Greenwood-Coxwell
Monarch Park
115 Felstead Avenue
A 5 hectare park near Danforth and Coxwell Avenue that features a dog off-leash area, an outdoor pool, a wading pool and a children's playground. During the winter there is also an artificial ice rink in operation.
Pedestrian Tunnel
450 Woodfield Road
A well-lit, colourful link to travel between Woodfield Road and Monarch Park.
The Rail Garden
450 Woodfield Road
This City of Toronto-operated community garden was founded by four local women in 2012 with help from neighbours and businesses in the surrounding community.
Greenwood Staircase to Nowhere
Torbrick Road & Greenwood Avenue
These abandoned stairs off Torbrick Road & Greenwood Avenue were built in 1959 to provide access to a now-demolished brickyard.
Under the Radar Mural
1324 Gerrard Street East
This vibrant mural, done in partnership with the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Enterprise, reflects the colourful facades and South Asian identity of the Gerrard Bazaar and Toronto's Little India neighbourhood.
Riverdale Hub
1326 Gerrard Street East
The Riverdale Hub is a social enterprise located in a vibrantly painted century-old building that has been adapted to offer co-working space, offices and event space for local entrepreneurs, community groups and artists. It also houses a community gallery and the environmentally-conscious Social Gardener Cafe. The Riverdale Hub shares its location with the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre (RIWC), which is committed to supporting Asian and South Asian women, children, youth and families. The RIWC also uses the rooftop garden for its programming as a safe space for women to volunteer, learn and help build their community.
Naaz Bollywood Theatre
1430 Gerrard Street East
In the 1970s, the Naaz Theatre stimulated the commercial growth of South Asian businesses in the area, leading to the formation of the Gerrard India Bazaar. Businesses on Gerrard Street East were declining in the late 1960s until, in 1972, local entrepreneur Gian Naz rented the 750-seat Eastwood Theatre and began screening movies in Hindi and other South Asian languages. The screenings became extremely popular with the South Asian community. Naz raised money from the community to purchase the theatre in 1974, renaming it Naaz Theatre and creating a social centre for Toronto's South Asian community. The cinema closed in the 1980s, but the vibrant South Asian community hub that it helped create continues today. Built in the Beaux-Arts style, the original building had plain faux arches on the symmetrical front façade and three windows topped with Roman arches were located behind the marquee. Although the building has a new façade, the use of faux arches echoes back to this past. The property operates as a mixed-use building today.
Graffiti Alley East
Alleyway South of Gerrard Street East From Craven Road to Rhodes Avenue
Located in the alleyways on the south side of Gerrard Street East between Craven Road and Rhodes Avenue, the project was modelled on the Graffiti Alley West at Rush Lane. Artists include Monica Wickeler, Nicolas Sinclair, Tim Skynz & Eskape Reality Collective, Kerry O'Meara, Angel Carrillo and Minha Maconha.
Ashbridge Estate
1444 Queen Street East
Open to the public, the Ashbridge Estate boasts not only a beautiful community garden and nineteenth century house, but also holds an important piece of Indigenous history. A historical dig of the property found evidence of Indigenous settlements extending back 1000 years! The dig also concluded that a longhouse and hearth were located on the land and used by local First Nations peoples 800 years ago.
Maple Leaf Forever Tree and Park
62 Laing Street
*Private property. Please observe from the street only. The stump on the front lawn of this home was once a beautiful silver maple tree that stood here for over 170 years. The tree is believed to have been the inspiration for Alexander Muir's unofficial Canadian national anthem, 'The Maple Leaf Forever', originally penned in 1867. The tree was knocked down in a windstorm in July 2013, and the City of Toronto elected to transform the remains of the tree into several innovative projects. These include creating a sculpture that is now housed in the Ontario Science Centre that features 35 maple leaves that each contain a carving of an important person, place or event in the history of the city. Another project involved using wood from the tree to create two special guitars that are intended to be used by prominent Canadian musicians, including Toronto band Blue Rodeo and the Tragically Hip. Behind the house is Maple Leaf Forever Park, which features a playground.
Explore Greenwood-Coxwell
Now is the time for residents to experience all that tourists have been raving about for years. Discover shops, stops, places and spaces on city main streets. Stay curious, Toronto.
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Don't Miss
Explore FREE Public Art Across the City. Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022 is a year-long celebration of Toronto's exceptional public art collection and the creative community behind it.
We hope that you enjoyed exploring this Toronto neighbourhood and found many other points of interest along the way. While StrollTO highlights some of the 'hidden gems' in the neighbourhood, there may be others that could be included in a future edition. Would you like to share a point of interest that you discovered in the neighbourhood? Email us at [email protected].
Neighbourhood Stroll
This stroll features charming parks and gardens as well as over 125 restaurants and shops within the Gerrard India Bazaar that celebrate the regional diversities of South Asian culture, food, and music.
- Monarch Park
115 Felstead Avenue
A 5 hectare park near Danforth and Coxwell Avenue that features a dog off-leash area, an outdoor pool, a wading pool and a children's playground. During the winter there is also an artificial ice rink in operation.
- Pedestrian Tunnel
450 Woodfield Road
A well-lit, colourful link to travel between Woodfield Road and Monarch Park.
- The Rail Garden
450 Woodfield Road
This City of Toronto-operated community garden was founded by four local women in 2012 with help from neighbours and businesses in the surrounding community.
- Greenwood Staircase to Nowhere
Torbrick Road & Greenwood Avenue
These abandoned stairs off Torbrick Road & Greenwood Avenue were built in 1959 to provide access to a now-demolished brickyard.
- Under the Radar Mural
1324 Gerrard Street East
This vibrant mural, done in partnership with the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Enterprise, reflects the colourful facades and South Asian identity of the Gerrard Bazaar and Toronto's Little India neighbourhood.
- Riverdale Hub
1326 Gerrard Street East
The Riverdale Hub is a social enterprise located in a vibrantly painted century-old building that has been adapted to offer co-working space, offices and event space for local entrepreneurs, community groups and artists. It also houses a community gallery and the environmentally-conscious Social Gardener Cafe. The Riverdale Hub shares its location with the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre (RIWC), which is committed to supporting Asian and South Asian women, children, youth and families. The RIWC also uses the rooftop garden for its programming as a safe space for women to volunteer, learn and help build their community.
- Naaz Bollywood Theatre
1430 Gerrard Street East
In the 1970s, the Naaz Theatre stimulated the commercial growth of South Asian businesses in the area, leading to the formation of the Gerrard India Bazaar. Businesses on Gerrard Street East were declining in the late 1960s until, in 1972, local entrepreneur Gian Naz rented the 750-seat Eastwood Theatre and began screening movies in Hindi and other South Asian languages. The screenings became extremely popular with the South Asian community. Naz raised money from the community to purchase the theatre in 1974, renaming it Naaz Theatre and creating a social centre for Toronto's South Asian community. The cinema closed in the 1980s, but the vibrant South Asian community hub that it helped create continues today. Built in the Beaux-Arts style, the original building had plain faux arches on the symmetrical front façade and three windows topped with Roman arches were located behind the marquee. Although the building has a new façade, the use of faux arches echoes back to this past. The property operates as a mixed-use building today.
- Graffiti Alley East
Alleyway South of Gerrard Street East From Craven Road to Rhodes Avenue
Located in the alleyways on the south side of Gerrard Street East between Craven Road and Rhodes Avenue, the project was modelled on the Graffiti Alley West at Rush Lane. Artists include Monica Wickeler, Nicolas Sinclair, Tim Skynz & Eskape Reality Collective, Kerry O'Meara, Angel Carrillo and Minha Maconha.
- Ashbridge Estate
1444 Queen Street East
Open to the public, the Ashbridge Estate boasts not only a beautiful community garden and nineteenth century house, but also holds an important piece of Indigenous history. A historical dig of the property found evidence of Indigenous settlements extending back 1000 years! The dig also concluded that a longhouse and hearth were located on the land and used by local First Nations peoples 800 years ago.
- Maple Leaf Forever Tree and Park
62 Laing Street
*Private property. Please observe from the street only. The stump on the front lawn of this home was once a beautiful silver maple tree that stood here for over 170 years. The tree is believed to have been the inspiration for Alexander Muir's unofficial Canadian national anthem, 'The Maple Leaf Forever', originally penned in 1867. The tree was knocked down in a windstorm in July 2013, and the City of Toronto elected to transform the remains of the tree into several innovative projects. These include creating a sculpture that is now housed in the Ontario Science Centre that features 35 maple leaves that each contain a carving of an important person, place or event in the history of the city. Another project involved using wood from the tree to create two special guitars that are intended to be used by prominent Canadian musicians, including Toronto band Blue Rodeo and the Tragically Hip. Behind the house is Maple Leaf Forever Park, which features a playground.
Accessibility information: Most of this walk takes place on streets and paved paths, however, there may be some unpaved paths and uneven surfaces in Monarch Park, The Rail Garden, The Pedestrian Tunnel and at Ashbridge Estate. All other points of interest are viewable from the street. Shamrock Bowl is located on the second floor and is not wheelchair accessible.
The StrollTO itineraries may follow routes that do not receive winter maintenance. Please review winter safety tips and for more information contact 311.
Soundtracks of the City
From global superstars to local favourites and ones to watch, the Soundtracks of the City playlists all feature artists who have called Toronto home. Whether it’s a lyric about the neighborhood, an artist representing a cultural community, or a tie-in to the StrollTO itinerary itself, all the music reflects connections to an individual ward or the City as a whole.
Music was chosen based on an artist’s Spotify presence and each song’s broad appeal, as well as its associations with the cultures, languages and ethnicities that reflect Toronto’s neighborhoods and diverse music scene. Soundtracks of the City combines 425 songs that feature more than 500 different local artists or acts, showcasing songs in 23 different languages.