Native Torontonians actually remember the enormous, Coney Island-esque waterfront playfield of Sunnyside Beach, and younger Torontonians have potentially heard stories about it. When the Sunnyside Amusement Park and Bathing Pavilion opened for business in 1922 on Parkdale's beaches, this neighbourhood west of downtown instantly became the place to be at for a generation of Torontonians.
Unfortunately, Sunnyside was closed down in 1956 by the city so as to make room for the Gardiner Expressway and a remodeled Lakeshore Boulevard. As a result, Parkdale was cut off from the lake and its greatness took a major recession.
Naturally, Parkdale 's history started long before the presence of Sunnyside Park in the area. The Village of Parkdale was established in 1812 when a great parcel of land was granted to James Brock, the cousin of Sir Isaac Brock, instead of income. But the development commenced only after Brock's death in 1830, when his widow Lucy Brock sold the lands that became the main part of Parkdale to John Henry Dunn and William Gwynne.
By the late 1800s, Parkdale has become one of Toronto's most upscale and desirable addresses, a top-flight residential suburb. Parkdale's standing as an independent town was debatable at the time; local legend has it that gypsies were signed up as local residents so as to provide enough numbers to qualify Parkdale as independent. Parkdale was eventually annexed into the City of Toronto in 1889.
Today's Parkdale
If you pass thru Parkdale now, you can realize it is one of the most diverse areas of the city, a transient neighborhood for many new entrants to Canada with a mix of high and low earnings working class. Low-rent apartment complexes and its vicinity to the central core have attracted lots of immigrants to settle here.
Thru the years, many alternative waves of immigrants like Caribbean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Tamil, Chinese and Hungarian (Roma) have settled in the neighborhood. The area is presently home to one of the biggest Tibetan diaspora outside of India and Nepal. The richness and personality that Parkdale is legendary for is partly due to all these immigrant communities.
Unlike Regent Park, which is located on the eastern side of downtown, the smashing area of Parkdale has been neglected, and there has not been any urban renewal projects in the works for rather a long time. Nonetheless, there are several signs of regeneration in the area, leading to a significant rise in property values. The new lofts and townhomes of King West and Freedom Town at Parkdale's stoop not only attract a new generation of householders, but also drive enhancements to Parkdale's commercial stretch.
Previous hotels such as The Drake and The Gladstone have been modified into cool urban night spots. One of two surviving buildings from the Sunnyside Amusement Park, The Palais Royale Ballroom on Lakeshore Boulevard, has had its grandeur revived, with the latest restorations turning it into a swank lakeside event facility. The Roncesvalles Village, a community very much on the rise in appreciation, lives in the western periphery of Parkdale.
Unfortunately, Sunnyside was closed down in 1956 by the city so as to make room for the Gardiner Expressway and a remodeled Lakeshore Boulevard. As a result, Parkdale was cut off from the lake and its greatness took a major recession.
Naturally, Parkdale 's history started long before the presence of Sunnyside Park in the area. The Village of Parkdale was established in 1812 when a great parcel of land was granted to James Brock, the cousin of Sir Isaac Brock, instead of income. But the development commenced only after Brock's death in 1830, when his widow Lucy Brock sold the lands that became the main part of Parkdale to John Henry Dunn and William Gwynne.
By the late 1800s, Parkdale has become one of Toronto's most upscale and desirable addresses, a top-flight residential suburb. Parkdale's standing as an independent town was debatable at the time; local legend has it that gypsies were signed up as local residents so as to provide enough numbers to qualify Parkdale as independent. Parkdale was eventually annexed into the City of Toronto in 1889.
Today's Parkdale
If you pass thru Parkdale now, you can realize it is one of the most diverse areas of the city, a transient neighborhood for many new entrants to Canada with a mix of high and low earnings working class. Low-rent apartment complexes and its vicinity to the central core have attracted lots of immigrants to settle here.
Thru the years, many alternative waves of immigrants like Caribbean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Tamil, Chinese and Hungarian (Roma) have settled in the neighborhood. The area is presently home to one of the biggest Tibetan diaspora outside of India and Nepal. The richness and personality that Parkdale is legendary for is partly due to all these immigrant communities.
Unlike Regent Park, which is located on the eastern side of downtown, the smashing area of Parkdale has been neglected, and there has not been any urban renewal projects in the works for rather a long time. Nonetheless, there are several signs of regeneration in the area, leading to a significant rise in property values. The new lofts and townhomes of King West and Freedom Town at Parkdale's stoop not only attract a new generation of householders, but also drive enhancements to Parkdale's commercial stretch.
Previous hotels such as The Drake and The Gladstone have been modified into cool urban night spots. One of two surviving buildings from the Sunnyside Amusement Park, The Palais Royale Ballroom on Lakeshore Boulevard, has had its grandeur revived, with the latest restorations turning it into a swank lakeside event facility. The Roncesvalles Village, a community very much on the rise in appreciation, lives in the western periphery of Parkdale.
About the Author:
Article prepared by Heather Hadden, Toronto Realtor and Toronto neighbourhoods expert.
