Travel back in time to Yonge and Eglinton in the 1950s and see what Toronto’s mid-town neighbourhood once looked like. The subway system arrives on Eglinton in 1954 making the area more accessible and appealing. Once considered a sleepy town, the new subway gives way to a boom of retail shops and commercial spaces. Residents dine at nearby restaurants and watch a film at the historic Eglinton Theatre (now the Eglinton Grand) near Avenue Road. The theatre opened in 1936 with its first screening of King Of Burlesque. High rises and office towers came to the area in the 1960s and 70s as did more houses and big box stores. Today, Yonge and Eg. is anything but sleepy with an abundance of condos and developments and a new Light Rail Transit system transforming this dense urban space. Take a look at these historical photos and travel back in time.
1954, Eglinton East looking East from Yonge Street.
1954, Eglinton Station.
1963, Yonge Street near Eglinton Station.
The Eglinton Theatre, now the Eglinton Grand near Avenue Road.
The Dominion Store at the corner of Yonge and Eglinton. The store was demolished to make way for the Yonge-Eglinton Plaza.
Photos: Courtesy of Toronto Public Library, Wikimedia, Eglinton Grand
