Taylor-Massey (formerly Crescent Town)
Former Ford Factory
3003 Danforth Avenue
Now a shopping plaza, this building once housed an automobile factory. It was originally constructed in 1923 by the Ford Motor Company as an assembly line for their Model T and Model A vehicles. It was also used as a munitions plant during the First World War. After Ford moved its assembly plant to Oakville, the building was transformed into a shopping centre. Danforth Shoppers World opened in 1962 and was one of the first enclosed malls in Canada (and the first in the east end of Toronto). One of the original tenants of the mall was an outlet for Murray Koffler's chain of drug stores, which developed into a major national pharmacy chain named after the mall.
Community Centre 55 Grip Crew Mural
Western Edge of Crescent Town Bridge Over Victoria Park Avenue
This mural, 'Tempo, Toil, & Flow', depicts birds travelling in time to capture the rich history of dairy, from the Massey Family Farm to present day.
Crescent Town
Crescent Town Road Between Victoria Park Avenue and Dawes Road
Built on former Dentonia Farm land, Crescent Town is a self-contained, vibrant, multicultural neighborhood made up of high-rise apartment complexes and condominiums. The neighbourhood features a unique network of walkways, all located above street level, connecting the residential buildings with local public schools, recreation centres, parks, market places and Victoria Park Station.
Dentonia Park
80 Thyra Avenue
In 1926, Susan Denton Massey, of the well-known Massey family, gifted this former Dentonia Farm land to the City of Toronto for use as a park. Known today as patrons of the arts in Canada, the Masseys gained prominence as a successful farm equipment manufacturing company. In 1901, they were the first dairy farmers in the country to produce pasteurized milk, an essential process for staving off harmful bacteria. Today, Dentonia Park is a popular neighbourhood spot with a club house, basketball court, football field, cricket pitch, baseball diamond, playground, splashpad and even a City-run golf course.
Maryland Park
19 Maryland Boulevard
A one-hectare park near Danforth Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue that features four lit outdoor tennis courts with a club house, a children's playground and an open green space. The park is home to the Dentonia Park Tennis Club.
Dawes Road
Dawes Road
Named for Clem Dawes (who owned a hotel at the busy intersection of Danforth and Dawes) Dawes Road was central to the commercial development of East York and northern areas of Toronto. In the 1830s, the road was a major thoroughfare for farmers in Scarborough and North York taking produce and livestock to the St. Lawrence Market. The road was also used to transport lumber from Scarborough and northern areas of Toronto, as well as sand and gravel from the east end.
122 Dawes Road
122 Dawes Road
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This heritage-designated house was built in 1885 for Charles Taylor, a maltster (maltsters selected cereal that was used in the production of beer). It was later sold to William Newman, who was a prominent businessman in the early history of Little York. It is designed in Gothic Revival style, featuring gingerbread trim.
Taylor Park Wetlands
260 Dawes Road
As you start along the trail, you can see how revitalization efforts in the area have created a marsh between Victoria Park Avenue and Dawes Road. Wetlands are areas saturated by ground water and are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth. The wetland environment supports a diversity of water-loving plants and pond life, including mallard ducks, red-winged blackbirds, dragonflies and damselflies. Look for interpretative signs along the trail to learn more about the Taylor Park Wetlands. Many native plants can be found in this area, including cattails and blue flag.
Goulding Estate (Children's Peace Theatre)
305 Dawes Road
The Goulding Estate was built in 1927 in the brick-and-timber Tudor style, using solid beams of Georgian pine. Originally the home of Dorothy and Arthur Goulding, it is the last remaining structure of the former Dentonia Farm. The site is now home to the Children's Peace Theatre, which provides a wide range of arts programs, events and mentorship opportunities for young people and artists. The surrounding green space has some of the largest oak trees in the Taylor Massey Creek Park.
Donora Park
17 Donora Drive
There is a children's playground at the front of the park with swings and some climbing play equipment. It also has open green space for kids to chase their friends around in, and park benches where one can sit and listen to the sounds of the city. The park is adjacent to and overlooks the Taylor Creek ravine. It is found between Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue.
Explore Taylor-Massey (formerly Crescent Town)
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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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
This neighbourhood contains a few subsections that are distinct in their own right, with the towers of Crescent Town standing high above the low-rise landscape defining much of the rest of the area. Great green space can be found throughout the area, and excellent local businesses are located along Danforth Avenue, Dawes Road, and Crescent Town Road.
- Former Ford Factory
3003 Danforth Avenue
Now a shopping plaza, this building once housed an automobile factory. It was originally constructed in 1923 by the Ford Motor Company as an assembly line for their Model T and Model A vehicles. It was also used as a munitions plant during the First World War. After Ford moved its assembly plant to Oakville, the building was transformed into a shopping centre. Danforth Shoppers World opened in 1962 and was one of the first enclosed malls in Canada (and the first in the east end of Toronto). One of the original tenants of the mall was an outlet for Murray Koffler's chain of drug stores, which developed into a major national pharmacy chain named after the mall.
- Community Centre 55 Grip Crew Mural
Western Edge of Crescent Town Bridge Over Victoria Park Avenue
This mural, 'Tempo, Toil, & Flow', depicts birds travelling in time to capture the rich history of dairy, from the Massey Family Farm to present day.
- Crescent Town
Crescent Town Road Between Victoria Park Avenue and Dawes Road
Built on former Dentonia Farm land, Crescent Town is a self-contained, vibrant, multicultural neighborhood made up of high-rise apartment complexes and condominiums. The neighbourhood features a unique network of walkways, all located above street level, connecting the residential buildings with local public schools, recreation centres, parks, market places and Victoria Park Station.
- Dentonia Park
80 Thyra Avenue
In 1926, Susan Denton Massey, of the well-known Massey family, gifted this former Dentonia Farm land to the City of Toronto for use as a park. Known today as patrons of the arts in Canada, the Masseys gained prominence as a successful farm equipment manufacturing company. In 1901, they were the first dairy farmers in the country to produce pasteurized milk, an essential process for staving off harmful bacteria. Today, Dentonia Park is a popular neighbourhood spot with a club house, basketball court, football field, cricket pitch, baseball diamond, playground, splashpad and even a City-run golf course.
- Maryland Park
19 Maryland Boulevard
A one-hectare park near Danforth Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue that features four lit outdoor tennis courts with a club house, a children's playground and an open green space. The park is home to the Dentonia Park Tennis Club.
- Dawes Road
Dawes Road
Named for Clem Dawes (who owned a hotel at the busy intersection of Danforth and Dawes) Dawes Road was central to the commercial development of East York and northern areas of Toronto. In the 1830s, the road was a major thoroughfare for farmers in Scarborough and North York taking produce and livestock to the St. Lawrence Market. The road was also used to transport lumber from Scarborough and northern areas of Toronto, as well as sand and gravel from the east end.
- 122 Dawes Road
122 Dawes Road
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the street only. This heritage-designated house was built in 1885 for Charles Taylor, a maltster (maltsters selected cereal that was used in the production of beer). It was later sold to William Newman, who was a prominent businessman in the early history of Little York. It is designed in Gothic Revival style, featuring gingerbread trim.
- Taylor Park Wetlands
260 Dawes Road
As you start along the trail, you can see how revitalization efforts in the area have created a marsh between Victoria Park Avenue and Dawes Road. Wetlands are areas saturated by ground water and are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth. The wetland environment supports a diversity of water-loving plants and pond life, including mallard ducks, red-winged blackbirds, dragonflies and damselflies. Look for interpretative signs along the trail to learn more about the Taylor Park Wetlands. Many native plants can be found in this area, including cattails and blue flag.
- Goulding Estate (Children's Peace Theatre)
305 Dawes Road
The Goulding Estate was built in 1927 in the brick-and-timber Tudor style, using solid beams of Georgian pine. Originally the home of Dorothy and Arthur Goulding, it is the last remaining structure of the former Dentonia Farm. The site is now home to the Children's Peace Theatre, which provides a wide range of arts programs, events and mentorship opportunities for young people and artists. The surrounding green space has some of the largest oak trees in the Taylor Massey Creek Park.
- Donora Park
17 Donora Drive
There is a children's playground at the front of the park with swings and some climbing play equipment. It also has open green space for kids to chase their friends around in, and park benches where one can sit and listen to the sounds of the city. The park is adjacent to and overlooks the Taylor Creek ravine. It is found between Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue.
Accessibility information: All points of interest on this stroll are viewable from street level. Donora Park does not have paved paths, and there are some amenities within that require walking across grass and/or sand to access. Parts of the Taylor Park Wetlands have unpaved areas.
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.