Corktown

Over the past few years, Corktown has become extremely popular among young professionals, given its close proximity to the Financial District and the downtown core. The area is home to some of Toronto’s most high-end furniture stores, primarily around the intersection of King and Parliament, including Ital Interiors, Kiosk, and Studio B, among others. Corktown also boasts a rapidly growing list of top-tier restaurants and bars, including Henrietta Lane, Reyna on King, Gusto 501, Spaccio, etc. The proximity of St. Lawrence Market is a huge bonus for Corktown residents.

History

In the early 1800s, working-class immigrants from County Cork in Ireland, settled in Corktown - hence the name. Most residents worked at local breweries or brickyards. Many of the families couldn’t afford the high pew rents at nearby St. James Cathedral, prompting them to build their own "Little Trinity Church" in 1843, which still stands today at 417 King Street E. The Trinity Schoolhouse, located on Trinity Street just south of Little Trinity Church, was constructed in 1848. It was Toronto’s first free school, funded by Enoch Turner, a prominent Corktown brewer and philanthropist. Today, the Trinity Schoolhouse operates as a museum, replicating a mid-nineteenth-century classroom, and continues to educate both children and adults.

  • Queen Street E to the north, River Street & St. Lawrence Street to the east, Eastern Avenue to the south, and Parliament Street to the west.

  • Corktown is home to some of Toronto's oldest Victorian row-houses, with many dating back to the 1850s and 1860s. These former workers’ cottages are nestled along quaint, narrow laneways tucked away from the main streets. The neighborhood has experienced significant revitalization over the past decade through new developments, including live-work studios, hard and soft lofts, and professional offices. The buildings in the area are predominantly low and mid-rise condominiums.

    • K-8

      • Nelson Mandela Public School

      • St. Paul Catholic School

    • Grade 9-12

      • Jarvis Collegiate Institute

  • Toronto’s first Roman Catholic church, St. Paul’s Basilica, is located in Corktown and was originally built in 1822.

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