Toronto’s Entertainment District is concentrated around King Street West between University Avenue and Spadina Avenue. It is home to theatres and performing arts centres, the Toronto Blue Jays, and an array of cultural and family attractions. The area is also home to most of the nightclubs in downtown Toronto.
The History of The Entertainment District
In the first half of the 20th century, the original name of the neighbourhood was the Garment District and it was almost wholly industrial. The railways controlled a huge amount of land along the Lake Ontario waterfront, and to the north many firms took advantage of the easy access to rail and the harbour. The most important industry was textiles and fashion, and the area had few residents. Much of the area was built after the 1904 fire, which forced many businesses to move west of the Bay Street and Front area.
Among the industry, the area was home to the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Opened in 1907, the Beaux-Arts styled proscenium-stage theatre is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America. The theatre was later purchased by the Mirvish family in 1962.
Manufacturing industry began to vacate the area in the 1970s, leaving behind an array of heritage warehouses and factories that began to be converted to other uses. Meanwhile from 1976, the newly-opened CN Tower brought many tourists to the neighbourhood. Still, the most notable arrival was nightclubs that began opening sporadically in the early 1980s before becoming the area's staple and most recognizable feature from early 1990s onward.
1980s: Arrival of the First Nightclubs
In January 1980, The Twilight Zone opened. This was Toronto's first large dance nightclub, at 185 Richmond Street West between Simcoe and Duncan Streets. Modeled after New York City's famous Paradise Garage club, the Twilight Zone quickly became popular with the Toronto youth, showcasing an adventurous mix of musical styles including underground disco, house, hip-hop, and techno thus giving the city its first taste of the kind of underground clubbing experience that had already been popular in New York City for years.. Though located in a raw, gritty, and frugal space of a mostly unfurnished former industrial warehouse, the Twilight Zone still featured an extravagantly designed state-of-the-art sound system .whose thumping bass could be heard miles away, flooding the deserted neighborhood with noise.
Operating without a liquor license, thus not serving any alcohol throughout its run, the club initially made a name via its Saturday night parties that went until the Sunday morning dawn. Also on Saturday nights,, they introduced a practice of bringing international DJs, mostly from New York City and Chicago.
Roy Thomson Hall is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The concert hall was opened in 1982.
In 1982 Roy Thomson Hall opened at King Street and Simcoe Street, becoming the new home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra thus expanding entertainment options in the neighbourhood beyond partying at the Twilight Zone.
It wasn't until late 1987 that the still mostly deserted area got another nightclub. Stilife was opened at the corner of Richmond West and Duncan. The club quickly became popular by attracting affluent Toronto crowds, a business success that would, in a few years, bring many new nightclubs to the area.
The railway lands to the south were also converted to other uses. The SkyDome sports arena opened in 1989, bringing thousands of fans of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Argonauts as well as fans of big musical acts to the area.
1990s: Birth of the Entertainment District
The success of Stilife made other entrepreneurs take notice and despite the Twilight Zone's 1989 closure, numerous new clubs began appearing from 1990 onward, attracted by the developing nightlife scene and still relatively cheap rent.
This trend continued at such a rate that the area by mid-1990s became home to one of the largest concentrations of nightclubs in North America. Along with the nightclubs, many bars and restaurants opened to serve these crowds.
Given the success of the Royal Alexandra Theatre, in 1993 the Mirvish family built the new 2,000-seat Princess of Wales Theatre a block over. Alternative theatres were also already in existence in this area. Toronto emerged as the world's third-largest centre for English-language theatre, behind only London and New York.
Canada's Walk of Fame got established in 1998, right in front of the two Mirvish-owned theaters on King St. West between Simcoe and John streets, acknowledging the achievements of successful Canadians.
In 1999, Festival Hall opened at the southwest corner of Richmond West and John Streets, containing the flagship Paramount Theatre Toronto that has since been re-branded as Scotiabank Theatre Toronto.
2000s: Condo Boom and Population Spike
All throughout the early 2000s, the Toronto condo boom began to transform the area. The abandoned warehouses began to be transformed into lofts, or demolished to make way for condominium towers. The core of the Entertainment District had only 750 residents in 1996, but this had gone up to 7,500 by 2005 The crowds, noise, and occasional crime especially associated with the clubs caused conflict with the new homeowners.
The trend of the area being turned into a residential neighbourhood continued even more rapidly in the second half of the decade. Nightclubs still opened, but by the late 2000s, many closed, which served to underscore the neighbourhood's shift and was seen by many as the definitive symbol of the death of Toronto's clubland.
Greater restrictions on venues in the area resulted in a steep decline in the number of clubs: from 60-100 in the period between 2000 and 2006 to 30 in 2013.
Today
The Entertainment District is still home to some of Toronto's best bars or nightclubs. Many of the nightclubs and bars have overflowed into the Fashion District, which is increasingly the home of Toronto's nightclub strip.
The Air Canada Centre, home of the Leafs and the Raptors, and the Rogers Centre, which hosts the Argos and the Jays, are two mainstays of the Entertainment District of Toronto. Throughout the year, thousands of people pool into the area near Union Station to watch a game. Tourists are also drawn to the area by the CN Tower and Roundhouse Park, which has an operating miniature train. Performing arts and live music events are hosted in the park, especially at Christmas time and during the summer. The Ripley's Aquarium is another big draw. The TIFF Lightbox film centre is great for movie-watching opportunities, as is the Scotiabank Theatre (the one with the big red Rubix cube on its facade), or for a different kind of theatre, there's the Royal Alexandra and the Princess of Wales, plus the Theatre Passe Muraille and Factory Theatre.
The Entertainment District Real Estate
The Entertainment District is home to young-ish professionals who work downtown. Living in the Entertainment District means virtually no commuting and the excitement of after work is just steps from your front door.
Thirty-somethings who work downtown are the ones who live in the area’s high rises condos. Condo towers in the Entertainment District are modern, expensive, stylish and offer all the right amenities, like indoor pools, spas and gyms. Singles and couples who bring in a minimum of six figures – each – live in the condos..
Looking for the best of The Entertainment District?
Parks
Schools
Please click here for a comprehensive list of schools in The Entertainment District..
Restaurants
Lee: Susur Lee's stylish eatery for creative Asian & French-influenced dishes meant for sharing.
Weslodge: Classic cocktails & Canadian fare get a local, modern twist at this vintage tavern.
Labora: Tapas, paella & other Spanish specialties presented in a dark environment with a romantic vibe.
Cafés
Nook Café: Cozy basement sandwich shop serving inventive panini, plus salads, smoothies & espresso drinks.
Shy Coffee Co.: Espresso drinks & teas plus baked goods & sandwiches served in a white-tiled spot with wood accents.
Forno Cultura: Stylish & warm café & bakery offering an array of Italian-inspired sandwiches & pastries.