One Sentence Description

Little Portugal meets Queen Street hipsters.

About this neighbourhood

The Village of Brockton is most likely named after Captain James Brock, who owned a large amount of land in this area in the early 1800's. Captain Brock was a cousin of Sir Issac Brock, a Canadian war hero who fought in the War of 1812.

Irish immigrants were the first settlers residing in what is now a downtown Toronto neighbourhood, with two rope making factories being the main employers.

1881 saw the incorporation of Brockton as a village. However, only three years after it's incorporation Brockton had accumulated a large debt. Brockton's financial troubles led the residents of the village to vote in favour of amalgamation with the City of Toronto. This merger became official on March 25th, 1884.

The Town Hall of Brockton Village , built in 1882, is still standing on the south-west corner of Dundas Street and Brock Avenue. This historic building is now being used as a plumbing supply store.

What's Fun ?

How do people relax here? Pick up ball games or theatresports? Tai Chi or Drumming Circles? How do people who hang out in this 'hood spend their time? Theatre, stages, cinemas, Mall, Skate Park, whatever... Know a place to chill out? List it here.

Sing with the High Park Choirs of Toronto! Divisional choirs for children aged 5 to 18. http://www.highparkchoirs.org Despite the name, the choirs include children from 55 different schools across Toronto. We're a short ride west of Brockton Village in Bloor West Village. Artistic staff include internationally-renowned conductor Zimfira Poloz, Margaret Stanfield, Marina Filippova and Sheldon Rose. Children have lots of fun and learn while developing their vocal skills. Come and sit in on a rehearsal, attend a concert or an event. To audition, please contact [email protected]

Hungry?

Cheap eats and not so cheap eats, oops, make that ambiance!

History

How did the neighbourhood get its name? Who founded this neck of the woods? When? Anything cool happen recently? Say the past 5 years, stuff still in people's memory, say the past 5 minutes, y'know?

Who are the people in your neighbourhood?

Neighbourhood personalities, for example...

and where to meet them.

Housing and Accommodations

What's the housing scene like? How much for how much? Architecture Styles. Price Ranges. How new or old are most of the housing here? Condominiums, Townhouses... Major complexes, best apartment buildings, golden cockroach award? If applicable: Hotels / Motels / Hostels / Bed and Breakfasts for out-of-towners, here's the scoop.

Transit

Transportation overview, transit options, bike lanes, official routes, highways, Bus. Streetcar. Subway. TTC routes which pass through or cover this neighbourhood. TTC stations / Go Transit / Greyhound Stops

Major Streets and Intersections

Major thoroughfares through this neighbourhood, if any. Existing ones or those planned for the future. Major North-South streets. Major East-West streets.

Parks and Recreation

Indoor outdoor pools, wading pools, waterslides, splashpads, arenas, rinks, golf courses, etc Off leash dog walking areas. Nice places to walk and talk.

Schools

Also see Neighbourhoods for info on other areas of Toronto