This iconic Toronto street was named a ‘must walk’ in new global list

For those of us who live in Toronto, odds are you’ve walked at least a stretch of Yonge Street, whether it’s weaving through crowds to check off some last-minute holiday shopping or heading down to catch a game or concert.

For many, navigating the long street is just a part of everyday life in the city, but the artery is now getting some global recognition as one of the best places in the world for a stroll.

U.K.-based paper The Telegraph named Yonge Street as one of the 20 streets you must walk in your lifetime earlier this month.

The list, which was put together by destination expert Chris Moss, specifically highlights streets that offer a “combination of open-air museums, with a handy supply of bars or cafés, restaurants or rest areas to make the experience of walking (or riding) joyous and memorable.”

The 20 destinations were listed in no particular order, and Yonge Street was the only Canadian street to make the cut.

“Considered the main street of Canada’s biggest city, Yonge runs north from Lake Ontario for more than 50 miles, though it was once misleadingly claimed that it segued into Highway 11 and was the ‘world’s longest street,’” Moss writes.

“Still, it’s quite a whopper and has plenty of shops, entertainment and cultural sites, and passes landmarks like Sankofa (formerly Yonge-Dundas) Square, the Hockey Hall of Fame and plenty of civic buildings. Part of Toronto’s oldest, and busiest subway line runs along a long section, and is a great way to combine walks and rides.”

As Moss points out, and despite its reputation, Yonge Street isn’t actually the longest in the world, although it was once listed as such in the Guinness Book of World Records, which combined it with Ontario’s Highway 11.

These are the best streets in the world for a stroll, according to the list.

• Philosopher’s Path, Kyoto
• Strand, London
• George Street, Sydney
• Registan, Samarkand
• Stroget, Copenhagen
• Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires
• Zhongshan Road, Shanghai
• Eixo Monumental, Brasilia
• Straight Street, Damascus
• Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles
• Yonge Street, Toronto
• Champs-Élysées, Paris
• Avenida Atlântica, Rio de Janeiro
• Khao San Road, Bangkok
• Broadway, New York
• Unter den Linden, Berlin
• Gran Via, Madrid
• Malecón, Havana
• Avenida Norte, Antigua, Guatemala
• Ebenezer Place, Wick

Originally published on blogTO.

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