Entertainment District

True to its name, the Entertainment District hosts Toronto’s extensive performing arts, club and sports scene. The Roy Thomson Hall, home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, might look like a big glass container, but once inside is an architectural and acoustic marvel. At the Royal Alexandra Theatre, famous productions such as Mamma Mia! and the LionKing have been performed and for more shows, musicals and plays, head to the Princess of Wales theatre. At that venue, you will find amazing views from all angles and it is said, that there isn’t a single bad seat in the whole theatre. Sport fans should visit the Air Canada Center, an indoor sporting arena and home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors, as well as the Rogers Centre, the gigantic baseball stadium where the Blue Jays play. The Entertainment District of course also has its fair share of cinemas and on top of that, is also home to the Toronto International Film Festival, whose headquarters can be found at the Tiff Bell Lightbox.
The Entertainment District is a bright and sometimes loud heaven of distraction, the center of which is the Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto’s answer to New York’s Times Square. It is the central hub of downtown and decorated with a similar array of brightly blinking billboard advertisements and animated screens as its American equivalent. Every night, thousands descend on the Entertainment District for the high energy nightlife that ranges from clubs and showcase venues to cocktail bars and plenty of dining options. If you fancy some live Jazz and Blues, head to the Rex or N’Awlins, find great DJ’s at the Century Room or get a drink at SpiritHouse.

Practical Info

Toronto’s Entertainment District is centered on King Street West, Richmond Street West and Front Street West between Spadina Avenue and University Avenue. As it is smack in the middle of downtown and incorporating the central Union Station, it is an easy neighborhood to reach either on foot or via a plethora of public transport options.