The Annex

The Annex lies just north of downtown, traditionally bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Dupont Street to the north, Bathurst Street to the west and Avenue Road to the east. The City of Toronto's wider definition also takes in Seaton Village and Yorkville. At the 2021 census the area had about 14,140 residents on 1.46 km².

The name goes back to a subdivision called the "Toronto Annex", laid out by developer Simeon Janes in 1886; the area became part of the City of Toronto in 1887.

The Annex is known for tree-lined streets of large brick houses built mostly between the 1880s and the early 1900s, many in the "Annex style" with Romanesque arches and turrets. A development freeze in the 1970s limited taller buildings, so most of the original houses survive, and more than 500 buildings are listed as protected. Mid-century apartment buildings sit among them.

• University district: the neighbourhood borders the University of Toronto's St. George campus and has long housed students and faculty.
• Bloor Street West between Avenue Road and Bathurst is the commercial and social centre, with shops, cafés, restaurants and services.
• Residents famously opposed the planned Spadina Expressway in the 1960s, which would have cut through the area.

• Subway: four stations along the edges of the neighbourhood: St. George and Spadina (both interchanges between Line 1 Yonge-University and Line 2 Bloor-Danforth), Bathurst (Line 2) and Dupont (Line 1).
• Streetcars: the 510 Spadina streetcar runs south from Spadina station to Union station, and the 511 Bathurst streetcar runs south from Bathurst station.
• Buses run along Avenue Road, Spadina Road, Dupont Street, Davenport Road and Bathurst Street.

Downtown is a short subway ride or a walk away. Use the TTC trip planner for exact routes.

Most homes are older houses, many of them divided into apartments, plus mid-century apartment buildings. Because of the university, tenant turnover is high and seasonal, so expect more competition for rentals before the academic year starts in September.

There is no official rent figure for the Annex alone. Statistics Canada's experimental data put the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment across Toronto at $2,660 a month in the first quarter of 2026. Older buildings are usually covered by Ontario's rent increase guideline (2.1% in 2026, 1.9% in 2027).

The Annex is mostly quiet residential streets close to the University of Toronto. School places depend on your exact address: use the TDSB's Find your school tool to see your designated schools. Green space inside the neighbourhood is mostly small parkettes; Vermont Square Park is in neighbouring Seaton Village.