Looking southeast towards the corner of Yonge St and Dundas Sq in the Downtown Yonge area of Toronto.
The archive photo shows Friar’s Tavern and Nickelodeon sharing the building. Opening in 1963, Friar’s featured jazz music during its first year. In that short time as a jazz venue, some notable performers at the tavern included Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk, as well as Canada’s own Oscar Peterson. Friar’s Tavern closed in 1976, and even though it was short-lived, the venue played a legendary part in Toronto’s music history.
The 3-storey building was constructed in 1918 for the American restaurant chain Child’s Restaurants. Today, the building is home to a Shopper’s Drug Mart, and Friar’s Music Museum can be found on the second floor.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
