Once one of Toronto's finest neighbourhoods with grand Victorian homes and streets that led to Lake Ontario, Parkdale fell on hard times after the Gardiner Expressway was built in the 1950s, cutting it off from the water. As go many urban stories, hard times for a neighbourhood means a haven for artists and musicians. Today Parkdale is one of Toronto's most creative neighbourhoods and Queen, its main drag, is home to bars that range from slick hipster to dive. With a population that includes high and low incomes, professionals and many New Canadians, Parkdale has become one of Toronto's most talked about neighbourhoods.