Annex

About Annex

The Annex is one of Toronto's most storied neighbourhoods, a leafy enclave between Bloor Street and Dupont, stretching from Avenue Road west to Bathurst. It has long been the spiritual home of the city's academic and artistic class, owing to its proximity to the University of Toronto campus. The Victorian and Edwardian homes here — many with their distinctive peaked gables and wraparound porches — rank among the finest residential architecture in the city, and the neighbourhood was one of the first in Toronto to receive heritage designation. Bloor Street through the Annex is the main commercial strip, lined with independent bookshops like BMV Books, beloved restaurants such as By The Way Cafe and Pho Hung, and the legendary Honest Ed's site now transformed into the Mirvish Village redevelopment. The neighbourhood's cultural footprint punches well above its weight: the Bata Shoe Museum, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and numerous galleries call the area home. Resident demographics skew toward professors, graduate students, writers, and professionals who value walkability and intellectual community over suburban space. Transit is exceptional — Bathurst and Spadina stations bookend the neighbourhood on Line 1 and Line 2, and the Bloor streetcar and multiple bus routes ensure you rarely need a car. The Annex is the kind of neighbourhood where you'll run into someone you know at every coffee shop.