Downtown Toronto

Downtown Toronto is the central business district in Toronto, Ontario, where tall office towers rise between wide streets lined with shops and residential buildings. The intersections are dominated by large banks, corporate offices, and public squares that form the dense core of the city.

Rail connections that arrived in the 1850s brought growth and trade to this part of Toronto and turned it into the financial center of the country. In the 20th century, taller and taller towers began rising as companies sought locations in the core.

The below-ground walkways link offices with shops and cafés in a self-contained network of passages that sees heavy use during cold weather. Commuters walk through these connections to work each day and stop for coffee or lunch along the way.

Six subway stations and several streetcar lines connect the area with the rest of the city and offer frequent service in all main directions. During cold weather, the underground passages provide an alternative to the streets and remain busy throughout the day.

The passages below street level form a network of their own stretching nearly 30 kilometers (18 miles) and connecting over 50 buildings. Maps and signs appear at many points, but some sections can be confusing when walked for the first time.