Mirvish Village

All About Mirvish Village Guide

On the western edge of The Annex is where you will find Mirvish Village, a small neighbourhood of stores and shops that is particularly known for its art studios and galleries.

Mirvish Village is located north-west of downtown Toronto, in the vicinity of the intersection of Bloor Street and Bathurst Street. Its main section consists of a series of old Victorian homes on Markham Street, which have been converted into stores and restaurants. The area is easily accessible by the Bloor subway line, or the streetcar line that runs on Bathurst.

To the north of Mirvish Village, Bloor Street cuts westward from the Annex towards Koreatown and Christie Pits Park. To the south is a residential neighbourhood of leafy streets and small parks, until it reaches College Street and Little Italy. The residential areas directly to the south and west of Mirvish Village are some of the best-liked in the city. Palmerston Boulevard, one block west of Markham, was recently named by the Toronto Star to be one of the top-ten streets in the city to live on. Palmerston is particularly known for its cast-iron street lamps, which were originally erected between 1905 and 1910.

Any discussion of Mirvish Village would be best to start with Honest Ed's Department Store, which looms large over the area from the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. While the area is now known for nice restaurants and art galleries, its creation was as a result of the success of Honest Ed's founder Ed Mirvish, who bought up the area in the 1960s.

The iconic store's facade is made to look like a theatre marquee, and is lit up by over 23,000 light bulbs. The store is a classic Toronto icon, and has been featured in several films shot in the city, including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Long Kiss Goodnight. Inside, the store is decorated with posters of films and stage productions from Mirvish's theatre business.

Honest Ed's is a discount department store that carries everything from hardware, to groceries, clothing and furniture. Of course, Ed's might be best known for its impressive array of kitsch items for sale. It would be difficult to find anywhere else in the city that sells last supper clocks, Obama grocery bags, and such a wide assortment of framed wolf holograms.

To the south of Honest Ed's is the main part of Mirvish Village, the stores and restaurants of Markham Street. The street is always busy, especially in the summer when people crowd into the many patios along the street. The Central is one popular spot, a bar and restaurant that regularly features live music. Another well-liked patio is The Victory Café, a neighbourhood pub that features numerous Ontario microbrew beers on tap.

Other restaurants on Markham Street include the Southern Accent Restaurant, featuring Cajun and Creole food, and Butler's Pantry. Nearby there are several great takeout places. Caribbean Roti Palace, on Bathurst, is always in the running in conversations regarding the best roti place in the city. Sky Blue Sky, located on Bloor, is a themed sandwich joint where all the offerings are named after songs by Wilco, an American alternative-rock group.

In the summer, Markham Street is closed to traffic for Pedestrian Sundays. This is a good time to check out the many stores on the street. There are over a dozen art galleries and studios in the area, including several specializing in stained glass and glasswork. Vintage clothing boutiques are also found here, including Coal Miner's Daughter, which focuses on Canadian jewellery and clothing. Other popular retailers include The Beguiling, one of Toronto's top comic stores, and Vintage Video, which sells hard-to-find films and film memorabilia.

Other local attractions include Snakes and Lattes, a new establishment on Bloor Street that calls itself the "first board game cafe in Toronto." For five dollars a person, patrons have unlimited use of the nearly-2000 board games on hand. Food and drinks are available, and they also have a wide selection of board games for sale as well.

The Bathurst Street Theatre, at the corner of Bathurst Street and Lennox Street, is a local theatre housed in a former 19th century church. The 550-seat theatre regularly features plays and musicals, and also home to the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts.