Harbord Village
Harbord Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. It lies just to the west of the University of Toronto, with its most commonly accepted borders being Bloor Street on the north, Spadina Avenue on the east, College Street to the south, and Bathurst Street to the west. Areas west of Bathurst, as far as Ossington are also sometimes included, though they are not covered by the residents’ association. The area was previously known as Sussex-Ulster, after two of the major east west streets in the area. In 2000 the residents’ association decided to rename itself and the area Harbord Village, after the main street running through the middle of the community. The area is also sometimes referred to as the South Annex after the better known “Annex” community to the north.
Harbord Village lies just to the west of the University of Toronto, with its most commonly accepted borders being Bloor Street on the north, Spadina Avenue on the east, College Street to the south, and Bathurst Street to the west.
The area was built up in the late nineteenth century as a middle class community, not as prosperous as the mansions of the Annex to the north, but also not a poor and immigrant-heavy neighbourhood like Kensington Market just to the south. In the 20th century it became an immigrant reception area, linked to Little Italy just to the west. By the 1960s it was heavily populated by students and other young people linked to the university.
Lippincott Street runs north-south through Harbord Village, and is an example of the architectural style which used to typify the area. It was originally part of lot 17 purchased in 1815 by George Taylor Denison for the building of his new home “Belle Vue.” The residential street runs through present day Kensington Market, College Street and Bloor Street. It includes a selection of Toronto architecture, including Victorian worker's cottages, Toronto bay-and-gable and more modern bungalows.
