Contemporary Landscape
The Toronto Eaton Centre is a major shopping centre in downtown Toronto. Its north entrance is located on the intersection of Yonge St. and Dundas St (while its south entrance is on Queen St.). This landmark is located in a buzzing area for shoppers, university students, and weekend visitors, with a downtown vibe that feels like a Times Square of New York City. The shopping centre is also very close to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), formerly known as Ryerson. The name of Dundas is currently undergoing a change, starting with Dundas subway station (Yonge-University Line / Yellow Line) being renamed TMU station.
History
The Eaton name is of historical note as it traces its history to Timothy Eaton, the founder of the flagship retailer, Eaton’s, whose department stores once spanned Canada. Today, the Eaton Centre is home to several major brands in downtown Toronto and it is a destination for locals and tourists alike. Fashion retailers such as Uniqlo (Japan) and H&M (Sweden) are located nearby. Across the street is Muji (Japan). Near the Eaton Centre is the old Simpson’s building, which was once owned by the former Hudson’s Bay Company. The Hudson’s Bay Company name is of historical importance too, tracing its origins to a Royal Charter (King Charles II, 1670, Great Britain).
Touring The Eaton Centre
For a comprehensive mall directory of the Eaton Centre, you can check their store listings:
https://shops.cadillacfairview.com/property/cf-toronto-eaton-centre/store
Food Court and Options
The food court is located on the lower levels of the Eaton Centre. Above ground near Dundas Square (where many public events are held) are: Five Guys (US Brand – Hamburgers), Shake Shack (US Brand – Hamburgers), Chiptotle (US Brand – Mexican Food).
Movie Theatres
There is the Yonge-Dundas Cineplex Movie Theatre in the upper floors where Shake Shake and Five Guys is located.
Theatres
The hidden gems in this neighbourhood include Massey Hall theatre (check tour information) and the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre (known as the old “Pantages Theatre” which housed the famous “Phantom of the Opera.”) For a bit of history, the late Ed Mirvish was a self-made entrepreneur from Toronto. Tips: When booking events at a theatre, make sure you go through the official theatre website since third-party booking sites (found on search engines when typing in the name of the theatre) may charge their own service fees on top of the ticket price.
PATH
For those who have time to explore the 30 km network of pedestrian tunnels that connect many of the downtown buildings together like a maze, there is also PATH. |Click Here| for details about PATH.
Local Area Tips:
If you go north on the intersection of Yonge St. and Dundas St. (by subway or walking), you will pass by TMU University and eventually end up on Bloor St., where trendy Yorkville shopping and eating can be found. Near the Bloor St. and Yonge St. intersection, there’s also the massive Toronto Reference Library (TRL) and another tiny local library nestled across the street from TRL.
Address:
220 Yonge St.
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 2H1
Canada
GPS (using Maps): 43.656410, -79.380222
Getting There:
It is accessible by either Queen St. Subway Station or Dundas St. Subway Station. Located nearby is Toronto City Hall, Old City Hall, the Bay Street Financial District, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Dundas Square (Yonge St.). Nestled behind the Eaton Centre, near Indigo Bookstore, is the rear courtyard.
Other Destinations to Read About (For more ideas away from downtown):
Here are some travel ideas. Click on the photo tab for a tourist map (not to scale).
If you go west on the Dundas Streetcar from Eaton Centre, you will pass by Little Tokyo (Bay St.) and Chinatown (Spadina St). Little Italy and the U of T is north of Chinatown. If you travel down south from Eaton Centre (from Yonge St.) to Queen St and go west, you will see the Queen West neighbourhood (a trendy area). But if you continue south from Eaton Centre to King St. and go west, you will see the theatre district (also Ed Mirvish’s legacy). Further west from there is Liberty Village.
If you go south from Eaton Centre (from Yonge St.) but instead go further east on King St., that’s where you will hear about the St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery District, and Leslieville. If you keep going east on King St. East, then you will hear about Tommy Thompson Park and Kew Balmy beach.
But if you go all the way south from Eaton Centre (from Yonge St.) to Lake Ontario, that’s Harbour Front and the Centre Island ferry (Jack Layton Ferry Terminal).
