Eaton Centre, Toronto

2 more images

Opened in 1977 the Eaton centre shopping complex is situated in the heart of downtown Toronto,it is the largest shopping mall in eastern Canada and 3rd largest in the country.There are 230 stores and services operating on 5 floors than occupy 1,722,000 sq ft.It recieves over 1 million visitors every week.The architect was Eberhand Zeider.
Opening hours-mon to fri-10.00am till 9.00pm
sat-9.30am till 7.00pm
sun-11.00am till 6.00pm

What to buy: Everything from clothes,electronics,toys,books,dvds,hardware to furniture,decorations,sports goods etc.

What to pay: Depends on item

1 more image

The Toronto Eaton Center can be accessed via the Yonge subway line. Get off at either the Queen or Dundas station.

Both stops will put you actually inside the mall. I usually choose Dundas simply because I am usually aiming for Sephora and/or H&M both are at this end.

There is pretty much anything, everything and every store you can think of in this mall including two large department stores The Bay (Queen St. end) and Sears (Dundas).

The Timothy Eaton Company started not long after our confederation. The mail order catalogue (referred to as the “Homesteaders Bible”) was a huge hit in 1884 when the first one was handed out at a farmer’s exhibition. Due to widespread population mail orders came pouring in and The T. Eaton Company had stumbled upon a great business venture and help shaped Canadian pioneer life.

The last Eaton's store closed its doors on Feb. 26, 2002 and I still miss this national institution!

What to buy: If you can't find SOMETHING in this place you don't need to be shopping!

What to pay: At times very expensive, but if the sales are on....... woooooo hooooo!

4 more images

The Eaton Centre is a Galleria type place with a high domed glass ceiling and several levels of shops around a central area. In the area enclosed by the dome there is an ariel sculpture of Candian geese flying the length of the centre. (using the British Canadian spelling for center)

I found that when I went down to the back end of the centre and took the elevator up that I would be on a level with the geese, and if I was quick I could get a photo of them.


HOURS
Mon-Fri 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sat 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Sun 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

What to buy: I went to the Disney store (see another tip) which is not too much different from a Disney store anywhere - not representative. I also ate dinner at the food court very cheaply.

There used to be an Eaton's in almost every shopping centre in Canada but unfortunately they went bankerupt and had to shut down all the stores. All that's left of it is the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto and it is one of the most visited attractions for tourists, as well as a popular hangout/shopping spot for Torontonians. It's a large mall with lots of great places to shop whether you're looking for clothes, shoes, books, souvenirs, food, any goods, jewelry, etc. You will find a lot of larger international brand name stores such as Banana Republic, GAP and Nine West. But I find there are even more of Canadian fashions and retailers - among some of my personal favourites: dynamtie, Jacob Connexion, Le Chateau, Smart Set, and Tristan and America.

What can I really write about the Eaton's Centre that hasn't been written a billion times in other VT users' tips? Ummm... It has some geese models hanging by wires from the ceiling?
There are over 285 shops inside. The "Info Desk" on Level 2 can help you find what you're looking for and they'll give you a free city map and brochures about other local attractions. The decorations inside the Centre during the Christmas season are fantastic!
The Centre stretches two full city blocks, attracts approximately 50 million visitors annually, and is apparently the #1 most visited tourist attractions in Toronto. Although the first Eaton Store on this location was built in 1883, most of what we now see of the six-storey glass-ceiling building was constructed in the late 1970s. The mobile flock of Canada Geese, entitled "Flight Stop", was made by Toronto-born artist Michael Snow.
You can access the Eaton Centre through the "Dundas" or "Queen" subway stations. If you are really brave, there are parking garages adjacent--personally I like the one on Dundas beside the Marriott Hotel.

3 more images

The Eaton Center is made up of 3 levels (2 of which are beneath street level) of stores that sell all kinds of merchandise like any major mall. It appears to be the city's epicenter for shopping.

What to buy: If you wish to buy souvenirs, DON'T buy them in Eaton! To get these items for about 40% less than prices in Eaton stores, just walk north on Yonge St. and you'll see many small stores nearby that sell shirts, keychains, postcards, etc.

This mall was nice. I was surprised though they only had one department store( Sears). Here in NJ ( and Pennsylvania area), malls have at least 4 major stores even in much smaller malls.

What to buy: I just bought a small Canadian flag because i collect flags when i travel.

What to pay: Currently the US dollar is about 93 cents compared to CAN$

2 more images

The Eaton Centre is Toronto's largest shopping complex and has three levels of shops and restaurants. Don't expect to find any small boutiques or unique experiences here, as the mall is filled with name brand (primarily American) retailers and food outlets. One of the unique aspects of the Eaton Centre is of course that it has been declared a tourist attraction, which means that it can (legally) stay open on statutory holidays. That used to be a big draw, although now more and more stores are simply ignoring the law, making th Eaton Centre a little less of an attraction. Nevertheless, it has a currency exchange on the bottom level, connection to two subway stops (Queen and Dundas) and its flag ship store, Sears, has more high-end merchandise than the usual Sears stores. The Eaton Centre also features an attached Mariott and a Bally's Fitness Centre.

What to buy: You can find pretty much anything here, like:
Clothing (Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle, Zara)
Department Stores (Sears, the Bay)
Shoes (Aldo, Shoe Company)
Phone services (Rogers, Bell)
Sports Equipment, electronics, beauty products, books, music, leather goods, stationary, toys, pharmaceuticals, etc.

What to pay: Regularly retail prices - this isn't an outlet

2 more images

I always enjoy walking through the Eaton’s Centre. The stores have stratified them themselves in layers with expensive clothes boutiques on the upper most floor, mainstream clothes and accessories on the middle floor and (more interesting) electronics and the food court on the lowest floor. The Centre is centrally located in the downtown area, so you’ll find yourself passing by the building several times whenever you venture downtown. Its location makes the center an excellent rest and rendezvous site.

For many tourists (and I pity those who actually are like this) the Eaton Centre is the primary reason for a trip to Toronto. The is the shopaholics Mecca as there are seemingly countless stores that will appeal to all ages and all bank accounts.
The Eaton Centre was designed by Eberhard Zeidler and Bregman + Hamann Architects and was meant to resemble Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II located in Milan, Italy. I have always liked this design for the top floor is very bright with sunlight. Throughout the years there have been many additions and redesigns of the mall. Probably the biggest change is the fact that there is no longer a "Eaton's" who went bankrupt twice. No loss as I thought that the store was dreary. They have also pulled down the Cineplex theatre, at one time the largest multi-screen theatre is the world. Additions have included a H&M store. There are now 330 stores in the complex and more will be added in 2006. There is also one notable piece of art that being the "Flight Stop" a sculpture by Michael Snow. It represents a flock of Canadian geese landing from the galleria ceiling and is located near the south entrance to the mall on the top floor.
Originally when the mall was opened back in 1977, The Eaton Centre had three shopping levels where the most expensive stores, like Harry Rosen, were located on the top floor while the cheapest places where located on the bottom floor. Today these remains the plan however I have noticed that the result of this is that the bottom floor is full of teenagers while the top floor sees little pedestrian traffic. Another problem I have with the mall is the fact that in recent years the south entrance off of Queen as become the focal point of assorted riffraff, panhandling, cruising for sex and selling drugs.

What to buy: Indigo Books is a very good bookstore, similar to Barnes and Nobles. All the other usual chains that you might find in malls from California to Poland are here. Uniquely Canadian is Harry Rosen, which is a men's clothing store. The mall is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturday from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM