Let’s say you want to know which famous Canadian poet lived in the Waverley Hotel for seven years, constantly changing rooms in fear of RCMP bugs. Or you live at 44 Walmer and want to know what on earth they were thinking with those balconies. Or you want to know what’s behind (or underneath!) that giant O hanging over Harbord at Spadina. These things were troubling us, too, so we assembled East/West: A Guide to Where People Live in Downtown Toronto.

East/West is a guided tour of old stories and fresh perspectives on the architecture and planning of housing and urban development in central Toronto – including both success stories and perennial problems. With specially prepared maps and over 120 photos, and essays – written by 65 of our best architects, historians and planners – exploring the history and development of neighbourhoods and of the individual buildings within them, East/West is a portrait of Toronto like no other.

East/West is not your average city guide. It’ll take you down alleyways you’ve never heard of, show you buildings you’ve never seen, offer you that bit of history you’ve never been able to access. It tells you how Toronto has tried to house the homeless over the years, how the waterfront evolved (or devolved, depending on how you look at it), and the character of different neighbourhoods has changed. FromAnnex abodes to Rosedale residences, this book will introduce you to a Toronto you only thought you knew.