Yorkville is known for its upscale shopping and dining, but in the 1960s, the neighbourhood first gained notoriety as a colourful hippie haven. Now this shopping mecca is a dynamic location, with an eclectic mix of luxury condos and apartments, commercial office towers and top-rated hotels, theatres, gourmet restaurants, and boutique shopping. Yorkville lies between Davenport Road to the north, Bloor Street to the south, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west.

The Victorian homes in Yorkville, mostly built between 1870 and 1895, are decorated with ornamental brick patterns, gingerbread gables and cast-iron fences. Many of the homes are listed on the Toronto Historical Board’s Inventory of Heritage Properties. There are both new and older condominium projects in the area, as well as the new Four Seasons Hotel and Condominium Residences.

Bloor-Yorkville is acclaimed as Canada’s pre-eminent shopping district and includes the “Mink Mile” of internationally owned luxury brands such as Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermès and many more. A wide selection of mid-range and specialty shops, as well as numerous art galleries, make this a destination for tourists, locals, and Torontonians alike. On the edge of Yorkville, the renovated Royal Ontario Museum, the largest museum in Canada, dominates Bloor Street with its crystal-like glass and steel façade.

Yorkville’s tree-lined side streets and charming laneways offer cafés, retail shopping and green spaces, including a courtyard with seating and a metal waterfall sculpture.