South Parkdale Toronto: Parks, Art and History

South Parkdale is neighbourhood number 085 in the City of Toronto’s official list.

This guide pulls together what the City of Toronto’s own open records say about the area: its parks, public art, library and the local stories in the City’s walking notes.

Which parks and outdoor spaces are in South Parkdale?

• Beaty Avenue Parkette at 66 Beaty Ave: the City lists playground.
• Budapest Park at 1575 Lake Shore Blvd W: the City lists beach, outdoor fitness equipment, playground, washroom.
• Close Avenue Parkette at 116 Close Ave: the City lists playground.
• Dufferin - King Park at 256 Dufferin St: the City lists playground.
• Lakeshore Boulevard Parklands at 1389 Lake Shore Blvd W: the City lists outdoor fitness equipment, pickleball court, tennis court.
• Lamport Stadium Park at 1155 King St W: the City lists outdoor ping pong/table tennis, playground.
• Marilyn Bell Park at 1095 Lake Shore Blvd W: the City lists disc golf.
• Masaryk Park at 212 Cowan Ave: the City lists outdoor ping pong/table tennis, playground.

What stories do the City’s walking notes tell about South Parkdale?

These stories are summarised in our own words from the City of Toronto’s StrollTO walking-tour notes.

Victor Tolgyesi ‘Tenth Anniversary of Hungarian Uprising 1956’

Artist Victor Tolgyesi, himself a refugee, erected this monument in 1966 for the more than 37,000 people who came to Canada after the Hungarian Revolution a decade earlier. Many settled in Toronto, enriching economic and cultural life. The Government of Canada recognized the event as nationally historic for setting a model for receiving later refugees.

Toronto Carpet Manufacturing Company Building

Opened in 1899 for the Toronto Carpet Manufacturing Company, this heritage-designated Liberty Village landmark generated its own steam, heat and electricity. By the start of the First World War, nearly a thousand workers kept pace with strong demand for carpets. Today it houses offices across 320,000 square feet.

Trenton Terrace

Tucked along a cobblestone laneway west of Cowan Avenue, 10 heritage-designated homes were built by John Coatsworth in the 1880s as cottages for fishermen. Every one has a small front porch and compact backyard, and a memorial garden honouring a former resident sits among the sheds on the south side. Please view the houses from the sidewalk.

Jim Bravo ‘Food Stories’ Mural

Parkdale’s mural pairs the foods people ate here hundreds of years ago with the foods found in the neighbourhood today. These dishes stand for the area’s cultural diversity and draw the community together.

What else does the City list in South Parkdale?

• Lamport Stadium at 1155 King St W: the City lists sports field, washroom.
• Masaryk - Cowan Community Recreation Centre at 220 Cowan Ave: the City lists wi-fi.
• Holy Family Community Centre is a City community centre at 141 Close Ave.
• Humber River Bridge by Environmental Artworks Studio (Golden, Brad / Eichenberg, Lynne) is a public artwork (architecture / landscape) from 1997 at Humber River, Lake Ontario.
• Index/Ideal by Peter Dykhuis is a public artwork (architecture / landscape) from 1989 at Queen Street West and Cowan Avenue.
• Katyn Memorial by Tadeusz Janowski is a public artwork (sculpture) from 1980 at Beaty Boulevard Park.
• Sir Casimir Gzowski Memorial by D’Wonnik, Richard / Dunbar, Fredrick is a public artwork (sculpture) from 1968 at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park.
• Lion Monument by Loring, Frances / W.I. Somerville / Wyle, Florence is a public artwork (sculpture) from 1939 at Lake Shore Boulevard West and Windermere Avenue.
• Tenth Anniversary of Hungarian Uprising 1956 by Victor Tìgyesi is a public artwork (sculpture) from 1966 at Lake Shore Boulevard West and Parkside Drive, Budapest Park.
• The Toronto Public Library’s Parkdale branch is at 1303 Queen Street West.
• Sunnyside Park is listed by the City as a nature/ park attraction at 1755 Lake Shore Blvd W.

Want to keep exploring? See more Toronto neighbourhood guides, browse the Loop TO’s city guides, find more outdoor ideas or read our culture guides.