Toronto Travel, the Distillery District

Ontario, Canada’s Shopping Mecca Creates Funky New Neighbourhood

Dec 3, 2008 Lori Henry

The Distillery District in Toronto mixes historic buildings with a fresh vibe to generate one of the hottest areas of downtown.

Toronto travel can cover so many different themes and areas, it can be hard to choose where to go. The city is a thriving metropolis of style, stores, hotels and events.

Arguably the hottest spot in town, though, is the new-ishly created Distillery District downtown. What makes it worth visiting is the fact that it’s not snobbish or pretentious, like some trendy neighbourhoods in large cities; it keeps its street edge and makes a great spot for tourists to feel like locals.

The Distillery District, Toronto

Founded in 1832 by two brothers, the business they built from the ground up became the largest distillery in the world. Today, the old buildings still stand with original brickwork joined together with modern additions, nicely summing up the mood of the neighbourhood.

The Distillery District is officially deemed a National Historic Site, yet walking on the brick streets differs so much from other such designations. The museum feeling is completely absent and, instead, the streets are filled with the lively presence of people going about their day. The development company was able to let the historic live again, while current residents could breathe new life into it.

Toronto Creative

Planning an entire visit to Toronto around the Distillery District is a cinch. Start by getting out the shopping shoes and looking through the eclectic mix of unique shops and artist’s galleries. Think upscale without the bravado.

Favourites include: Corktown Designs (Building 59, Suite 102) for handmade jewellery, Case Goods Studio 401 (Building 74) to check out the small art collective, lileo (Building 35) for sizzling styles, and Bergo Designs (Building 47A) for the craziest home décor items that actually prove to be useful.

Toronto Events and Restaurants

Eating in the Distillery District certainly has its advantages. The laid back cool is a winner for both upscale palates and casual groups of friends. Try The Boiler House (Building 46) for a chophouse style menu and notice the woodwork, which is reused from the site itself; Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill (Building 62A) with its funky setting to feast on seafood; and Soma Chocolate (Building 48) for the most mouth watering chocolate treats.

Make sure to also visit the Distillery District website for updates on festivals and events (and a map of the site). Seriously, the options are thrilling and it’s the perfect setting to party hard and take in some neat entertainment.

Toronto Hotel

Unless buying a condo is part of the trip to Toronto, the Distillery District doesn’t have its own accommodations. This is a great excuse, then, to cozy up at the distinguished Fairmont Royal York hotel (100 Front Street West, reservations 1-866-540-4489).

Toronto Travel

For help with trip planning, hotel bookings and itinerary ideas, contact Tourism Toronto (1-800-499-2514).

The copyright of the article Toronto Travel, the Distillery District in E Canada Travel is owned by Lori Henry. Permission to republish Toronto Travel, the Distillery District in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Balzac's Coffee in the Distillery District Toronto	The Boiler House in Distillery District Toronto	Pure Spirits in the Distillery District Toronto
Soma Chocolate in the Distillery District Toronto	Distillery District Toronto Main Street, Ontario