to come. According to Nick Alampi, chair of the York-Eglinton Business Improvement Area (BIA), roughly 100 businesses in the area have
Shelborne Capital is proposing a 39-story tower on the south side of Eglinton in Oakwood Village, within walking distance of the upcoming Eglinton Crosstown LRT’s Fairbank and Oakwood stations (expected to open this year) and about a 10-minute walk from Eglington West station. As first reported in Urban Toronto, the mixed-use development, located at 1711–1741 Eglinton
The Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) is tackling gentrification in Kensington Market by launching Kensington Community Bonds, an initiative that aims to raise up to $2 million through community bonds to buy a second property in the neighbourhood. The goal of this financing is to help keep housing affordable and prevent further displacement of
Construction panels are being set up around the former site of the Crocodile Rock Bar on Adelaide St. West ahead of the development of a 68-storey condo tower. For nearly three decades, Crocodile Rock was considered one of the liveliest bars in Toronto, but it permanently closed in mid-2020 due in part to pandemic restaurants.
A three-storey single-family home in Toronto’s Trinity-Bellwoods neighbourhood has been listed for rent at a pricey $15,750 per month. Apart from the price, Internet sleuths are aghast that the 2,300-square-foot house at 140 Harrison St. was once an affordable home to long-term tenants before the property was sold and renovations took place. Some say, it
Next month, a lion will dance and shake its way down Spadina Avenue during the annual Chinatown Festival once more. It’s a vibrant and popular local tradition that features cultural performances, food, artists, music and much more. The lion dance is believed to bring good luck and prosperity, and given the challenges facing Chinatowns throughout
The preservation of culture and identity is important to many business owners and residents in Little Jamaica. But some say that a development plan the city has in mind might not be the right solution. The plan refers to the Eglinton West corridor, a culturally significant hub for many immigrants of Caribbean and African descent.
A midtown Toronto city councillor is once again voicing his frustration with the ongoing delays plaguing construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, saying the provincial agency responsible for the project, Metrolinx, needs to do more for local residents and businesses. “Years of delays, along with a lack of a plan to substantially mitigate the impact
Searching the market for a new condo? Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or someone on the market for an investment property, these five Toronto units can’t be beat. Life on the bridge With staggering views of Lake Ontario, the exciting harbourfront, and the beloved Toronto Islands on the horizon, living at 1304-39 Queens Quay
A stone’s throw from the eclectic shops, restaurants, and bars of the Queen St West Triangle, 38 Abell St. has long been a place for artists. On what is now a purpose-built condo for creatives, a factory once stood where nearly one hundred Toronto artists lived and worked in an unofficial studio/home community. In an
It’s hard to imagine what Toronto will look like in five years, let alone a neighbourhood such as Chinatown. The most pessimistic of Torontonians might joke that the city will be nothing but dispensary chains and condominiums in the future. Still, there are others here fighting to preserve the unique cultural heritage of Toronto’s neighbourhoods
A community land trust has purchased a building in Kensington Market with the help of the city to ensure affordable housing continues in the area. The Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) purchased 54-56 Kensington Ave. after receiving approximately $3 million from the city. The money is a 99-year loan that stipulates that the land
Although condo prices are beginning to head upwards at a faster rate over the past two months, a new report has found that condominiums located along the coming Crosstown LRT line running on Eglinton Avenue outpaced other areas in the city to the tune of 135 per cent. Strata.ca analyzed condo sales from the last
Karen Stintz is a former city councillor, elected in 2003, and was a chair of the TTC. She lives in Ward 8. Although Toronto is a relatively new city by modern-day standards, there are plenty of older buildings sprinkled throughout the city’s main streets and neighbourhoods. Some of these buildings are beautiful, some worn down,
Gentrification and runaway real estate prices are threatening a number of neighbourhoods that make up the unique character of Toronto. Areas from Parkdale and Kensington Market to Chinatown and Little India are slowly fading away. The same can be said for Little Jamaica on Eglinton Avenue West, which has the added challenge of combating systemic
BEACH HILL | For lakeside charm It’s not quite the Beach and it’s not quite the Danforth. Beach Hill is tucked in between, and this established neighbourhood offers a bit of everything including charm, location and a smattering of new restaurants and shops in the up-and-coming strip along Gerrard Street East and Woodbine Avenue. Here,
When Ms. Faith walks along Eglinton Avenue West in the Little Jamaica neighbourhood, she can’t help but think how the neighbourhood has changed in the last 15 years she’s lived there. A Black working poet, she sees gentrification encroaching and Black businesses and residents leaving one after another after facing mounting challenges. First, there was
Two city councillors are making it their mission to preserve the culture of Eglinton Avenue West’s Little Jamaica neighbourhood as gentrification threatens to spoil it. Councillors Josh Matlow — whose constituency includes Little Jamaica — and Mike Colle have announced that they are creating a “framework” to protect the area’s Jamaican flavour. “I’ve heard a
Columnist John Sewell is a former mayor of Toronto and the author of a number of urban planning books, including The Shape of the Suburbs. If you are hankering to buy real estate and become a landlord, now is the time to do it. Interest rates are the lowest they will be for a while,
The students of The York School investigate what it takes to build a resilient city. Each spring, Ms. Megan Gardner-Ross takes a group of World Issues and Geography students to the Mississippi delta and New Orleans to investigate how the area is recovering post Hurricane Katrina. Students work with journalists, environmentalists, engineers, community activists and
Oxford Fruit, a Kensington Market fruit store that has operated for nearly 25 years, is set to close at the end of March. The store is located on the corner of Nassau Street and Augusta Avenue and has been run by Ah Tee Ng and her family since it first opened in 1996. According to
Smokeshow BBQ and Brew is bringing Memphis-style BBQ and live music to midtown. The new joint at Mount Pleasant and Eglinton promises weekend rock and roll acts paired with inventive gastropub-meets-smokehouse fare like flatbread pizza with BBQ pork. In addition to a full-size in-house smoker, the restaurant uses a hand-smoker to smoke dishes like onion rings
A new proposed development in Chinatown is sparking a worry in Toronto over whether the character of the city’s most unique neighbourhoods will survive the ongoing development boom. A community consultation meeting was recently held for the 13-storey, mixed-use building in Chinatown at 315–325 Spadina Ave., a location that includes long-standing restaurant Rol San. There,
Gale’s Snack Bar has been a Leslieville staple for over 40 years. Step inside and feel the history with vintage posters decorating the walls, old school appliances still working just fine and brightly coloured, hand-painted menu boards. The cuisine is traditional diner fare, like the type you see in old movies: sardine sandwiches, roast beef
What makes it remarkable is what it contains: almost 150 tenants involved in creative work of all kinds: film, painting, dance, music, production, festivals, video, magazines, photography, social enterprise and more, including a non-profit day care. This structure, 401 Richmond St. W., is a model for creative life, an anchor for creativity in all parts of this city.
