‘Queen Street West’ includes a number of neighbourhoods and commercial districts located west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. Queen Street itself extends into the west end of the city and the intersection of The Queensway, King Street and Roncesvalles Avenue.
Queen Street West at Yonge Street has long been one of Toronto’s main shopping destinations. Located here is Toronto Eaton Centre, one of Canada’s largest office and shopping complexes. The pedestrian crosswalk on Queen Street to the west of the intersection with Yonge Street has been one of the busiest in Canada for many years.
Between University and Spadina Avenues sits what was once a cultural nexus in the 1980s. This area was known for its night clubs, restaurants and eclectic mix of street performers and musicians. In the 1960s and early 1970s, this part of Queen Street West was an ageing commercial strip, known for ‘greasy spoon’ restaurants and inexpensive housing. The area was transformed by local students in the 1970s and 1980s into an active music scene which became one of the dominant centres of Canadian music in its time.
The stretch from Spadina to Bathurst is lined with retail shops and upper level apartments. Toronto’s Fashion District sits between Spadina Avenue and Trinity Bellwoods Park south of Queen Street. Between Bathurst Street and Gladstone Avenue is Toronto’s Art and Design District, where almost every storefront on the north end is either a nightclub, gallery or bar.