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It’s hard to explain why, but for many people streetcars are just fun to ride. They are also handy for tourists trying to get to the many ethnic neighborhood and other sites in the city. Here’s rundown of some of the main streetcar routes tourists would want to know about.
501 East to the Beaches, West to Artsy Queen Street West
Catch the 501 above the Queen (Yonge and Queen) or Osgoode (University and Queen) subway stations. For sand and sun, go east. Get off a Woodbine or one or two stops after Woodbine. This is the Beaches neighborhood. Stroll along lively Queen Street or mosey south to the boardwalk along the Lake Ontario. Join in on the beach volleyball.
For art and bars go west. The action starts along Queen at about Trinity-Bellwoods Park and extends to Gladstone Avenue. Highlights of the neighborhood include the Museum of Contemporary Art (Queen at Shaw), the Drake Hotel (Queen at Beaconsfield), and the Gladstone Hotel (Queen at Gladstone).
506 East to Cabbagetown, Chinatown East, India Bazaar; West to Little Italy
Catch the 506 above the College (Yonge and College) or Queen’s Park (University and College) subway stations. For a peek at old Toronto and a taste of Asia, go east. At Parliament, you’ll be in the heart of the venerable Cabbagetown neighborhood. The name comes from the favored vegetable that Irish immigrants grew in their tiny front yards. The Irish have moved on, but the neighborhood holds tight to its charm.
Further east, at Broadview and Gerrard, is one of Toronto’s Chinatowns. Continuing east on Gerrard, riders will come to an India-Pakistani neighborhood extending from Greenwood to Coxwell.
If you have a hankering for tortellini, go west. Little Italy begins on College at Bathurst and extends to Shaw.
510 to the Harbourfront, Chinatown
Catch the 510 underground at the Union subway station or at the Spadina subway station. From Union, the 510 goes south underground, turns west and, emerges onto Queens Quay near the waterfront. Ogle at the the boats or enjoy one or more of the 4000 or so yearly events at Harbourfront Centre.
The 510 turns north at Spadina and travels through Toronto’s main Chinatown, from Queen to Dundas. Colorful Kensington Market is nearby. To visit the market, walk west on Baldwin.
504 to St. Lawrence Market, The Danforth
Catch the 504 above the St. Andrew (University and King) or King (Yonge and King) subway stations or at the Broadview station (Danforth and Broadview)
From St. Andrew or King, go east. At Jarvis you’ll be in the St. Lawrence Market neighborhood. The vast and enticing market is one block south. Continuing east, the 504 turns north at Broadview, passes through Chinatown East at Gerrard, gives riders a nice view of the Toronto skyline to the left, and ends at the Broadview subway station. That’s a good place to stop for some gyros or maybe a beer. The Danforth, from Broadview east to Pape, abounds with Greek restaurants and has a few fine Irish pubs as well.
512 to Corsa Italia
Catch the 512 at street level at the St. Clair subway station or underground at the St. Clair West subway station. Go west. On St. Clair from about Dufferin to Landsdowne is the Corso Italia, another Italian neighborhood. Get off and enjoy some cannoli.
511 to Historic Fort York, Canadian National Exhibition Grounds
Catch the 511 at street level at the Bathurst subway station. It will go south on Bathurst. History mavens will want to get off at Front Street and visit nearby Fort York, the restored War-of-1812-era fortification. The streetcar continues south and then turns west and ends at Exhibition Place, site of the Canadian National Exhibition.
509 to Harbourfront and Canadian National Exhibition
Catch the 509 underground at the Union subway station. Like the 510, it runs along Queens Quay West, but instead of turning north on Spadina, it continues to the Exhibition grounds.
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