Greektown, Toronto

Greektown, Toronto, also known as Greektown on the Danforth, or more simply, The Danforth, is a neighborhood and Business Improvement Area (BIA) of the city of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. It is located on Danforth Avenue, between Chester Avenue and Dewhurst Blvd., in east Toronto. Named after Asa Danforth, an American contractor who designed Queen Street and Kingston Road — other streets in the city — the area is known for its architecture dating back to as early as 1910, and for its number of Greek restaurants and stores. The area was one of the major settlement areas of early Greek immigrants to Toronto.

In the 1970s and 1980s this region was considered to be the largest Greektown in North America. In 1993, the BIA Board of Management's lobbying of City Hall paid off, and the BIA was officially renamed "GreekTown on the Danforth". More recently, the area has experienced a wave of gentrification as higher-priced restaurants and bars have moved in, as well as a European-style public square (at Logan Avenue). Greektown on the Danforth boasts one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per kilometer in the world! The annual "Taste of the Danforth" festival now attracts over a million visitors over a 2 1/2 day stint in early August.

The neighborhood is mentioned in the Barenaked Ladies song, The Old Apartment and by critically acclaimed author Joseph Assenza in his novel, "The History of John".

See also

• List of neighbourhoods in Toronto
• Pape Village

External links

• GreekTown on the Danforth

• Wikitravel entry on the Danforth