Old Torontonians definitely remember the large, Coney Island-esque waterfront playfield of Sunnyside Beach, and younger Torontonians have likely heard anecdotes about it. When the Sunnyside Amusement Park and Washing Pavilion opened for business in 1922 on Parkdale's beaches, this area west of downtown right away became the place to be at for a generation of Torontonians.
Sadly, Sunnyside was shut down in 1956 by the town in order to make room for the Gardiner Expressway and a refurbished Lakeshore Boulevard. As a consequence, Parkdale was cut off from the lake and its eminence took a major downturn.
Of course, Parkdale 's story began long time before the occurence of Sunnyside Park in the district. The Hamlet of Parkdale was established in 1812 when a great parcel of land was given to James Brock, the cousin of Sir Isaac Brock, in place of salary. However , the development started only after Brock's death in 1830, when his widow Lucy Brock sold the lands that became the major 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 through Parkdale now, you'll realize it is one of the most varied areas of the town, a transitory neighborhood for many newcomers to Canada with a mixture of low and high revenue working class. Low-rent flat complexes and its proximity to the downtown core have attracted a lot of newcommers 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 found on the east-facing side of downtown, the wonderful area of Parkdale has been neglected, and there hasn't been any urban renewal projects in the works for quite a long time. However, there are numerous indicators of re-energizing in the area, leading to a big rise in property values. The new flats and townhomes of King West and Liberty Hamlet at Parkdale's step not only attract the next generation of homeowners, but also drive improvements 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.
Sadly, Sunnyside was shut down in 1956 by the town in order to make room for the Gardiner Expressway and a refurbished Lakeshore Boulevard. As a consequence, Parkdale was cut off from the lake and its eminence took a major downturn.
Of course, Parkdale 's story began long time before the occurence of Sunnyside Park in the district. The Hamlet of Parkdale was established in 1812 when a great parcel of land was given to James Brock, the cousin of Sir Isaac Brock, in place of salary. However , the development started only after Brock's death in 1830, when his widow Lucy Brock sold the lands that became the major 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 through Parkdale now, you'll realize it is one of the most varied areas of the town, a transitory neighborhood for many newcomers to Canada with a mixture of low and high revenue working class. Low-rent flat complexes and its proximity to the downtown core have attracted a lot of newcommers 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 found on the east-facing side of downtown, the wonderful area of Parkdale has been neglected, and there hasn't been any urban renewal projects in the works for quite a long time. However, there are numerous indicators of re-energizing in the area, leading to a big rise in property values. The new flats and townhomes of King West and Liberty Hamlet at Parkdale's step not only attract the next generation of homeowners, but also drive improvements 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.
