When I say Yorkville, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Hippies? Free love? Psychedelic rock? Unlikely these days. Now the area is a high end shopping haven.

Home to the "Mink Mile," the neighbourhood is home to some of the most expensive retail space in North America, but this was not always the case.

In the 1960s, Yorkville was not a hub for the extravagant shopper, but a sanctuary for the counterculture movement in Canada - an equivalent to New York's Greenwich Village.

The Village of Yorkville was established in 1830 by Joseph Bloore and William Jarvis as a suburban retreat. In 1883 the village was annexed by the city of Toronto and continued for the next 80 years as a quaint residential neighbourhood lined with Victorian-style homes.

But by the 1960s, Yorkville had transformed into the nucleus of hippie culture.

The cheap cost of rent in Yorkville led many German and English immigrants to buy property in the area. The charming, but often neglected Victorian homes were converted into coffee houses.

At the time, the drinking age in Ontario was 21, and these venues provided an alternative gathering space for Toronto's young, hip crowd.

Image via York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC00590

The 60s were a vibrant era in Toronto's history. The spirit of revolution was celebrated through nonconformity, creativity, drug and sexual exploration. Yorkville was at the heart of it all.

By the late 60s a network of up to 40 clubs and coffee houses dotted the Yorkville scene. Talent was expressed in all forms; poetry readings, art showings, fashion boutiques, and above all, live music. People from all over North America traveled to experience the bustle of the neighbourhood.

Lineup for the Riverboat Coffee House. 

The most iconic club during this era was the Riverboat Coffeehouse at 134 Yorkville. The decor included red booths, pine walls and brass portholes.

Located below street level, it seated a cozy 120 patrons, creating an intimate setting in which to discover the up and coming names in folk and psychedelic rock: Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, and Neil Young.

Gordon Lightfoot soaks up the Yorkville scene in the 1960s. 

These names would become legends. The venue also brought in international acts such as Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and Tom Rush (to name just a few).

The Penny Farthing in the 1960s. Photo via York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC00600

Every coffee house had something different. The Penny Farthing had waitresses in bikini tops while the Mynah Bird had glass encased Go-Go Dancers and featured the now infamous Rick James. Over at the Purple Onion, you might catch a performance by Buffy Sainte-Marie or Carly Simon.

Yorkville Avenue in the 1960s. Photo via York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC00613.

Yorkville was the place to be in the 1960s and crowds jammed the neighbourhood. Club lineups would spill out on to the sidewalks and swing around the block while cars clogged the streets. In response to the increase of vehicles and threat to pedestrian safety, locals took action.

Yorkville activism in the 196os. Photo via York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC00615.

In May of 1967 a "love-in" was held at Queen's Park in support of shutting down traffic on Yorkville Avenue. Over 4,000 people attended. In August, peaceful protesters went one step further and organized a sit-in on Yorkville Avenue resulting in the arrest of 50 participants for traffic disruption.

Police presence increased - perhaps mainly in response to Ontario MPP Syl Apps' accusation that Yorkville was a "festering sore in the middle of the city." Soon a paddy wagon was parked in the neighbourhood on the weekends and a 10 p.m. curfew was enforced for those under 18.

Regulations arise in Yorkville. Photo via York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC00640

And so began the quick decent of the hippie revolution in Yorkville. By the following summer biker gangs had moved into the neighbourhood selling drugs, and reports of an outbreak of "hippie hepatitis" prompted the opening of vaccine stations on the sidewalks.

As a result, many locals left the area.

Not long after, the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway increased land values, and major brands replaced local shops. Within the blink of an eye, Yorkville transitioned into the retail hub we know today.

York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC00589.

The next time you find yourself in Yorkville staring at the window displays of another flagship store, make sure to pause.

Remember that this was once the mecca of beatnik culture, where some of the most unconventional ideas, sensational nights and greatest musicians once got their start. May the spirit of the 60s live on.