The Queen is not Amused...but I am.

whyilovetoronto:

Why I Love Toronto Reason #362

The Annex

Oh I’m going to be so biased right now, but I mean I love the Annex! I am always there to hang out, visit my friend Ariel at her house and sometimes when I was coming home from York I would get out at St. George Station and walk to Bathurst just so I could see the hustle and bustle of the Annex. It’s a student living area, a night spot with bars, clubs and restaurants and it is a great place to shop. The boundaries are considered to be from Bathurst Street in the West, Avenue Road in the East, Dupont Ave in the North and Bloor South in the south. I would even like to argue the Annex extends well beyond Bloor and maybe to College Street between Bathurst and Spadina (before U of T which I consider a neighbourhood starts).

The name Annex is dated to 1880 to a man named Simeon Janes who got the land annexed by Toronto so that water, sewers and roads could be built. Basically, Toronto Annexed the area hence the name.    

Now the Annex has a lot of beautiful homes in the area some of them have been beautifully restored and some of them have been in ways destroyed in different ways. The Frat/ Sorority Houses crazy party lifestyle have probably ruined the interior and some of them have completely been ruined and gutted so that they could be turned into rooming houses to accommodate as many U of T students as possible, but there is still no denying the exteriors whether they have been restored or somewhat neglected are the most beautiful facades ever. The houses, were built between 1880 to 1900 and represents a wide array of architectural styles such as Victorian, Queen Anne, Edwardian, Georgian, English Cottage and Romanesque, and some feature turrets, arches, red sandstone and gargoyles. Many of them were also built by E.J. Lennox.  The looks of the homes also provide a lot of history about the people who lived in the area. It was considered until the 1920’s one of the most luxurious areas of Toronto where Timothy Eaton and George Gooderham lived. The rich who lived in the area also played a pivotal role in its development.  Mr. Eaton funded the Trinity Methodist Church which made an appearance on this list. Today it is mostly a student dwelling as I have said, but rumours are that Rachel McAdams lives in the Annex as well.

The Annex was almost destroyed when the Ontario Government proposed an expressway down Spadina. However,  the community came together to fight the proposed expressway and the outcome – well we all know what the outcome was. In the 60’s the area became a big area to trade illegal drugs and many referred to Howland Ave as Speed Alley.

This area is like a house museum and that is why I love the Annex so much. I would love to buy that house of Sussex Ave because it is a beautiful example of what the area used to be. It is a great place to shop, to party and to many websites one the most popular neighbourhoods in Toronto. I won’t lie, but I love this neighbourhood and with the amount of posts I have down within the boundaries in the Annex its pretty obvisious. After I say Why I Love Toronto I will provide links to every single post I have done in the Annex.

That is Why I Love Toronto.  

Greg’s Ice Cream, Bata Shoe Museum, Timothy Eaton Statue (not in the Annex, but because of his connection),  Varsity Stadium, Smoke’s Poutinerie, Karaoke at the Fox and Fiddle  at St. George, Bathurst Station, Celebrities Who Call Toronto Home (Rachel McAdams connection), Sonic Boom, U of T Frat Houses, Yonge University Spadina Platform, Honest Ed’s Turkey Giveaway, The Brunswick House, Spadina Station Kendal Ave Entrance, Beef Patties at Bathurst, Central Tech, Lees Palace,  Walmer Baptist Church, Insomnia, Pauper’s Pub, YoYos Yogurt, Bloor Cinema, Southern Accent, Sally Bird Park, Little Island Comics, the Gooderham Family, Trinity St. Pauls’ Church,  Honest Ed’s, Bathurst Theatre, Munk School Headquarters.

 http://www.torontoneighbourhoods.net/neighbourhoods/midtown/annex/recreation

http://www.bloorannexbia.com/history

http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/12/what_the_annex_was_like_in_the_1950s_and_60s/

http://www.torontoneighbourhoods.net/neighbourhoods/midtown/annex/shopping