The Annex

The Annex is mainly residential, and streets are lined with tall trees dwarfing the large Victorian and Edwardian houses, most of them built between 1880 and the early 1900s. Next to University of Toronto's St. George Campus, The Annex is a lively area that draws students to its casual eateries, indie bookshops, bars and cafes on Bloor Street West.   Over 500 buildings in the Annex are protected by the Toronto Historical Board.
 
Prior to the 17th century, the area would have been inhabited by First Nations people including the Mississaugas, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. Spadina Road, derives its name from the Anishinaabe word, "Ishpadinaa", meaning "going up the hill."