Neighbourhood spotlight: Church Street Corridor

The Church Street Corridor is a beloved downtown neighbourhood bordered by Yonge to the west, Queen to the south, Jarvis to the east, and Isabella to the north. Its biggest claim to fame is the Toronto Pride Parade every June – the largest event of its kind in Canada, with over 1.7 million enthusiastic attendees congregating in the area each summer. 

This neighbourhood is where you’ll find the Village, a historic haven and gathering place for Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community since the 1970s. It’s vibrant and diverse, with a unique mix of great nightlife and quiet streets, and lots of LGBTQ+-owned and LGBTQ+-friendly businesses. Ultimately, though, it has the feel of a small town – despite the fact that it’s right in the heart of Canada’s biggest city. There’s a real sense of community and a friendly, supportive vibe that’s pretty irresistible. 

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Pride Central

Head to Church and Wellesley during Pride Month, and you can take part in all kinds of celebrations. There’s the Pride Parade, of course, which takes place on the last Sunday of June. But there’s tons of stuff to do all month long, with performances, parties, marches, workshops, mixers and more. Here’s the calendar for June 2023. 

A colourful history

Church Street itself is named for…you guessed it, churches. But the houses of worship you’ll find along this historic road aren’t exactly run-of-the-mill – they’re soaring, spired cathedrals. If you’re an architecture buff, St. Michael’s Cathedral, Metropolitan United Church, and St. James Cathedral are all worth a visit. This self-guided walk gets you to all three. 

The Church Street Corridor was originally settled by several wealthy and prominent Toronto families. All those gorgeous mansions along Jarvis were built when the area was considered the city’s most fashionable place to live. If you want to wander around one of those old mansions, visit the Keg Mansion on Jarvis – it used to belong to Toronto’s Massey family (of Massey-Ferguson farm equipment and Massey Hall fame). 

Here’s a taste of what Church Street used to look like

In the 1960s and 1970s, the area around Church and Wellesley (now the Village) was known for its bars and bathhouses, and started growing into a centre of gay culture. The iconic Glad Day Bookshop got its start there in the 1970s, the first store of its kind in Canada – and now the oldest queer bookstore in the world. The 1980s saw the opening of the 519 Church Street Community Centre – an LGBTQ+-friendly meeting place that attracted even more LGBTQ+ businesses and residents to the area, creating a community where people finally felt like they didn’t have to hide who they were. 

Fun fact: Queer as Folk was filmed in the area. And although Toronto was a stand-in for Pittsburgh in the series, it’s pretty easy to recognize the neighbourhood in outdoor scenes. 

The area has been politically represented by openly LGBTQ+ counsellors since 1991: Kyle Rae and Kristyn Wong-Tam.

SUPER central

You can’t get any closer to downtown than the Church Street Corridor. When you live here, you can walk to everything – Yorkville, the Eaton Centre, Toronto Metropolitan University, George Brown College, museums, theatres, shopping, dining, you name it.

Getting around is super easy. The walk score for the area is an unbeatable 98, the bike score is 99, and the transit score is 96, making the Church Street Corridor the perfect place to live if you don’t have a car. The neighbourhood is an easy walk to a whole bunch of subway stations along the Yonge line (Line 2) including Wellesley, College Park, Dundas, Queen and King. The Bloor line (Line 1) is accessible too, via Bloor/Yonge and Sherbourne stations. And the neighbourhood is also well-served by buses and streetcars, so there’s lots of choice, no matter where you’re headed. 

Small-town vibe, big-city fun

Despite the fact that this neighbourhood has a rep for being a bit of a party destination, it’s actually a lovely area to live in. Most of the action happens on the main thoroughfares – the side streets are quiet, leafy spots that make it hard to believe you’re right downtown.

You’ll find a mix of Victorian homes, charming Art Deco walk-ups built in the 1920s and 1930s, townhouses, high-rise apartment buildings and ultra-modern condos that range from small entry-level units to ultra-luxe residences. 

The area has so much going for it, from a wonderful dining scene to great bars and clubs. For foodies, there’s the charmingly old-school Sambuca’s on Church, the gracious Kintaro Izakaya, and the traditional French Bumpkins, among others. And if a bar is more your speed, try Woodys/Sailor, the famous gay bar that’s been around since the 1970s, The Well, a newer addition that’s “high-vibe” and “come-as-you-are,” and the super-fun, nerd-chic Storm Crow Manor, which proudly bills itself as Toronto’s geekiest bar, catering to fans of Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and more. 

Visit churchwelleselyvillage.ca for a more comprehensive list of restaurants, shops and arts and entertainment venues.

Plenty of parks

The Church Street Corridor may be smack in the centre of downtown Toronto, but there’s no shortage of parks and quiet green spaces to enjoy:

Allen Gardens Park is a sprawling green space with a playground, off-leash area, and plenty of room to roam. But its claim to fame is the gorgeous Palm House, a Victorian-inspired glass conservatory that’s part of a complex of 6 greenhouses that house incredible botanical gardens you can visit year-round. 

St. James Park is right by St. James Cathedral, with formal flower gardens and walking trails that are lovely places for a stroll. It’s a very scenic spot – if you go on the weekends, you’ll probably see wedding parties there taking photos with the beautiful blooms as their backdrop. 

Barbara Hall Park is a small but lovely park on Church Street just north of Wellesley. It has a splash pad, fenced-in off-leash area, and a moving AIDs Memorial that remembers loved ones lost to the disease over the years. 

Toronto Metropolitan University Community Park is a favourite with students – but anyone is welcome to enjoy the space. Tucked away amongst the school’s buildings, the “quad” is an open, grassy expanse where you can play catch with your pup or soak up some sun on a warm day. And in the winter, there’s a charming skating rink to glide around on.