A raw neighbourhood close to the hearts of Torontonians, Regent Park runs from Parliament to Don Valley and Gerrard to Queen. It’s home to Toronto’s oldest and largest housing project, built in the late 1940s, which has been undergoing a huge redevelopment since 2005. It still remains to be one of Toronto’s poorest neighbourhoods, but new resources are bringing energy into the area. New facilities like sports centres and industrial buildings turned into attractive loft spaces are beginning to draw a different demographic. The area is serviced by three streetcars, the 501, 505 and 506, and buses run north-south.
Exercise and Activities
A stunning architectural addition to the neighbourhood, the Regent Park Aquatic Centre opened in 2012 in a striking modern building. It features three pools, a water slide, Tarzan rope and diving board, so is great for lane swimming and recreation. For drier pastimes, Karen Andrews’s Aurora Live Dance Studios offers well-priced contemporary dance classes for kids, as well as lessons for adults and individual dance coaching.
Regent Park Aquatic Centre, 640 Dundas Street East
Aurora Live Dance Studios, 392 Queen Street East
Social Innovation
A sign that more affluent and artistic communities are moving into the area, is the opening of The Centre for Social Innovation’s Regent Park location in 2012. The concept is a shared office space for rent, with hot desks and workshops for entrepreneurs and freelancers with a social commitment and creative spirit. They also hold social events such as book releases and workshops.
Centre for Social Innovation, 585 Dundas Street East