Neighbourhood – Liberty Village

By Mark Savel

During the day, I’m a downtown Realtor, but from the countless hours I’ve spent driving through
the city, I’ve become somewhat of a Toronto connoisseur. My job for this feature is to be your
guide for all things Toronto!

A popular tradition for most Torontonians is to head down to the Canadian National Exhibition (or the “Ex” as we affectionately like to call it) and celebrate the end of summer. For years the popular event has been held at Exhibition Place, but before it became the huge success that it is today, it was called “Toronto’s Industrial Exhibition” and took place in Liberty Village!

The Liberty Village area dates back to the 1800’s where it was originally home to a variety of
manufacturing businesses making it the lifeblood of Toronto. It is located in the south west part
of the downtown core.

This area has undergone a revitalization by developers over the past decade. Some demolished
the old factories to make way for new condo towers, while others converted the existing spaces
into authentic lofts. Today, the area is still very much in transition, but very quickly becoming
one of the most desirable areas in which to live. As new life was brought into the area, so have
the businesses, that attract young and hip professionals – Balzacs Coffee, in the distillery district,
is a funky hangout with gorgeous art deco floors and an authentic zinc bar from Paris, is one
example.

Toronto is like a cultural salad of many diverse backgrounds! Over 140 neighbourhoods make
up Toronto and to someone who’s new to the city, the task of finding the right one can be a
bit daunting. Through my ongoing contributions to this blog feature, my goal is to explain the
process and help you choose the one that’s right for you! Stay tuned.

Mark blogs regularly on real estate, arts and entertainment, and urban development in Toronto, check out his blog.