Drake Hotel (Toronto)
Encyclopedia
The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
near Parkdale
, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway
hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
In 1949, the hotel was acquired by new owners, who expanded the building and renamed it the Drake. The hotel eventually fell on hard times, along with its neighbourhood. In the 1970s, it fell into use as a flophouse like many hotels in American cities. Other uses in the in the 1980s, and 1990s include a punk
bar, and rave
den.
In 2001, the hotel was purchased by Jeff Stober, who renovated the hotel with the goal of turning it into a bohemian
arts and culture mecca in the midst of the city's recently revived gallery district. After renovations were completed the Drake re-opened in 2004. The hotel has subsequently become one of Toronto's most talked-about nightclubs and arts venues, as well as a popular accommodation for out-of-town visitors. The hotel contains nineteen rooms including an upstairs lounge, a dining room, a cafe, a roof top patio named the Sky Yard, and a music bar called The Drake Underground - home to William New's Elvis Mondays.
Drake also boasts a corner café which at night becomes a bistro. The café is the daytime venue for breakfast and lunch.
Drake's head chef is Anthony Rose, a prominent chef in Toronto.
The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
near Parkdale
, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway
hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
In 1949, the hotel was acquired by new owners, who expanded the building and renamed it the Drake. The hotel eventually fell on hard times, along with its neighbourhood. In the 1970s, it fell into use as a flophouse like many hotels in American cities. Other uses in the in the 1980s, and 1990s include a punk
bar, and rave
den.
In 2001, the hotel was purchased by Jeff Stober, who renovated the hotel with the goal of turning it into a bohemian
arts and culture mecca in the midst of the city's recently revived gallery district. After renovations were completed the Drake re-opened in 2004. The hotel has subsequently become one of Toronto's most talked-about nightclubs and arts venues, as well as a popular accommodation for out-of-town visitors. The hotel contains nineteen rooms including an upstairs lounge, a dining room, a cafe, a roof top patio named the Sky Yard, and a music bar called The Drake Underground - home to William New's Elvis Mondays.
Drake also boasts a corner café which at night becomes a bistro. The café is the daytime venue for breakfast and lunch.
Drake's head chef is Anthony Rose, a prominent chef in Toronto.
The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
near Parkdale
, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway
hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
In 1949, the hotel was acquired by new owners, who expanded the building and renamed it the Drake. The hotel eventually fell on hard times, along with its neighbourhood. In the 1970s, it fell into use as a flophouse like many hotels in American cities. Other uses in the in the 1980s, and 1990s include a punk
bar, and rave
den.
In 2001, the hotel was purchased by Jeff Stober, who renovated the hotel with the goal of turning it into a bohemian
arts and culture mecca in the midst of the city's recently revived gallery district. After renovations were completed the Drake re-opened in 2004. The hotel has subsequently become one of Toronto's most talked-about nightclubs and arts venues, as well as a popular accommodation for out-of-town visitors. The hotel contains nineteen rooms including an upstairs lounge, a dining room, a cafe, a roof top patio named the Sky Yard, and a music bar called The Drake Underground - home to William New's Elvis Mondays.
Drake also boasts a corner café which at night becomes a bistro. The café is the daytime venue for breakfast and lunch.
Drake's head chef is Anthony Rose, a prominent chef in Toronto.
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
near Parkdale
Parkdale, Toronto
Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bounded on the west by Roncesvalles Avenue, on the north by Queen Street. It is bounded on the east by Dufferin Street from Queen Street south, and on the south by Lake Ontario...
, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
In 1949, the hotel was acquired by new owners, who expanded the building and renamed it the Drake. The hotel eventually fell on hard times, along with its neighbourhood. In the 1970s, it fell into use as a flophouse like many hotels in American cities. Other uses in the in the 1980s, and 1990s include a punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
bar, and rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
den.
In 2001, the hotel was purchased by Jeff Stober, who renovated the hotel with the goal of turning it into a bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
arts and culture mecca in the midst of the city's recently revived gallery district. After renovations were completed the Drake re-opened in 2004. The hotel has subsequently become one of Toronto's most talked-about nightclubs and arts venues, as well as a popular accommodation for out-of-town visitors. The hotel contains nineteen rooms including an upstairs lounge, a dining room, a cafe, a roof top patio named the Sky Yard, and a music bar called The Drake Underground - home to William New's Elvis Mondays.
Drake also boasts a corner café which at night becomes a bistro. The café is the daytime venue for breakfast and lunch.
Drake's head chef is Anthony Rose, a prominent chef in Toronto.
The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
near Parkdale
Parkdale, Toronto
Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bounded on the west by Roncesvalles Avenue, on the north by Queen Street. It is bounded on the east by Dufferin Street from Queen Street south, and on the south by Lake Ontario...
, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
In 1949, the hotel was acquired by new owners, who expanded the building and renamed it the Drake. The hotel eventually fell on hard times, along with its neighbourhood. In the 1970s, it fell into use as a flophouse like many hotels in American cities. Other uses in the in the 1980s, and 1990s include a punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
bar, and rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
den.
In 2001, the hotel was purchased by Jeff Stober, who renovated the hotel with the goal of turning it into a bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
arts and culture mecca in the midst of the city's recently revived gallery district. After renovations were completed the Drake re-opened in 2004. The hotel has subsequently become one of Toronto's most talked-about nightclubs and arts venues, as well as a popular accommodation for out-of-town visitors. The hotel contains nineteen rooms including an upstairs lounge, a dining room, a cafe, a roof top patio named the Sky Yard, and a music bar called The Drake Underground - home to William New's Elvis Mondays.
Drake also boasts a corner café which at night becomes a bistro. The café is the daytime venue for breakfast and lunch.
Drake's head chef is Anthony Rose, a prominent chef in Toronto.
The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
near Parkdale
Parkdale, Toronto
Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, west of downtown. The neighbourhood is bounded on the west by Roncesvalles Avenue, on the north by Queen Street. It is bounded on the east by Dufferin Street from Queen Street south, and on the south by Lake Ontario...
, was opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel". At the time, the area was a major Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
hub near what was then one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city.
In 1949, the hotel was acquired by new owners, who expanded the building and renamed it the Drake. The hotel eventually fell on hard times, along with its neighbourhood. In the 1970s, it fell into use as a flophouse like many hotels in American cities. Other uses in the in the 1980s, and 1990s include a punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
bar, and rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
den.
In 2001, the hotel was purchased by Jeff Stober, who renovated the hotel with the goal of turning it into a bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
arts and culture mecca in the midst of the city's recently revived gallery district. After renovations were completed the Drake re-opened in 2004. The hotel has subsequently become one of Toronto's most talked-about nightclubs and arts venues, as well as a popular accommodation for out-of-town visitors. The hotel contains nineteen rooms including an upstairs lounge, a dining room, a cafe, a roof top patio named the Sky Yard, and a music bar called The Drake Underground - home to William New's Elvis Mondays.
Drake also boasts a corner café which at night becomes a bistro. The café is the daytime venue for breakfast and lunch.
Drake's head chef is Anthony Rose, a prominent chef in Toronto.