toronto music hubs

These neighbourhoods in Toronto could become music and entertainment hubs

The city of Toronto is at its best when it's lively, fun, and people seem ready to be dancing in the streets. Thanks to new developments at City Hall, dancing in the streets could soon become a reality for several neighbourhoods across the city.

Toronto's Economic Development & Culture administration has identified 21 areas that meet the criteria necessary to become hubs for live music and other outdoor events.

The identified areas include regions such as The Queensway from Mimico Creek to Kipling Ave in Etobicoke all the way to Scarborough Town Centre and many places in between.

Dupont, St. Clair West, and the Upper Beaches are just some of the other areas in Toronto that have also been identified as "Emerging Entertainment Areas" outside of the downtown core.

A report has been published detailing the findings and the city's desire to use the pandemic as an opportunity to re-imagine what Toronto's performing arts and music scene might be and to proactively support the growth of cultural activity outside the downtown core.

"The Emerging Entertainment Areas Outside of the Downtown Core report seeks to explore possibilities for night time animation across the city in ways that are safe and appropriate for the local neighbourhoods," Marguerite Pigott, Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries, City of Toronto told blogTO.

The complete list of neighbourhoods identified as live music and entertainment hubs is as follows:

Toronto and East York
  • Dupont Street (Ossington Ave to Kendal Ave)
  • Davenport Rd and Symington Ave
  • St Clair Ave W (Bathurst to Keele)
  • Oakwood Ave and Vaughan Rd
  • Upper Beaches - Gerrard and Woodbine
  • Queen St E and Sherbourne St
  • Eglinton Ave W (Allen Rd to Dufferin)
  • O'Connor Dr (St Clair Ave E to Victoria Park Ave)
Etobicoke and York
  • Lake Shore Blvd W (Long Branch/New Toronto/Mimico)
  • The Queensway (Mimico Creek Valley to Kipling Ave)
  • Etobicoke Centre (Bloor Street West and Islington Avenue)
  • Thistletown (Albion Road and Islington Avenue)
North York
  • North York Centre (Yonge Street between Sheppard and Finch Ave)
  • Downsview Park
  • Avenue Road (Between Lawrence Ave and Wilson Rd)
  • Yonge St (between Broadway Ave and Joicey Blvd)
Scarborough
  • Kingston Rd/Victoria Park  Kingston Rd/Midland (Cliffside)
  • Kingston Rd (between McCowan and Markham Rd)
  • Eglinton Ave E (between Kennedy and Markham Rd)
  • Scarborough Centre (Scarborough Town Centre area)
Lead photo by

Randy McDonald


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