Toronto's Yorkville area is unquestionably the most prestigious shopping area in Toronto. It is a location for unique boutiques providing haute couture, dining in countless upscale restaurants providing diverse cuisine, or take advantage of many medical and beautifying services to increase well being of those looking for the best. It is not just a place to visit, but also to live in high-class condos or exclusive rental apartments. Old Yorkville Village was a place outside of old Toronto boundaries. In today's terms, it is situated between Yonge Street and Avenue Road and north of Charles Street to the railway line that is just north of Dupont. District's area had been transformed many times since late sixties, when it became known internationally for its hippies culture and their meeting place. Bars like Minah Bird became starting places of Canadian music legends, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel and Gordon Lightfoot. Discos and cheap coffee houses were favorite meeting places of a diverse mix of visitors there during sixties. Mr. Submarine sandwich shop was my favorite eating place, when it opened its first store on Yorkville Avenue in 1968. Shiny and spotless clean, an assorted submarine with a coke for $1.25 in 1969 for me and many others on a stretched budget. During sixties, the district was an equivalent of Greenwich Village in New York City. Canadian writer Margaret Atwood had her literally start in legendary Bohemian Embassy, there. The Embassy was the literally place representing art and bohemian way of life. Yorkville Avenue had been a home to Mount Sinai hospital since 1923, and when the hospital moved to University Avenue, the building became hospital's nurses' residence and then St. Raphael's Nursing Home. Some of us who were around area during sixties can recall scenes of retired people sitting aimlessly in their chairs on the front lawn of residence and watching hippies and other crowd of US draft dodgers, and curiosity seekers going by. Such a scene was repeated day after day and during hot summer nights in 1969. It was a home to seniors and meeting place of the youngest crowd. Real estate developers caught the attention of the area and started buying up cheap properties already in sixties. Early seventies saw two major developments. It was Four Season hotel on the corner of Yorkville Ave and Avenue Road and Hazelton lanes shopping centre. The centre was remarkable by its skating ring in the middle, resembling skating rink in front of Rockefeller Centre in New York City. The centre was a vanguard for district's transformation into modern and stylish one, full of boutique and independent stores. Yorkville Shopping phrase came about and became a synonym for unique and affluent shopping in Toronto. From rags to riches! Since sixties until 2011, it has gone through many makeovers, with business coming and going. Remarkable is the French Restaurant at 90 Yorkville Avenue, next to the site Nursing Home and luxury condominium project today. The restaurant is the oldest business there, since circa 1973.
New condominium building at 80 Yorkville Avenue that is also a shopping place retained its root in past and incorporated historical facade of old Mount Sinai Hospital
as it front. Construction project, detaching the wall, moving it and incorporating with a new structure was a sight to watch. Other condo projects are under way. With condo marketing, the developers have introduced a new phase to describe life there It is has been called Yorkvillism, officially, meaning description for state of mind. It is a desire for affluence, and the best that money can buy in goods and lifestyle. In sixties, the brand would stand for blue jeans and anti-establishment attitude. Today it is conformity with value of money. When you coin a dogma, there are some questions that we should ask. Are we describing fairy tale or achievable reality? Above all, it is a celebrities place during an annual Toronto International Film Festival. For ten days in September, it becomes a fairy-tale town and Torontonians like visitors come to watch. I spend few days there and have found an excellent place to hang out and watch, just like in 1969. This time, my base is the Courtyard Restaurant at the corner of Yorkville and Hazelton. I admire the owner who is half-a-celebrity himself. During his past career, he had been a circus performer in Europe and in London Palladium Theatre performed many icon singers of sixties and seventies. My favorite Cliff Richard or later performer Sammy Davis Jr. The restaurant has an excellent patio, where I can sit, refresh myself with food and drink and come and go, Ii I want. I can sit conveniently just across the five star hotel. Many movie stars stay in that hotel or in Four Seasons hotel. I am in the middle of the action. Sitting there always brings my memories of sixties back. I do not eat submarines there anymore, but settle for reasonably priced food from the restaurant's menu.
Although the district strives to be home of celebrities and big spenders, the reality is far from that. Toronto just does not have such a large class of spenders and free wheelers with their money, like New York City of L.A. Yorkville in Toronto has to do on the wannabes most of the time. Vaticano on Bellair Avenue is Italian dining restaurant, genuine place popular with celebrities, also for the duration of Toronto International Film Festival. During the rest of the year, the restaurant is popular with Canadian business crowd and visitors to Toronto. It is ready and place set for opulent lifestyle, but its daily visitors can be very stringent with their money. It is a reality that makes it hard for businesses to survive. Paying high rents to pay that are prevalent in Bloor-Yorkville area. It causes such a high turnover of businesses. There are always " Going out of business" or "For Rent" signs visible on the street level. It is the let down and reminder that opulent lifestyle is not our everyday phenomenon in Toronto yet.
It is a watching place, including people, automobiles and motorcycles. You can see many sports and expensive cars with displaying Wheelchair Stickers behind their windshield. Do all the handicapped people buy these cars, but where do they keep the wheelchairs? Most likely, it is an attempt to avoid paying expensive parking fines. Parking Control Officers are relentless day or night, issuing expensive fines in droves on all major arteries and parking spots are scare. District is not only retail centre, but a place to obtain many professional services. Yorkvillism as a lifestyle demand well being for your mind and body. You will find many cosmetic dental clinics offering rejuvenation of your smile, plastic surgery clinics, hairstylists, spas and therapists of all kinds, just to name few. Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Scollard Street is one recommended by a long time local resident. They cater to the young and professional crowd and keep in touch with them with mobile dental website. Older crowd has different needs of dental care, and the Yorkville dentistry provides them all. Chiropractic clinics and massage therapist are also wellness providers. Another local residents and friend of mine visits once a week local chiropractor for affluent and ordinary folks with an office located on the Street, just across the library and fire station. My local friend is a good example of Yorkvillism. He lives in the heart of the district in a condo on Bellair Avenue, just next to the subway entrance. His office is also located on Downtown subway station. We had many discussions on this topic of downtown traffic gridlocks, unnecessary costs for gas, avoiding many unnecessary parking tickets and making environmentally friendly choices. He always agrees that those are right arguments, but not right choices for him! In spite of convenience and economy of using TTC, he continues to drive his car to work and back home every day. He considers it lifestyle choice and status symbol. By his confession, affluent district residents can't afford to be seen on TTC, or carrying their groceries through the front lobby of their building. Is this belief part of teh affluent area's dogma?
Should we be bullish or bearish on Yorkvillism? As a casual observer and a friend of many business owners there, I have some basis for creating a qualified opinion. Many condo units purchased in the district are bought by investors and speculators, rather than people who would like to make them home and live the lifestyle supposedly prescribed by the place. Many boutique store owners or restaurateurs would not survive in business, if it were not for casual visitors and patrons to their restaurants and businesses. People, who do not live the lifestyle, but see it as a causal treat and source of excitement.
New condominium building at 80 Yorkville Avenue that is also a shopping place retained its root in past and incorporated historical facade of old Mount Sinai Hospital
Although the district strives to be home of celebrities and big spenders, the reality is far from that. Toronto just does not have such a large class of spenders and free wheelers with their money, like New York City of L.A. Yorkville in Toronto has to do on the wannabes most of the time. Vaticano on Bellair Avenue is Italian dining restaurant, genuine place popular with celebrities, also for the duration of Toronto International Film Festival. During the rest of the year, the restaurant is popular with Canadian business crowd and visitors to Toronto. It is ready and place set for opulent lifestyle, but its daily visitors can be very stringent with their money. It is a reality that makes it hard for businesses to survive. Paying high rents to pay that are prevalent in Bloor-Yorkville area. It causes such a high turnover of businesses. There are always " Going out of business" or "For Rent" signs visible on the street level. It is the let down and reminder that opulent lifestyle is not our everyday phenomenon in Toronto yet.
It is a watching place, including people, automobiles and motorcycles. You can see many sports and expensive cars with displaying Wheelchair Stickers behind their windshield. Do all the handicapped people buy these cars, but where do they keep the wheelchairs? Most likely, it is an attempt to avoid paying expensive parking fines. Parking Control Officers are relentless day or night, issuing expensive fines in droves on all major arteries and parking spots are scare. District is not only retail centre, but a place to obtain many professional services. Yorkvillism as a lifestyle demand well being for your mind and body. You will find many cosmetic dental clinics offering rejuvenation of your smile, plastic surgery clinics, hairstylists, spas and therapists of all kinds, just to name few. Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Scollard Street is one recommended by a long time local resident. They cater to the young and professional crowd and keep in touch with them with mobile dental website. Older crowd has different needs of dental care, and the Yorkville dentistry provides them all. Chiropractic clinics and massage therapist are also wellness providers. Another local residents and friend of mine visits once a week local chiropractor for affluent and ordinary folks with an office located on the Street, just across the library and fire station. My local friend is a good example of Yorkvillism. He lives in the heart of the district in a condo on Bellair Avenue, just next to the subway entrance. His office is also located on Downtown subway station. We had many discussions on this topic of downtown traffic gridlocks, unnecessary costs for gas, avoiding many unnecessary parking tickets and making environmentally friendly choices. He always agrees that those are right arguments, but not right choices for him! In spite of convenience and economy of using TTC, he continues to drive his car to work and back home every day. He considers it lifestyle choice and status symbol. By his confession, affluent district residents can't afford to be seen on TTC, or carrying their groceries through the front lobby of their building. Is this belief part of teh affluent area's dogma?
Should we be bullish or bearish on Yorkvillism? As a casual observer and a friend of many business owners there, I have some basis for creating a qualified opinion. Many condo units purchased in the district are bought by investors and speculators, rather than people who would like to make them home and live the lifestyle supposedly prescribed by the place. Many boutique store owners or restaurateurs would not survive in business, if it were not for casual visitors and patrons to their restaurants and businesses. People, who do not live the lifestyle, but see it as a causal treat and source of excitement.
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Yorkville For Top Restaurants Courtyard Restaurant, Le Trou Normand and Vaticano with fine dining at its best.
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