Going Places: West Queen West is an emerging 'hot spot'

BY VICKI GILHULA

Since about 1980, Queen St. West in Toronto between University and Bathurst has been known as a cool place for trendy restaurants, art galleries, cutting-edge fashion boutiques, interesting shops and nightclubs. It's long been a popular hangout for artists, musicians, young people and intellectuals.

But as this area becomes gentrified with chain stores, and expensive shops and restaurants, the rent is going up, and the starving artists, musicians and students are heading west.

West Queen West, the art and design district, is emerging as the latest neighbourhood for people who run ahead of the trends.  The strip runs from Bathurst to Dufferin (which is the beginning of Parkdale.) Nearby Liberty Village, on King St. W., is also being branded as a place for "uber-hip condos, chic townhouses, cafes, galleries, shops and parks".

Both neighbourhoods have great century-old architecture but had been previously in decline during the last part of the 20th century and challenged by their histories. 

The former provincial psychiatric hospital was located at 999 Queen St. W. until 1998. Since then, the former Addiction Research Foundation, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, the Queen Street Mental Health Centre and the Donwood Institute have merged to create the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which is affiliated with the University of Toronto.

The Liberty Village area on King was formerly an industrial area which had become a brownfield site by the 1980s.
But that's changing. The West Queen West neighbourhood now has the fifth highest concentration of artists in any location in Canada. Enroute has called it one of Canada's coolest neighbourhoods.

The Gladstone Hotel (corner of Gladstone and Queen) and The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St.) are neighbours and worth a visit.

The beautiful Gladstone  dates back to 1889, and it has been lovingly restored in the last decade. There are 37 artist design hotel rooms, as well as the Ballroom Cafe, and the Melody Bar.

The Drake is also more than 100 years old and has had a $6 million renovation which was completed in 2004. Its  rooftop bar is headquarters for the film crowd during the international festival in September. It bills itself as a "hotbed for culture." It also has been described as a place where art and money merge.

The Corner Cafe is open for healthy, casual breakfasts or lunches.  The dining room also has a reputation for "international cuisine and classics."  The Drake has 19 rooms (crash pads).

West Queen West has unique boutiques, an independent book store, and edgy art galleries (24 within walking distance)  including the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) at 952 Queen St. W. 

MOCCA relocated from the Gallery of North York to Queen St. in 2005. Its mandate is to exhibit, research, collect, and promote innovative art by contemporary Canadian artists.  The permanent collection has grown to include 400 works of art, by more than 140 artists. Admission is free. ( www.mocca.toronto.on.ca )

The easiest way to discover West Queen West is to hop on the streetcar at Queen and Yonge and ride it to Bathurst. Then start walking.

The coolest of the cool can download an audio tour of the area on their Ipods at www.city-surf.ca .
West Queen West also has its own website: www.westqueenwest.ca .