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Toronto Walking Tour - Yorkville - National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides
Toronto Walking Tour - Yorkville - National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides
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Toronto Walking Tour: Yorkville
Yorkville was once a wellfrayed hippie haven in the ’60s and early ’70s (Joni
Mitchell often performed in local coffeehouses). Now the city’s premier upscale
shopping neighborhood is a platinum card’s paradise of designer boutiques and blue
chip art galleries. Chase your materialistic visit with a more highminded trot through
the University of Toronto’s leafy coils.
Start at the corner of Yorkville and Hazelton Avenues, where presides the brandnew (1) Hazelton Hotel (118
Yorkville Avenue; www.hazeltonhotel.com), the city’s grandest luxury pile courtesy of local interior design
darlings George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg. Walk a few steps north on Hazelton until the (2) Mira Godard
Gallery (22 Hazleton Avenue; www.godardgallery.com)—one of Canada’s largest commercial art galleries,
home to the work of such foremost Canadian artists as Edward Burtynsky, JeanPaul Riopelle, and Alex
Colville. Keep walking straight until Scollard Avenue, a posh lane lined with art galleries: visit the luminous (3)
Drabinsky Gallery (122 Scollard Street; www.drabinskygallery.com), which recently hosted the world
premiere of Leonard Cohen’s works on paper.
Walk back toward Yorkville Avenue, heading south down Old York Lane: a narrow pathway glutted with fancy
boutiques. Check out gemmy boutique (4) Augustina (Five Old York Lane; www.augustinaboutiques.com), a
carefully curated jewelbox boutique, abounding with designer cashmere, shoes, and handbags du jour. Keep
walking toward Cumberland Avenue, hang a right, then a left at Avenue Road. Walk south until you hit the
corner of Bloor Street and Avenue Road. Continue south toward the newly renovated (5) Gardiner Museum
(111 Queen’s Park; www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/). Then walk back to Bloor Street, head west, and behold
Daniel Libeskind’s provocative new addition to the (6) ROM (100 Queen’s Park; www.rom.on.ca)—a
collection of sharpedged glassy pyramids that looks like the diamond knuckleduster of a giantess. Tuck into
the newly opened restaurant c5—arguably the most glamorous reservation in town—for lunch or a cocktail.
Keep walking west along Bloor Street to the (7) Royal Conservatory of Music (273 Bloor Street) and turn left
into (8) Philosopher’s Walk, a picturesque, leafy footpath in the University of Toronto’s downtown campus
where scholars read Puffin classics under ancient trees. The hidden byway curls its way past (9) Trinity
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College’s (Six Hoskin Avenue) stoneandivy stateliness. Musicians practicing in the nearby Conservatory and
U of T’s Faculty of Music provide a classical soundtrack. Reach Hoskin Avenue and cross the street south,
walking along Tower Road toward (10) Hart House (Seven Hart House Circle)—the grand 1919 building is a
creaking manse of stained glass, timbered ceilings, and stone corbels; its famous theater has seen performances
from (and launched the careers of) such Canadian luminaries as Donald Sutherland, William Hurt, Norman
Jewison, and Lorne Michaels. Wander around creaking halls and into (11) The Gallery Grill for a nibble or a
tea: The terrifically civilized (and wellhidden) restaurant is located in a clerestory and features vaulted ceilings,
handpainted stainedglass windows, and views into Hart House’s Great Hall. Walk along Hart House Circle
past (12) University College—U of T’s architectural centerpiece and among the country’s historic treasures.
Loll about on the lawn at (13) King’s Circle.
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