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Mapping 11 of Toronto's Most Iconic Signs

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With the news that the much-missed Sam the Record Man sign will soon shine down on Yonge Street again, Curbed Toronto takes a look at some other iconic signs from around the city. Are there any we've missed? Feel free to weigh in with your own favourites.


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Honest Ed's

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Its 23,000 flashing lightbulbs have been cheesily illuminating the corner of Bloor and Bathurst for nearly thirty years, but maybe not for much longer. Last year, Vancouver developer Westbank bought the building and the block Honest Ed's sits on; no word yet on their plans for the site, but it's probably safe to say the sign's not going to stick around.

Club Zanzibar

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One of Toronto's few remaining peeler bars, the Zanzibar's hot-pink neon still lures in frat boys and stag-partygoers desperate to chug outrageously-priced beer while watching naked ladies.

El Mocambo

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The El Mocambo's neon palm tree was installed in 1946. The club itself has had a rocky time of it in the last couple of decades, changing hands like a bad penny, but it always manages to survive. It's on the market again, after the most recent sale fell through.

CHUM sign

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CHUM's AM and FM radio stations broadcasted the latest hits to generations of Torontonians. When the parent company closed CHUM's Yonge Street studio in Midtown, the familiar neon sign was dismantled and eventually installed on the Bell Media building in the Entertainment District.

Square Boy

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Serving up souvlaki and square burgers since the 60s, the Square Boy sign perfectly captures their food-design esthetic (their slogan: "four more bites"). It gets consistently good reviews, too, which is always nice for a classic diner.

Filmore's

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Second in our strip-club offerings. Filmores (note the missing apostrophe) sits at the bend of Dundas Street East, close to Sherbourne, and its seediness is legendary. Interestingly, its hotel half has a five-star rating on Yelp.

Massey Hall

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Massey Hall's glowing red neon sign shines down on Shuter Street. It isn't the biggest on this list, but it hangs in front of the most historic concert venue in town. The sign's been in place since at least the 70s.

The Senator

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The Senator is the oldest continuously-operating restaurant in Toronto. Is it a diner? An elegant dining establishment? It's been both, plus a jazz club. Their neon sign is a cozy Victoria Street icon.

Fairmont Royal York

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The "Fairmont Royal York" sign was added to the Royal York Hotel's rooftop back in 2003, replacing the original script-y "Royal York" neon. Its red glow is a familiar sight to travellers on the Gardiner, but there may be another name change in the works if rumours of the hotel being put up for sale are true.

Gio Rana's (The Nose)

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The Nose! It's moved from the east end (the Beach) to midtown (Yonge Street) and now looks down itself at the corner of Queen and Leslie; Gio's was one of the restaurants that launched Leslieville's renewal.

Sam the Record Man

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No list of iconic Toronto signs is complete without mentioning the spinning neon discs of the late, lamented Sam the Record Man sign. When the store closed and Ryerson University took over the property, they promised to install the sign on their new building. That promise fell through, though, and the sign languished in storage. Word's now out that the discs will spin again; the sign's to be installed next year on top of a building near Yonge and Dundas streets.

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Honest Ed's

Its 23,000 flashing lightbulbs have been cheesily illuminating the corner of Bloor and Bathurst for nearly thirty years, but maybe not for much longer. Last year, Vancouver developer Westbank bought the building and the block Honest Ed's sits on; no word yet on their plans for the site, but it's probably safe to say the sign's not going to stick around.

Club Zanzibar

One of Toronto's few remaining peeler bars, the Zanzibar's hot-pink neon still lures in frat boys and stag-partygoers desperate to chug outrageously-priced beer while watching naked ladies.

El Mocambo

The El Mocambo's neon palm tree was installed in 1946. The club itself has had a rocky time of it in the last couple of decades, changing hands like a bad penny, but it always manages to survive. It's on the market again, after the most recent sale fell through.

CHUM sign

CHUM's AM and FM radio stations broadcasted the latest hits to generations of Torontonians. When the parent company closed CHUM's Yonge Street studio in Midtown, the familiar neon sign was dismantled and eventually installed on the Bell Media building in the Entertainment District.

Square Boy

Serving up souvlaki and square burgers since the 60s, the Square Boy sign perfectly captures their food-design esthetic (their slogan: "four more bites"). It gets consistently good reviews, too, which is always nice for a classic diner.

Filmore's

Second in our strip-club offerings. Filmores (note the missing apostrophe) sits at the bend of Dundas Street East, close to Sherbourne, and its seediness is legendary. Interestingly, its hotel half has a five-star rating on Yelp.

Massey Hall

Massey Hall's glowing red neon sign shines down on Shuter Street. It isn't the biggest on this list, but it hangs in front of the most historic concert venue in town. The sign's been in place since at least the 70s.

The Senator

The Senator is the oldest continuously-operating restaurant in Toronto. Is it a diner? An elegant dining establishment? It's been both, plus a jazz club. Their neon sign is a cozy Victoria Street icon.

Fairmont Royal York

The "Fairmont Royal York" sign was added to the Royal York Hotel's rooftop back in 2003, replacing the original script-y "Royal York" neon. Its red glow is a familiar sight to travellers on the Gardiner, but there may be another name change in the works if rumours of the hotel being put up for sale are true.

Gio Rana's (The Nose)

The Nose! It's moved from the east end (the Beach) to midtown (Yonge Street) and now looks down itself at the corner of Queen and Leslie; Gio's was one of the restaurants that launched Leslieville's renewal.

Sam the Record Man

No list of iconic Toronto signs is complete without mentioning the spinning neon discs of the late, lamented Sam the Record Man sign. When the store closed and Ryerson University took over the property, they promised to install the sign on their new building. That promise fell through, though, and the sign languished in storage. Word's now out that the discs will spin again; the sign's to be installed next year on top of a building near Yonge and Dundas streets.