In North York, there are several key retail districts, where you can find pretty well anything you’re looking for:
Weston
Weston Village (also Etobicoke?)
There are 164 member businesses, including restaurants, retailers and professional offices celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the incorporation of the Village in 1881. Weston’s Farmer’s Market has an Official Opening Ceremony on the first Saturday in June, featuring with live entertainment, a community yard sale and a pancake breakfast. The Market continues to the end of October ending with a popular Pumpkin Carving Contest. Weston also hosts “Art in the Park” and Back-To-School Sidewalk Sale in mid-August. Each December, the community Christmas tree at the corner of Little Avenue & Weston Road is decked out with lights, and the Weston Santa Claus Parade is held the 4th Sunday in November. The Weston Village BIA was incorporated in 1979 (one of the oldest BIA’s in Toronto).
Emery Village (also Etobicoke?)
Finch Avenue West and Weston Road, between Steeles and Sheppard
Emery Village is named for the historic settlement, which today lies west of Highway 400, and has a collection of retail strip malls serving the residents and the industrial/institutional areas to the north and south. Created in 2003, Emery Village is home to 1,900 businesses with over 25,000 full and part-time employees and is the largest BIA in the City.
Along Eglinton Rd
Mount Dennis
Weston Road, just north of Eglinton, up to Ray Avenue
This shopping area, nestled between Jane Steet and Black Creek Drive is just minutes from the 401/400 highways. Mount Dennis offers an exotic array of eclectic restaurants, cafes, shopping and services. There’s lots of parking and 24-hour public transit access. The community was settled and named in the early 1800s, and lies on the high ground between Humber River on the west, and Black Creek to the east, and is surrounded by ravines and parkland. Mount Dennis has grown from its historic, large scale Saw and Woollen Mills, to its famous Brick Yards, the Conn-Smythe Sand and Gravel Pit and the Kodak Company Plant which was opened in 1916. The culturally diverse neighbourhood represents over 30 ethnic groups. The Mount Dennis BIA was originally established in 1974.
Eglinton Hill
Eglinton Avenue West on a hill between Jane Avenue and Bicknell Avenue.
The Eglinton Hill BIA is located along a charming 4 block stretch of Eglinton at a major arterial crossroad of Keele and Eglinton. This four block area features eclectic mix of shops and services reflecting the diverse heritage of the city. The Eglinton Hill BIA was created in 1997.
Little Jamaica
Eglinton West area from Caledonia Road to Keele Street
This is one of Toronto’s major Afro-Caribbean communities, with lots of Caribbean restaurants and shops.
York Eglinton (International Market)
Eglinton Avenue West between Winona Drive & Chamberlain Avenue.
Close to Highway 401 from the W. R. Allen expressway, as well as public transit, this commercial strip is an international mix of shops and services catering to the city’s diverse heritage. Some consider it the retail backbone of the city. The York-Eglinton BIA was established in 1981.
Upper Village
Eglinton Avenue West, from Bathurst Street to Allen Road
The Upper Village is a vibrant shopping district with ample parking, a taste-tempting variety of quality restaurants to suit every budget, as well as many other enticements to delight visitors and window shoppers. At the east end of this community is the Lawrence Square Mall, at the Allen Road
Fairbank Village
Dufferin St. from Hunter Ave north to Schell Ave and Eglinton Ave from Dufferin St. to Chamberlain Ave
This area, which has many buildings dating back to the 1920s, 30s and 40s, has many shops and services and is close to major routes including Black Creek, Hwy 401, and the Allen Expressway. The Fairbank Village BIA was formed in 2007.
Eglinton Way
Eglinton Avenue West between Oriole Parkway and Chaplin Crescent (west of Yonge Street)
This nine-block stretch of streetscape that includes a myriad of shops, boutiques and services, with friendly locals. There are fine restaurants, a French spa, hair salons, clothing stores, as well as wide range of professional services and amenities. Ample parking. The Eglinton Way BIA founded in 1987
Along Yonge Street
Midtown (Yonge & Eglinton)
This is a popular young neighbourhood with vibrant street shopping, movie theatres and many excellent restaurants. The many apartments an high-rise condos are popular with Torontonians in their late 20s and early 30s, and the area is sometimes called “Young and Eligible”.
Uptown Yonge
Yonge St from Roehampton north to Glengrove
In the City’s historic North Toronto neighbourhood, this area has an eclectic mix of fine dining and local pubs, specialty foods and kitchen wares, international retailers and local designers, and necessities for the sports enthusiast. Conveniently access from downtown and by transit. The Uptown Yonge BIA was created in 2005.
Yonge Lawrence Village
Yonge Street & Lawrence Ave
This area has a collection of quality businesses and unique, owner-operated shops and services with a “Small Town Feel, Big City Appeal.” There are several fashion shops and some of the City’s finest restaurants, as profiled in Toronto Life Fashion and Restaurant Guides. Foodies will enjoy the markets, grocers, coffee and specialty shops. Shoppers seeking the unusual will find classic and eclectic shops with home decor, gifts, entertainment, children’s clothing, hair salons, as well as business services.