University Avenue is one of the main north/south roads in downtown Toronto. It begins at Front Street near Union Station and first heads northwest. At King Street the avenue turns to head due north. At Adelaide the avenue divides slightly leaving room for a band of greenery and sculptures between the north and southbound lanes.

The avenue ends at College Street where it splits into Queens Park Crescent East and Queens Park Crescent West. Just to the north of this division is Queen's Park the home of the Ontario Legislature. The building creates a terminating vista for those looking north along university. The site of the legislature was originally home to the main building of the University of Toronto, and this is the origin of the avenue's name. Today the university surrounds the legislature, but no university buildings are actually on University Avenue.

While Yonge Street is the emotional heart of the city and Bay Street the financial hub, University Avenue is arguably Toronto's most prestigious thoroughfare. The wide boulevard is unusual in Canadian cities, being a six-lane (or wider) divided principal arterial road. The speed limit for the most part is 60 km/h (35 mph), which is also unusual for a downtown surface street in Canada.

The northernmost part of the street is dominated by a series of hospitals. These include the Toronto General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, and the Hospital for Sick Children. The intersection of University and College is also home to the headquarters of Ontario Power Generation.

The rest of the street is home to a variety of corporate offices and provincial government buildings. Historically, this imposing marble and concrete facade has met with mixed reviews. Noted Canadian author and historian Pierre Berton commented that University Avenue "was rendered antiseptic by the presence of hospitals and insurance offices...the pristine display of wall-to-wall concrete that ran from Front Street to Queen's Park." The bunker-like United States consulate adds little to the stark scenery, though occasional protests do add colour.

University Avenue has matured and mellowed somewhat since Berton's bleak observation. Restaurants now dot the southern end of University Avenue. Currently under construction at University and Queen Street is the Four Seasons Centre that will be the new home of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. Osgoode Hall presents stately architecture and a welcome green space. During the holiday season, festive lights illuminate the trees and shrubs of the boulevard.

A portion of the Yonge-University-Spadina Line runs the length of University Avenue.

References

• Berton, Pierre (1995). My Times: Living with history 1947-1995. Toronto: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-25528-4