The blocks surrounding the restored Broadview Hotel have become a focal point for East Toronto's mural scene — the hotel itself commissioned two large-scale exterior works, and neighbouring businesses have followed suit, creating a walkable mural corridor from Queen to Dundas.
Neighbourhood: Riverside · Address: Broadview Ave from Queen to Dundas, Toronto, ON · Hours: Open 24 hours · Price Range: Free · Editorial status: Not yet verified
The area around Broadview Hotel has become East Toronto's unofficial open-air gallery, with large-scale murals leading you between Queen and Dundas. Each block offers a mix of contemporary and community-focused street art you'll actually want to photograph.
This is one of the only neighbourhood mural corridors in Toronto where hotel, business, and artist commissions actively build on each other, rather than scattered one-off pieces. You’ll see a mix of international names and local artists, including some works curated specifically for the hotel's facade. The result actually feels intentional—not random.
If you want a mural stop that feels very Toronto, go to Artscape Wychwood Barns. It used to be a TTC streetcar repair barn, and you can still feel that industrial skeleton in the long brick building and big open spaces, but now it works as one of the city’s easiest places to spend a few hours without really planning much. The reason most people start here is the giant exterior murals. Artscape commissions large-format pieces on the barn walls, and because they rotate, the whole place never feels static. Even if you’ve been before, there’s usually something new to look at, especially on the Christie Street-facing wall, which gets repainted each spring and always sparks a lot of local curiosity. What I like most is that the murals don’t stop at the building. Once you’re there, the surrounding streets in Wychwood start to feel like an unofficial outdoor gallery. You’ll find painted garage doors, laneway walls, utility boxes, and side-street surprises that make wandering the neighbourhood genuinely fun. It’s a great area to walk slowly with a coffee in hand, and if you’re into photography, you’ll get a mix of polished commissioned work and more casual street art in the span of a few blocks. Morning light is usually best on the exterior walls, and because the site is open and set back a bit, you can actually step far enough away to frame the murals properly. Saturday is the move. The farmers market inside the barns is one of the best in Toronto, and that’s not just hype people repeat out of habit. It’s busy, yes, but in a good way: families, dog walkers, artists, people picking up bread, cheese, produce, flowers, and breakfast from whatever food vendor has the longest line. The atmosphere feels local rather than performative. You can grab a pastry or sandwich, wander through the market, then head back outside and do a mural walk around the neighbourhood while the area still has that weekend energy. It makes for a really satisfying half-day. Even if you come on a quieter weekday, it’s worth it. The site has a calm, lived-in feel, with green space nearby and plenty of benches if you want to sit for a bit. It’s not the kind of place where you rush in, snap one photo, and leave. You end up circling the building, noticing details in the paint, peeking down side streets, and maybe extending your walk south or east through Wychwood’s residential blocks. Practical stuff: it’s free, easy to get to, and open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. The address is 601 Christie Street, and if you’re taking transit, it’s simple to reach from St. Clair West or Christie area routes. Wear comfortable shoes, because the best part is really walking the blocks around it. If you’re choosing one time to go, make it Saturday morning. Market first, murals after. That’s the ideal version of this place.
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