Leslieville

LESLIEVILLE’s origins as a small village, began back in the 1850‘s taking root around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie and  his sons, after whom this neighbourhood is named.  Leslieville, has emerged as Toronto's hippest place for foodies, shoppers and to drink, dined and live after many years of being overshadowed by the more developed Riverside, according to a 2005 article in the New York Times that also bestowed the title of the neighbourhood as the new ‘Queen Street West’. http://www.stompinggrounds.ca/map.php

It’s earlier years were spent as home to the Film District and light industry.

Now Leslieville has a reputation as one of Toronto's best brunch destinations and it features some great cafes, design stores, small fashionable boutiques and some of the best vintage furniture around! As Leslieville’s popularity grows, it attracts more independent shops that cater to the neighbourhood and attract patrons from across the city.

Along Queen and south to Eastern Avenue are some of Leslieville’s older homes built in the 1800’s.  These include the architecturally interesting Ontario Cottages, Victorian homes and Second Empire row houses.  North of Queen stand the second generation homes build in the early 1900’s.  Modest detached and semi-detached houses mingle with a large amount of bungalows.

Leslieville is home to parks, close to the Waterfront, and also hosts the largest ethnic market of Indian fashions and fabrics, goods and jewelry in North America in the area known as the ‘India Bazaar’, found on Gerrard Street East between Greenwood Avenue and Coxwell.

Public transit makes Leslieville easily accessible.  There are bus and streetcar routes on Carlaw, Jones, Greenwood, Coxwell, and Eastern Avenues, in addition to Queen and Gerrard Streets. The Bloor-Danforth subway line links up with most of these bus routes. For motorists, the downtown is minutes away via Lake Shore Boulevard, the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway.

Local Trivia

The ‘Maple Leaf Cottage’ resides in Leslieville named for Alexander Muir, Leslieville’s first public school principal.  Alexander Muir was inspired to compose "The Maple Leaf Forever" when a brilliant autumn maple leaf fell from a Leslieville tree onto his jacket. A historic plaque a the intersection of Laing Street and Memory Lane commemorates the tree.

The maple tree stood until July 2013 when it was felled by a huge storm.  The residents rallied and request that the tree be repurposed.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/07/25/city_to_repurpose_historic_maple_leaf_forever_tree.html

Location

Gerrard Street to the north and Eastern Avenue to the south.  

East of the Don River bounded by the Canadian National railway line and Empire Avenue on the west with Coxwell Avenue to the east.

Home to -Leslieville

Electoral Districts are Beaches-East York and Toronto-Danforth