Downtown Burlington

History:

Downtown Burlington was first settled in 1798 by Joseph Brant a First Nations chief who owned 3450 acres of land overlooking Burlington Bay. Brant’s prominent log home was situated where the Joseph Brant Hospital is located today. When Brant passed away in 1807 his estate sold a part of his land to his friend James Gage who laid out a townsite for what would eventually become known as downtown Burlington. By 1873 Burlington had enough citizens to incorporate as a village. It was at this time that the official name of the community was changed from Wellington Square to Burlington. Burlington prospered as a largely agricultural community and was recognized as one of the finest fruit growing districts in Ontario. Burlington’s prosperity led to its incorporation as a town in 1914. In 1964 the new civic centre was built. It was renovated and expanded in 1986 ushering in a new chapter in the growth of this vibrant and historic neighbourhood.

Overview:

Downtown Burlington is best known for its magnificent waterfront that is accessible for all residents to enjoy and includes Brant Street Pier, Spencer Smith Park, Discovery Landing and Dofasco water jet and playground. This neighbourhood is vibrant and alive with a performing arts centre, an art gallery, a nice mix of shops and restaurants and a central park brimming with recreational activities. This is where Burlington City Hall and municipal offices are located. Downtown Burlington is currently experiencing a building boom with a number of new waterfront condominium buildings having recently been built or currently under construction.

Lifestyle:

Downtown Burlington has a vibrant shopping district off Brant Street running north off Lakeshore Road. The streets are gentrified with pretty flower baskets and the stores are quaint and welcoming with a variety of curio shops and boutiques together with an excellent selection of coffee shops, cafes and restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisines.

Homes:

This is one of the busiest neighbourhoods in the GTA when it comes to new condo construction with a dozen or more boutique and mid-rise condominium buildings having recently been built or under construction. Many of these buildings are prominently located along the Burlington waterfront with views of Lake Ontario. There are also enclaves of newer townhomes throughout the downtown core. Downtown Burlington’s older housing stock features some magnificent Victorian homes from the late 1800s as well as a nice mix of Edwardian, Tudor, Colonial and Arts and Crafts style houses from the 1920s, 30s and 40s

Recreation:

Central Park is situated at 2299 New Street. This park has it all. Activities for every age group. Simply put one of the best parks in the GTA. Included among the myriad of amenities are a central library, sports fields, baseball diamond, Burlington Lawn Bowling Club, Burlington Seniors’ Centre, Burlington Tennis Club, Music and Drama Centre, Central Arena, Rotary Youth Centre and the Central Park Bandshell. Other features in the park include the Central Park community garden and Rotary Memorial Forest. The Roy Edwards YMCA situated adjacent to Central Park off Drury Lane is a highly regarded and popular community hub with a gymnasium, excellent fitness facility and an indoor pool.

Arts:

The Art Gallery of Burlington is located at 1333 Lakeshore Road in the heart of Burlington’s downtown waterfront. This contemporary gallery is a multi-faceted centre that is the home base for seven different artists guilds operating within the City of Burlington. The AGB also provides studio space for local artists, as well as hosting a myriad of exhibitions, lectures and events and running school programs. The AGB is especially known for its ceramic collection. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is a city landmark and source of civic pride. This landmark centre occupies a high profile position in the downtown core at the corner of Locust and Elgin Streets. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is comprised of two theatres; the larger Main Theatre has world-class acoustics and an orchestra pit. It is ideal for theatrical and musical performances and seats 718 people. The more intimate Community Theatre is ideal for smaller scale productions. It seats 225 people.