Updated: 2026-06-17｜Opening hours and ticket prices are subject to official announcements
People visiting Toronto for the first time usually build their itinerary around the CN Tower and Eaton Centre area. But after living here or wandering around a few more times, you discover that the places where you can really read the city’s everyday rhythm are often not the landmarks, but neighbourhoods like The Annex. It sits right against the northwest side of the University of Toronto campus. There is no must-see big sight, but there are old bookshops, cheap second-hand books, coffee shops, Victorian-era houses, and that scruffy liveliness particular to a university town. If you want to switch your itinerary from a sightseeing route to a “living route,” this is a great place to slot in.
Geographically, The Annex is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Dupont Street to the north, Bathurst Street to the west, and Avenue Road to the east, with the liveliest, most walkable core concentrated along the stretch of Bloor Street West from Bathurst to Spadina. On one side of the street are bookshops, restaurants, and coffee shops; on the other are students, office workers, and the regulars who come to watch independent documentaries. Mix them together and you get the flavour of this neighbourhood. To the north it borders a quiet residential area that preserves a large number of Victorian and Edwardian houses from the 1880s to the early 1900s, red brick, towers, and carved porches one after another, a rare stretch of streetscape left intact in Toronto’s old city. A few steps south brings you to the University of Toronto’s main campus; to the east is upscale Yorkville; and heading west along Bloor connects to Koreatown. In other words, The Annex itself is not a destination, but a good starting point that strings together several districts on the north side of downtown.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who it suits | Travellers who love bookshops, coffee shops, and a university-town atmosphere, and who want a sense of local life rather than photo-op landmarks; also a good place for international students and new residents to scout out first |
| Suggested stay | 2 to 4 hours; if you string in the ROM, Yorkville, or Koreatown, it can be arranged as a half day |
| Transit | The Bathurst, Spadina, and St. George stations on TTC subway Line 2 (Bloor–Danforth) all reach it; you step out right into the core area, and driving in specially is not recommended |
| Budget feel | Walking and browsing are free in themselves; the main spending is on food and shopping; second-hand books are relatively cheap |
Taking the TTC is the easiest way. The three stations Spadina, Bathurst, and St. George on the Bloor–Danforth line (Line 2) are all within the neighbourhood, so you can start browsing the moment you step out, with almost no need to transfer; if you are staying downtown, you can also transfer at St. George or Spadina from the Yonge–University line (Line 1). For your route, it is best to come out of Spadina or Bathurst station and walk slowly in one direction along Bloor Street West, picking up the University of Toronto, the ROM, or Koreatown along the way. This area is crowded on weekends, and driving in to find parking is not necessarily worthwhile, so treating it as a “step off and walk” neighbourhood makes things much easier. Toronto winters are cold, and the wind at the Bloor Street intersections is strong too, so remember to bring a coat if you come in autumn or winter; spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for walking.
Bookshops, coffee, and a neighbourhood stroll
What people remember most about The Annex is its independent bookshop tradition. BMV Books on Bloor Street (address 471 Bloor Street West, about two blocks west of Spadina station) is a long-established local second-hand and discount bookshop, billed as Canada’s largest second-hand bookstore; the whole building has multiple floors with plenty of books at friendly prices, and it is easy to spend the better part of an hour there. Fans of science fiction and fantasy can detour south to Bakka-Phoenix on Harbord Street (84 Harbord Street), right next to the University of Toronto’s main campus, Canada’s oldest established independent bookshop specializing in science fiction and fantasy. After the bookshops, the street has no shortage of coffee shops and small restaurants where you can rest; this rhythm of “buy a book, sit down and have a coffee” is exactly how this area is meant to be enjoyed. Each shop’s opening hours vary, and independent small shops and second-hand bookstores in particular may differ a lot between weekdays and weekends, so if you want to make a special trip to a particular one, check with Google Maps or the shop’s social media beforehand to confirm it is open that day and avoid a wasted trip.
Places you can pair along the way
What makes The Annex truly handy is that it can be strung together with its surroundings into a convenient route:
- Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): right on the Bloor Street cultural corridor at the southeastern edge of the neighbourhood, one of Canada’s largest and most important museums, suitable for a half-day itinerary; ticket prices and opening hours are subject to official announcements.
- University of Toronto main campus: on the south side of the neighbourhood, you can walk in to see the old buildings and Philosopher’s Walk, the footpath connecting the Royal Conservatory of Music with the campus.
- Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema: an old cinema famous for documentary screenings; film lovers should keep an eye on its current lineup.
- Yorkville: within walking distance to the east, where the atmosphere switches from a student street to boutiques, galleries, and upscale restaurants, a very clear contrast.
- Koreatown: heading west along Bloor, it is a whole stretch of Korean restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores, with plenty of dining options.
On the whole, The Annex is a relatively walkable neighbourhood with a strong sense of everyday life in central Toronto, but since it is near the university and major intersections, please keep an eye on your belongings when it is crowded, and watch the subway and streetcar schedules for your trip back at night. It is not the kind of attraction where you “snap one big shot and leave”; setting your expectations on browsing slowly and feeling the rhythm of the neighbourhood is more worthwhile than coming with a checklist of photo spots. It is actually well suited to people coming to Toronto for the first time who also like bookshops and a university-town atmosphere; it is just best to pair it with the ROM, Yorkville, or Koreatown into a half-day itinerary, not to pack your schedule too tightly, and to keep some flexibility for changes in weather and opening hours; if you only have a very short time, first confirm whether it is on the way to the other places you want to go, then decide whether to swing in. If you want to plan in other parts of Toronto too, you can refer to our Toronto travel guide, or find more ideas for pairings from our roundup of Canadian attractions.
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