Toronto is one of the best cities in the world when it comes to street art! With eclectic murals and vibrant graffiti sprawled across the city, Toronto’s unconventional art sites are prime attractions for locals and tourists alike.
To help you navigate you through the city’s alternative art world, here are some of the best places to see street art in the city.
Graffiti Alley
Tourists travel from across the globe to check out this three-block, 1-km stretch of alleyway on Rush Lane that’s filled with gorgeous graffiti. Seriously, it’s like an open-air art gallery. Stroll between Spadina Ave and Portland St, just south of Queen West in the Fashion District, and you’ll encounter colorful murals, graffiti tags, and ever-changing pieces, including Allan Ryan’s famous Yellow Bird murals, Elicser Elliott’s portrait art (look for murals of people mixed with dreamy elements), and Kwest’s 3D graffiti, inspired by sculptural/geometric shapes. Lonely Planet once called this alleyway the most popular place to check out street art in Toronto, so it should be one of the first places on your bucket list for cool Insta snaps.
The West Toronto Railpath
The Railpath sprawls through the Junction Triangle neighborhood and is known as a “constantly evolving canvas” for all types of art (as well as an inspiration for artists). Key artworks to look out for include Frontier by John Dickson — these four large sculptures are inspired by the changing landscape of the area, evoking the industrial history of the site. Each sculpture is between five and six metres high and has perforated galvanized steel surfaces (creating a flickering effect when viewed from the Railpath). Keep strolling along the path and you’ll find a few buildings filled with colorful murals that reflect the neighborhood’s spirit — this is part of the city’s “Create Your Path” initiative with StreetARToronto (StART) to make the pathway more welcoming. The Dundas West/Dupont Underpass mural (by artists Bacon and Que Rockford) is an iconic mix of Indigenous, abstract, and graffiti art. Check out the Wallace Lofts mural (371 Wallace Ave) painted by members of Toronto’s infamous Buck Teeth Girls Club, and you can’t miss Gradation — this mural by artist Lynnette Postuma covers 12,000 square feet of a building along the trail! Postuma painted 14,508 cinder blocks in variations of blue and green to better integrate the building into its landscape.
Underpass Park
This park (under the Eastern Avenue overpass in the West Don Lands) was previously a run-down area that has been transformed into an art-filled community space. Everything from the pillars and walls is now covered in vibrant murals. Look out for portrait murals by Troy Lovegates and Labrona (featuring portraits of local east-end residents) and Mirage — a permanent installation by Paul Raff Studio — featuring 57 reflective polished stainless-steel panels suspended from the underside of the overpass. 29 Lower River St.
The Bentway
This space, nestled under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway, offers year-round artistic, cultural, and recreational activities and events, including murals and public art installations that explore the changing landscape of Toronto. The most recent live project was more unconventional art than street art (but still super cool) — Dominoes, by Station House Opera, featured 8,000 human-sized dominoes spread across a 2.5 km route throughout downtown neighbourhoods!
The Ossington Strip
Stroll between Queen St W and Dundas St W and you’ll discover some of the most beautiful murals and graffiti pieces in the city! The street graffiti transformed this former industrial district into a trendy neighborhood. Look out for Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” mural situated next to Boehmer restaurant, and the large “Jimmys” mural sprawled alongside the building of Jimmy’s Coffee, featuring portraits of famous Jimmys (like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page).
