East of Dufferin on the edge of Dovercourt Park you will discover a community that is highly social, artistic and accessible. It's called, Bloorcourt Village. 

Residents simply refer to this west Toronto neighbourhood as Bloorcourt. Over the years it has established a strong multicultural reputation with a wide variety of shops, services and entertainment. 

Portuguese, East African, Japanese, Chinese, Ukraine, Korean, Jamaican, Indian, Greek, Italian, as well as many other nationalities are represented in Toronto's Bloorcourt Village. 

Bloorcourt Village is known as an artistic community. One of its most popular retailers is the Long and McQuade Music Store. Most Ontario residents are familiar with the Long and McQuade family. 

Bloorcourt artists and crafters draw a lot of attention. The neighbourhood has become a hot spot for summer festivals and art shows. Here you can find unique, one-of-a-kind gifts at reasonable prices.

Toronto's Bloorcourt Village is close to the Bloor-Danforth Subway line and accessible by both the Ossington and Dufferin Subway stations. 

There are a number of bus routes that service the neighbourhood as well. If you prefer to drive there is street parking and a few green P parking lots in the area where you can park your car for the a few hours or the whole day.

Due to the strong ethnic mix in the Bloorcourt area, the shops and services provide a wide cultural experience for visitors. Although that people that have settled here have come from all parts of the world, there is a strong Portuguese and Ethiopian community, most notable in the restaurant sector. 

Next to Toronto's downtown core, Bloorcourt Village has the largest variety of restaurants. At the time this article was published the following restaurants were open for business:

• African Palace
• Asseb Restaurant
• Atlantis Restaurant
• Banjara Indian Cuisine
• China Ocean Restaurant
• Dahlak Restaurant
• Disgraceland
• Drift
• El Cafecito
• El Jacal Mexican Food & Eatery
• Hurricanes Roadhouse Restaurant
• Jankie's Place
• Jerk King
• Kasala Cafeteria
• La Bella Managua Restaurante Nicaraguenese
• Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
• Madras Masala  South Indian Cuisine
• Mazz Sushi
• Montana Fish & Chips
• Nazareth Restaurant
• O Petisco Portuguese 
• Opad Rinho
• Pam's Caribbean Roti Shop
• Pero Restaurant & Lounge
• Popeye's Chicken
• Queen of Sheeba Restaurant
• Regal Garden Chinese Cuisine
• Rikishi Japanese Restaurant
• Ristorante Roma
• Saving Gigi
• Shawarma Flames
• Sheesha Lounge
• Thai Green Mango
• Tiera Azteca
• Tokyo Sushi
• Zembaba Restaurant

Pizza lovers have their choice of 3 local shops: 241 Pizza, La Fiesta Pizza, and Pizza, Pizza. There are also two great bakeries in town, Courense Bakery and Nova Era Bakery.

Enjoying social time along with good food is part of the Bloorcourt Village experience. There are 6 well-established bars in the area.

1. Black Horse 

2. Bloor Street Bar 

3. EST Sports Bar

4. Monica Miracle Bar

5. Zeman Sports Bar

6. Comedy Bar

Places like the St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market may be institutions in Toronto, but Bloorcourt Village has its own special market that attracts visitors from outside the area. 

Bloorcourt Village Market offers an extensive variety of fresh, organic products at competitive prices. They are also known for their knowledgeable and friendly staff. Below you will find a list of other grocery stores/markets in the neighbourhood.

• Mediterranean Food Store
• New Bloor Garden Supermarket
• Admas Grocery
• Arada Grocery
• Global Supermarket
• Daily Fresh Supermarket
• O NOSSO TALHO
• Talo E Salsicharia Rui Gomes Brazilian Food

Whether it is for food, clothing or accessories, shopping can be a fun experience in Bloorcourt due to the wide selection. If shopping for the latest fashions is on your "to do list" you might want to consider the following retailers in Bloorcourt Village.

• B & K Fashions
• L-Wear
• Ooh La La Divas
• Freedom Clothing Collective
• L & V 2000
• Patricia Allen Shoppers
• Sinit Fashions
• Valentino's Men's & Boy's Shop
• Shoestore
• Village Shoe Boutique
• Casa Belo
• Ferre Sposa Bridal Boutique
• Veronica's Bridal Fashions

• Dolly's Gift Centre
• Scented Romance
• Elegant Picture Frames & Crafts
• Wedding Gift Centre
• Zoinks Music & Books
• Long & McQuade
• Van 18 Jewelry & Watch
• Cyber Tech Computer
• Cyclemania 
• The Bike Clinic

When you visit Bloorcourt Village you will notice that there are a lot of different services available...everything from legal and medical services to health care, travel and religious organizations. 

For a small community, there is a lot happening here. The Bloorcourt Village Business Improvement Area continues to work on street beautification projects and is dedicated to developing more events and festivals in the village. 

This thriving community is expected to become more vibrant in the coming years. For more information about Bloorcourt Village visit the BIA's website at www.bloorcourt.com.