The Annex
The Annex has long been called an elite neighbourhood and is characterized by beautiful residential streets, independent shops and high quality restaurants. Despite the cost of the Victorian and Edwardian era homes that dominate its street scape, the Annex is a central housing zone for University of Toronto students and faculty alike. Long-term residents blend with transient students and young families, giving the neighbourhood a lively, eclectic vibe. Big names in the Canadian writing scene (like Margaret Atwood) have settled here and arts venues dot the area, making the Annex an important presence in Toronto's cultural scene.
Economical food and drink options abound along Bloor Street, while Harbord Street to the south boasts many high-end restaurants and cafes - as well as excellent bookstores. With its expanded borders, the Annex blends into the thriving nightlife in Little Italy and the budget-friendly shopping in Kensington Market. Markham Street, one of the prettiest and most commercially developed in the neighbourhood, is home to Honest Ed's (a massive discount store and one of the Annex's most notorious claims to fame), and some of the best patios and alternative culture stores in the city. Those that adventure into Honest Ed's can recover from the spectacle of it all in the low-key shops and hip bars that surround it.
Nightlife
Sopra Upper Lounge
George Ignatieff Theatre
Green Room
New Generation
Iguanas (Las)
Andy Pool Hall
The Mod Club Theatre
Annapurna Vegetarian Restaurant
Paupers Pub
Tarragon Theatre
Bloor Cinema (The)
Bar Italia
Al Green Theatre
Annex Wreck Room (The)
Bathurst Street Theatre
Kalendar Koffee House
Lee's Palace
Madison Avenue Pub
Tranzac (Australia New Zealand Club)
Fresh on Bloor
Trane Studio Jazz Lounge
Mayday Malone's
Isabel Bader Theater
Kensington Natural Bakery & Cafe
Varsity Arena
Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill
Mumbo Jumbo
Royal Canadian Yacht Club
By the Way Cafe
Attractions
Bar Italia
Toronto Fringe Festival
Plantation (The)
Sonic Boom
Bata Shoe Museum (The)
Grassroots
Bakka-Phoenix Books
Bloor Cinema (The)
Casa Loma
Tarragon Theatre
Varsity Arena
Annapurna Vegetarian Restaurant
Novo Spa
Trinity St. Paul's United Church
Restaurants
Bar Italia
Clinton's
Mel's Montreal Delicatessen
Green Room
Host (The)
Fresh on Bloor
Serra Pizza and Pasta
Kensington Natural Bakery & Cafe
Live Organic Food Bar
Lobby
Magic Oven
Seoul Sam Mi
Mumbo Jumbo
Hey Good Cooking
New Generation
Real Thailand Restaurant
Corner House
Remys Restaurant
Utopia Cafe and Grill
Paupers Pub
Spuntini
Sushi on Bloor
Iguanas (Las)
Thai Basil
Kalendar Koffee House
Le Paradis
Grapefruit Moon
Annapurna Vegetarian Restaurant
Mitzi's On College
Mars Restaurant
Hotels
Palmerston Inn B&B
Annex Garden Bed & Breakfast
Annex House (The)
Madison Manor Boutique Hotel
Beverley Place
Global Guest House of Toronto
The French Connection