Walk Liberty | Location 10
Welcome to Walk Liberty!
Walk Liberty is an interactive, online portal that showcases the rich history, public spaces, and dynamic and eclectic businesses of Liberty Village. Get outside, explore the neighbourhood and support your local businesses.
This is one of ten stops along a walking tour of Liberty Village.
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đź“ŤHanna Ave and Liberty St
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Welcome to the heart of Liberty Village. Here, you will find dozens of cafes, restaurants, and shops located just steps away. This new public plaza, part of the 99 Atlantic office and commercial development, was, until 2019, a parking lot. The 99 Atlantic development – led by Kevric, with WZMH and ERA architects – added a modern 8-storey office building while restoring a neighbouring boilerhouse now occupied by Scotiabank.
On the west side of Atlantic Avenue, another new five-storey office building, 80 Atlantic, was completed last year on top of another former parking lot, providing more space for Liberty Village’s creative industry. These new offices complement West Liberty’s heritage brick-and-beam factory buildings. A plaza between the new 80 Atlantic office block and the heritage warehouse building at 60 Atlantic includes the patio for Liberty Commons, a brewpub that opened in 2017.
These new developments allow for wide, accessible sidewalks, like the ones in front of the new 99 Atlantic building and the restored Brunswick Balke Collender Company building at 40 Hanna, a feature often lacking in parts of Liberty Village. Disused rail spurs and loading docks were often repurposed as boulevard parking spots, resulting in limited pedestrian access. As transit access improves and more pedestrians are attracted to Liberty Village, these old streetscapes will continue to improve.
On the northeast corner of Hanna Avenue and Liberty Street is Toy Factory Lofts. This building – one of Liberty Village’s first residential developments — was constructed for the Hinde & Dauch Paper Company in 1912. The building was later acquired by Irwin Toy, which produced children’s toys such as sports balls, table hockey games, hula hoops, and frisbees, and imported and distributed licenced toys for the Canadian market, including the Star Wars and Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers lines. Irwin Toy closed in 2001, after larger American manufacturers set up their own Canadian distribution networks.
Between 2005 and 2008, the building was renovated and expanded, with the old factory floors transformed into condominium lofts.
This unique blend of heritage and modern buildings, offices and studios, apartments, townhomes, and retail space make Liberty Village a dynamic place to live, work, and shop.
Learn more about Liberty Market, the retail and office complex on the southeast corner, at Stop 3, Lynn Williams and East Liberty Street.
Continue your tour…
Location 3 Lynn Williams and East Liberty Street – 225 metres east (148 East Liberty Street)
Location 4 Hanna Avenue and Snooker Street – 150 metres north (75 Hanna Avenue)
Location 11 South Atlantic Avenue/Exhibition GO – 350 metres south-west (1 Atlantic Avenue)
Location 9 Liberty and Mowat/Toronto Carpet Factory– 500 metres west (67 Mowat Avenue)
Looking east on Liberty Street at Jefferson Avenue, towards the old boiler building (now Scotiabank) and the Hinde & Dauch/Irwin Toy building behind, circa 1980. Liberty Village was crisscrossed by railway spur lines until the 1990s.
City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 37, Item 22
Support Local. Check out these nearby businesses!
Cafés and Restaurants
Arvo Coffee 31 Atlantic Ave, Toronto, ON M6K 3E7
Athletes Kitchen 171 East Liberty St, Unit 131 (Liberty Market)
Balzac’s Liberty Village 43 Hanna Street
Craft Brasserie 107 Atlantic Avenue
Liberty Commons 42 Liberty Street
Liberty Village Market Café 65 Jefferson Avenue
Local Eatery 171 E Liberty St, Unit 100 (Liberty Market)
Merci Mon Ami 171 E Liberty St, Unit 106 (Liberty Market)
Pizzaville 171 East Liberty St, Unit 127B (Liberty Market)
Starbucks 85 Hanna Avenue
Tim Hortons 171 E Liberty St, Unit 109 (Liberty Market)
Shops
180 Smoke Vape Store 171 E Liberty St, Unit 118 (Liberty Market)
Bulk Barn 171 E Liberty St, Unit 110 (Liberty Market)
EQ3 51 Hanna Avenue
Fido 61 Hanna Avenue
Home Hardware 171 E Liberty St, Unit 113 (Liberty Market)
Organic Garage 42 Hanna Avenue
Pearle Vision 51 Hanna Avenue
T.O. Balloons 51 Jefferson Avenue
Services
Condo Store Reality 171 E Liberty St, Unit 101 (Liberty Market)
Body in Tune 171 East Liberty St, Unit 133 (Liberty Market)
Demo Soap Studio 171 East Liberty St, Unit 123 (Liberty Market)
F45 Training 171 East Liberty St, Unit 124 (Liberty Market)
Liberty Village Animal Hospital 171 East Liberty St, Unit 120 (Liberty Market)
Oxygen Yoga and Fitness 171 East Liberty St, Unit 126 (Liberty Market)
Salon Tocci 171 E Liberty St, Unit 116 (Liberty Market)
