Yonge Street, Toronto

Yonge Street was one of the original streets built by Toronto's founder Governor John Simcoe at the end of the 18th c. Running north to south it is now the city's primary thoroughfare and stays busy day and night. The 2.5km / 1.5mi section between Bloor St. (north) and the main railway station (south) is a sort of microcosm of the city as a whole, epitomizing its dynamism and the unceasing cycle of renewal. Yesterday's "small town" shops and businesses housed in modest old-fashioned premises have today given way to the glitzy shop fronts of the latest in fashionable boutiques, each intent on seducing eager shoppers with plenty of money to spend. A huge and immensely varied selection of food and entertainment is available along Yonge St., ranging from the most luxurious of restaurants to the seediest of dives.