Danforth

Langford Parkette
26 Langford Avenue
During the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway line in the 1960s, the tunnel was actually dug parallel to Danforth. This curtailed disturbance to the road traffic during the construction, and resulted in a row of parking lots and parkettes, like this one, along where the tunnel was dug. Langford Parkette features trees, a small greenspace, a drinking fountain, a children's playground, an adult outdoor fitness area and flowering shrubs and perennials. The children's playground features climbing equipment, a play structure with a built-in race track for toy cars, and a water feature inside the sandbox.

Dew Lang Lane
Dew Lang Lane and Fielding Avenue
The name Dew Lang Lane has been used for years by locals in the area, even before it was officially named in 2012. The name was created by combining neighbouring street names Dewhurst Boulevard (Dew) and Langford Avenue (Lang).

Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute
800 Greenwood Avenue
Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute (CTI) opened its doors in 1923 and was built in the Collegiate Gothic Revival style. Danforth CTI holds the unique distinction of having the most staff members and students to serve in the Second World War in the British Commonwealth. 241 of the 2,235 didn't return home from the war. To honour these students and staff members, the school renamed its library the War Memorial Library in 1948. Art teacher Cyril J. Travers, who taught at the school for 23 years, created 12-panel stained glass windows for the library (visible just above the school's front doors) to serve as a reminder of their sacrifice in the war. Outside the library are four illuminated panels designed by Group of Seven artist A.J. Casson, with the names of those who enlisted. Since November 2017, the school has also recognized those who served by placing their names on the electronic board in front of the school around Remembrance Day.

Charles Weiss Artbox
Northwest Corner of Strathmore Boulevard and Linnsmore Crescent
This artbox depicts a historical image of a delivery van with a horse and driver and is one of several artboxes along Danforth Avenue between here and Woodbine Avenue. These artboxes are a part of a community project using original works of art to reduce graffiti and vandalism across the city on utility boxes. By painting the grey boxes, the project produces colourful artworks for the public to enjoy, celebrates local cultures and histories, and provides income and opportunities for local artists.

Jim Bravo and Lula Lumaj 'Then & Now' Mural
1298 Danforth Avenue
'Then & Now', created by artists Jim Bravo and Lula Lumaj, focuses on themes of history, nature and urbanization. The mural depicts a precolonial historical scene with three Indigenous people crossing a creek, in reference to the historic creek that ran south down Linsmore Avenue all the way to Ashbridges Bay. The mural's historical scene is contrasted by the depiction of a busy streetscape located at the top of the mural. The streetscape references changes since the early-to-mid twentieth century, when the creek was filled in and the area was urbanized to make way for roads and other infrastructure.

Coal Mine Theatre
1454 Danforth Avenue
Toronto has a vibrant and celebrated live theatre scene with a number of new independent playhouses in its east end. One example is the Coal Mine Theatre, founded by Canadian theatre actors Diana Bentley and Ted Dykstra. The Coal Mine Theatre provides opportunities for local artists and focuses on bringing contemporary and new works to the stage.

Cristina Delago 'Pods Through Time' Mural
1612 Danforth Avenue (at the back of the parking lot)
This mosaic mural is a celebration of the Coxwell and Danforth neighbourhood, recognizing its East York history, its current community and culture, and its future potential. Using the imagery of pods and seeds, rounded images of historical moments dot the wall to the east and abstract images representing the future dot the wall to the west. The mural was designed and created by artist Cristina Delago in partnership with StreetARToronto and East End Arts. The south wall includes two quotes by Agnes Macphail, former MP for York East and the first woman elected to Parliament, which read, 'Equal Rights to all, special privileges to none' and, 'We meet all life's greatest tests alone.'

Butterfly Garden at Earl Beatty Junior and Senior Public School
55 Woodington Avenue
*Note: Private property. Please observe the garden from the sidewalk only. This school's yard and outdoor space have recently undergone major renovations, notably a butterfly garden addition in front of the building. The garden is named in honour of Liza Ordubegian who was a community leader in the area and designed and led its planting before passing away in 2015. The butterfly garden is used as an outdoor teaching space by the teachers in the school.

History of Danforth Avenue
Danforth Avenue and Glebemount Avenue
Danforth Avenue was named for the American contractor commissioned to build the road in 1799, Asa Danforth. Danforth didn't actually cut the road, it was cut by The Don and Danforth Plank Road Company in 1851. This opened the door to the development of the area. However, development in the area did not really take off until the construction of the Bloor Street Viaduct in 1919. Rows of two and three-storey brick buildings, which featured a combination of commercial space and residential units, were built all along Danforth Avenue between Coxwell Avenue to just east of Woodbine Avenue. The rapid development over the 1910s-1920s resulted in the consistency of these developments. The City's Heritage Register contains 165 of these commercial and residential properties.

Angelone Lane
Angelone Lane and Glebemount Avenue
This lane is named after Vincenzina (Vincey) Angelone who taught at nearby St. Brigid Elementary School for 46 years, making her the second longest serving teacher in the history of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Angelone's family emigrated to the area when she was five and lived on Woodmount Avenue.

Paul Estrela Lane
Paul Estrela Lane (between Woodbine Avenue and Woodmount Avenue)
Paul Estrela, the person for whom the lane is named after, opened his family business in the area with his wife Carmen in 1985. A native of Portugal, Estrela learned to speak Italian, which was the second most common language in the area in the 1970s. He lived and worked in the area, was a strong supporter of the community, sponsoring children's sport teams and school carnivals. Estrela passed away in 2004. Featured along the lane are numerous murals painted by local and international artists including CBS crew, Tokyo, kanos, monicaonthemoon, kittzen and others.

Explore Danforth

Now is the time for residents to experience all that tourists have been raving about for years. Discover shops, stops, places and spaces on city main streets. Stay curious, Toronto.

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Don't Miss

Explore FREE Public Art Across the City. Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022 is a year-long celebration of Toronto's exceptional public art collection and the creative community behind it.

We hope that you enjoyed exploring this Toronto neighbourhood and found many other points of interest along the way. While StrollTO highlights some of the 'hidden gems' in the neighbourhood, there may be others that could be included in a future edition. Would you like to share a point of interest that you discovered in the neighbourhood? Email us at [email protected].

Neighbourhood Stroll

Venture through Toronto's longest BIA - Danforth Mosaic at 2.9 kilometres long - or sip on an Ethiopian coffee at any of the number of Ethiopian restaurants in the neighbourhood. The Danforth neighbourhood offers something for everyone. Great local businesses can be found in the Danfoth Mosaic and GreekTown on the Danforth BIAs.

Main Streets: Danforth Avenue, Pape Avenue and Woodbine Avenue
  1. Langford Parkette
    26 Langford Avenue
    During the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway line in the 1960s, the tunnel was actually dug parallel to Danforth. This curtailed disturbance to the road traffic during the construction, and resulted in a row of parking lots and parkettes, like this one, along where the tunnel was dug. Langford Parkette features trees, a small greenspace, a drinking fountain, a children's playground, an adult outdoor fitness area and flowering shrubs and perennials. The children's playground features climbing equipment, a play structure with a built-in race track for toy cars, and a water feature inside the sandbox.
  2. Dew Lang Lane
    Dew Lang Lane and Fielding Avenue
    The name Dew Lang Lane has been used for years by locals in the area, even before it was officially named in 2012. The name was created by combining neighbouring street names Dewhurst Boulevard (Dew) and Langford Avenue (Lang).
  3. Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute
    800 Greenwood Avenue
    Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute (CTI) opened its doors in 1923 and was built in the Collegiate Gothic Revival style. Danforth CTI holds the unique distinction of having the most staff members and students to serve in the Second World War in the British Commonwealth. 241 of the 2,235 didn't return home from the war. To honour these students and staff members, the school renamed its library the War Memorial Library in 1948. Art teacher Cyril J. Travers, who taught at the school for 23 years, created 12-panel stained glass windows for the library (visible just above the school's front doors) to serve as a reminder of their sacrifice in the war. Outside the library are four illuminated panels designed by Group of Seven artist A.J. Casson, with the names of those who enlisted. Since November 2017, the school has also recognized those who served by placing their names on the electronic board in front of the school around Remembrance Day.
  4. Charles Weiss Artbox
    Northwest Corner of Strathmore Boulevard and Linnsmore Crescent
    This artbox depicts a historical image of a delivery van with a horse and driver and is one of several artboxes along Danforth Avenue between here and Woodbine Avenue. These artboxes are a part of a community project using original works of art to reduce graffiti and vandalism across the city on utility boxes. By painting the grey boxes, the project produces colourful artworks for the public to enjoy, celebrates local cultures and histories, and provides income and opportunities for local artists.
  5. Jim Bravo and Lula Lumaj 'Then & Now' Mural
    1298 Danforth Avenue
    'Then & Now', created by artists Jim Bravo and Lula Lumaj, focuses on themes of history, nature and urbanization. The mural depicts a precolonial historical scene with three Indigenous people crossing a creek, in reference to the historic creek that ran south down Linsmore Avenue all the way to Ashbridges Bay. The mural's historical scene is contrasted by the depiction of a busy streetscape located at the top of the mural. The streetscape references changes since the early-to-mid twentieth century, when the creek was filled in and the area was urbanized to make way for roads and other infrastructure.
  6. Coal Mine Theatre
    1454 Danforth Avenue
    Toronto has a vibrant and celebrated live theatre scene with a number of new independent playhouses in its east end. One example is the Coal Mine Theatre, founded by Canadian theatre actors Diana Bentley and Ted Dykstra. The Coal Mine Theatre provides opportunities for local artists and focuses on bringing contemporary and new works to the stage.
  7. Cristina Delago 'Pods Through Time' Mural
    1612 Danforth Avenue (at the back of the parking lot)
    This mosaic mural is a celebration of the Coxwell and Danforth neighbourhood, recognizing its East York history, its current community and culture, and its future potential. Using the imagery of pods and seeds, rounded images of historical moments dot the wall to the east and abstract images representing the future dot the wall to the west. The mural was designed and created by artist Cristina Delago in partnership with StreetARToronto and East End Arts. The south wall includes two quotes by Agnes Macphail, former MP for York East and the first woman elected to Parliament, which read, 'Equal Rights to all, special privileges to none' and, 'We meet all life's greatest tests alone.'
  8. Butterfly Garden at Earl Beatty Junior and Senior Public School
    55 Woodington Avenue
    *Note: Private property. Please observe the garden from the sidewalk only. This school's yard and outdoor space have recently undergone major renovations, notably a butterfly garden addition in front of the building. The garden is named in honour of Liza Ordubegian who was a community leader in the area and designed and led its planting before passing away in 2015. The butterfly garden is used as an outdoor teaching space by the teachers in the school.
  9. History of Danforth Avenue
    Danforth Avenue and Glebemount Avenue
    Danforth Avenue was named for the American contractor commissioned to build the road in 1799, Asa Danforth. Danforth didn't actually cut the road, it was cut by The Don and Danforth Plank Road Company in 1851. This opened the door to the development of the area. However, development in the area did not really take off until the construction of the Bloor Street Viaduct in 1919. Rows of two and three-storey brick buildings, which featured a combination of commercial space and residential units, were built all along Danforth Avenue between Coxwell Avenue to just east of Woodbine Avenue. The rapid development over the 1910s-1920s resulted in the consistency of these developments. The City's Heritage Register contains 165 of these commercial and residential properties.
  10. Angelone Lane
    Angelone Lane and Glebemount Avenue
    This lane is named after Vincenzina (Vincey) Angelone who taught at nearby St. Brigid Elementary School for 46 years, making her the second longest serving teacher in the history of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Angelone's family emigrated to the area when she was five and lived on Woodmount Avenue.
  11. Paul Estrela Lane
    Paul Estrela Lane (between Woodbine Avenue and Woodmount Avenue)
    Paul Estrela, the person for whom the lane is named after, opened his family business in the area with his wife Carmen in 1985. A native of Portugal, Estrela learned to speak Italian, which was the second most common language in the area in the 1970s. He lived and worked in the area, was a strong supporter of the community, sponsoring children's sport teams and school carnivals. Estrela passed away in 2004. Featured along the lane are numerous murals painted by local and international artists including CBS crew, Tokyo, kanos, monicaonthemoon, kittzen and others.

Accessibility information: All points of interest are visible from paved roads or sidewalks. Dew Lang, Angelone and Paul Estrela Lanes are all paved but require visitors to share the lane with traffic. The Cristina Delago Mural is at the back of a parking lot. Observe from the sidewalk or practice caution if choosing to observe the mural from the parking lot.

The StrollTO itineraries may follow routes that do not receive winter maintenance. Please review winter safety tips and for more information contact 311.

Soundtracks of the City

From global superstars to local favourites and ones to watch, the Soundtracks of the City playlists all feature artists who have called Toronto home. Whether it’s a lyric about the neighborhood, an artist representing a cultural community, or a tie-in to the StrollTO itinerary itself, all the music reflects connections to an individual ward or the City as a whole.

Music was chosen based on an artist’s Spotify presence and each song’s broad appeal, as well as its associations with the cultures, languages and ethnicities that reflect Toronto’s neighborhoods and diverse music scene. Soundtracks of the City combines 425 songs that feature more than 500 different local artists or acts, showcasing songs in 23 different languages.