Parkdale was once an independent and exclusive village just outside of Toronto, founded in the 1850s. It was amalgamated into Toronto by 1889. With its proximity to the lakeshore and to High Park—lending itself to the neighbourhood’s name—Parkdale had an enviable location. The character of the neighbourhood changed through the construction of the Gardiner Expressway in 1955, and re-orientation of Lakeshore Boulevard, which resulted in the demolition of Parkdale’s major attraction, Sunnyside Amusement Park. With an ensuing construction boom that saw numerous blocks of homes replaced with apartment buildings and rooming houses, the demographic composition of the Parkdale community was significantly altered, as lower-income and newcomer families moved into the area.

Source: The Culture Trip