My Toronto. Yonge Street. June, 2022

For many years, Yonge Street was considered the longest street in the world. It divides Toronto into east and west and stretches from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe. Today, I’ll take you on a short walk along Yonge Street through downtown Toronto and show you some of our local landmarks

For many years, Yonge Street held an honored place in the Guinness World Records as the longest street in the world — 1,896 km (1,178 miles)! But it eventually lost that title when it was discovered that, at some point, the street’s numbering was interrupted...

I get off at Dundas Subway Station and find myself at Dundas Square, a lively intersection where Yonge and Dundas Streets meet. The square was completed in 2002 and was modeled after New York City’s famous Times Square.

Right next to it is the huge Eaton Centre. It’s hard to find anyone in Toronto who hasn’t visited this shopping centre at least once.

In the middle of the square, there are beautiful colorful fountains, but today, as often happens on weekends, a festival was taking place, so the fountains weren’t operating. And this is the stage, where preparations for today’s concert were already underway.

If you look up, you can see a banner for Sam. This recording company was a Toronto music icon for many years, but it closed in 2007. In 2017, the government decided to commemorate the company with this banner. Today, the building is home to one of the campuses of Ryerson University

I joined a walking tour led by Natalia Dankovtseva. I’m very grateful to her for sharing so much fascinating information with great enthusiasm, backed by her knowledge and love of architecture.

We walk around Dundas Square and, heading south along a street parallel to Yonge, we come across the Mirvish Theatre. The theatre has two entrances, with the second, main entrance located right on Yonge Street. You can see that the theatre is currently showing the new Harry Potter musical. We definitely have to go see it!

I’ve been to this theatre many times to see various musicals, but I never knew its history. It opened in 1920, when it hosted movies and vaudeville performances. Over the years, the theatre went through its ups and downs and changed owners several times.

One of the theatre’s records was the run of The Phantom of the Opera, which played there for more than 10 consecutive years. You can see a tribute to this on the theatre’s side wall

In 1999, after yet another bankruptcy, the theatre was purchased by Mirvish Productions, and in 2011 it was renamed the Ed Mirvish Theatre.

Ed Mirvish was born into an American Jewish family that moved to Toronto in the 1920s. He became a highly successful businessman and theatre impresario. He was deeply involved in the city’s theatre scene, investing in various theatrical projects and in the development of the theatre district along King Street.

Ed Mirvish was also a very successful retailer. He owned the famous Honest Ed’s department store on Bathurst Street. I remember the store myself, but it closed in 2016. This is what it looked like

And this is Massey Hall, a performing arts theatre and the oldest concert hall in Canada. It opened in 1894 and can now accommodate around 2,700 spectators.

Hart Massey built the hall in memory of his son, who loved music but sadly died of typhoid fever. Massey wasn’t looking to make a large profit from the project. He simply wanted to create a place where everyone could enjoy choral music, free from religious themes

This historic building once belonged to Toronto-Dominion Bank, and it is now up for sale. Since it is a designated heritage property, the exterior will remain unchanged, even under new ownership.

And above it, you can see a residential building whose lower floors are used for parking. It is the only building in downtown Toronto where the parking is not located underground, as it usually is

And this is the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre, which actually plays a major role in the cultural life of the city. Every year, it hosts events connected with the international Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and during the festival, you can spot just about any Hollywood star here.

It is the only operating double-decker theatre in the world. The lower theatre once hosted silent films and vaudeville performances. Today, the auditorium is decorated with velvet, gold accents, and beautiful painted details.

The upper theatre was originally designed as a more exclusive space for the city’s elite. Today, its ceiling is decorated with real plants, with light fixtures tucked among them to resemble stars. The walls are adorned with beautiful botanical patterns

We continue walking and come to Dineen Coffee Co. In the 19th century, this building was home to a company that manufactured and sold hats and fur goods.

It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and is protected as a heritage property. During the restoration, a beautiful old elevator was discovered inside, along with safes that had once been used to store the company’s most valuable merchandise

It was a sunny and hot day, so we step into the shade of an archway. Then we come to The Lumsden Building.

The building is often considered an example of poor architecture. Construction was completed in 1910, and at the time, it was the largest concrete structure in the world

We turn into a small alley, walk through a glass installation, and find ourselves in an intriguing courtyard featuring Synthetic Eden, an installation with three fountains representing the cycles of nature. And above it all, on the wall, there’s an ever-present snake looming over the scene

And here is another historic building on Toronto Street — the Toronto Street Post Office, which once served as a post office. Look up at the roof and you’ll spot a unicorn

We pass by a beautiful pub

We arrive at one of the most beloved parks in downtown Toronto — Berczy Park. At the centre of the park is a beautiful fountain featuring a group of playful dogs

Thank you for taking a little walk with me!