"We're incredibly excited to be a part of a street with such a rich history of community," Simon Blackwell told INsauga just before Blackbird Baking Co. opened on Markham Street. "The decision to join this development at this particular moment was intentional."

Blackbird opened on September 1 in a Victorian house built around 1885 that had once been Anne Mirvish's sculpture studio. A few doors down, at 600 Markham, Book Bar keeps its lights on until 1 a.m. three nights a week. Across the street, Pizzeria Badiali is selling slices in the old Victory Cafe building. Walk the whole block in late October and one pattern stands out. The parts of Mirvish Village that feel finished sit in the street's old fabric and are run by small operators. The large, purpose-built pieces are still behind "Coming Soon" signs.

The house that held a sculpture studio

According to INsauga, Blackbird's fourth location at 610 Markham Street is a two-storey, 1,900-square-foot café bakery with seating for 16. Founders Simon and Kelsey Blackwell started the business in 2011, and it has since grown to four locations, including a recently opened stall at St. Lawrence Market.

The design comes from Toronto firm WandaEly Architect working with Duffy + Associates, and it draws on London, where Simon cooked at The River Café. The warm oak millwork is by Make Nice Project. The stair to the second floor runs past oak panels carved with a field of wheat, made with local designer Joshua Pong.

This is also the first Blackbird with a coffee program. The espresso and brewed coffee come from De Mello Coffee, the tea from Genuine Tea Co., and the hot chocolate from Soul Chocolate, along with specialty lattes and fresh juices. A bakery known for taking bread home has opened its first place where you can sit down with a cup. The listed hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

A bookstore that keeps bar hours

Book Bar at 600 Markham Street opened to the public on June 27. Toronto Life reported that friends Tom Freeman and Robin Storfer founded it, pairing books with light food, wine and cocktails. Mirvish Village lists it as an independent bookstore that also pours coffee.

Its hours set it apart on this block. Book Bar opens at 10 a.m. every day. It closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and at 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Blackbird closes at 6 p.m. and Badiali at 10 p.m., so on weekend nights Book Bar is the last door open on the new Markham Street. This is a Thursday, so the 1 a.m. closing starts today.

The old Victory Cafe, still serving

Pizzeria Badiali's second location opened on May 11 at 581 Markham Street, in the building that housed the Victory Cafe. Streets of Toronto described it as an added location, and the original shop stayed open. Toronto Life reported that co-owners Nick Halligan, Owen Walker and Ryan Baddeley serve the flagship's pizzas here, plus a grandma-style pie you can only get at this location. It is open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

All three of these openings come from operators who already had a following. Blackbird and Badiali are known Toronto names adding locations, and both took heritage buildings with a history on this street. Book Bar is a new independent, and it gave the street something it lacked, a reason to stay out after dinner.

The street between them

The block itself is new. Streets of Toronto described Markham Street as a pedestrian-priority shared street with pavers, raised planters and restored heritage storefronts. UrbanToronto reported in July that Honest Ed's Park had opened as a City-owned green space on Markham. Its garden rooms, seating, bird-bath fountain and paths link the street to the pedestrian mews behind it.

The park and the shared street are what make the three anchors work as a single walk. You can carry coffee from Blackbird to a bench in the park, and the mews lead back toward the alley.

The alley, filling one unit at a time

Honest Ed's Alley runs off Lennox Street between Markham and Bathurst. Mirvish Village describes it as an incubator lane for small independent retailers. In June, Retail Insider counted about 25 micro-retail units there.

Its first public day was the Alley Bazaar on Saturday, October 17. The free market ran from noon to 6 p.m. with more than 20 vintage and artisan vendors, and Bazaar Gift Shop held its grand opening the same day. Bazaar Gift Shop is at 30 Lennox Street and sells gifts, art, jewelry, candles, stationery, home décor and vintage goods. It is open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Good N' Fast Cleaners shares that address and is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The rest of the alley is still listed as coming:

• Soleya Teas, a tea and matcha shop at 30 Lennox Street, is marked "Opening Soon."
• Batch Cookies is marked "Coming Soon." Its own site says it is "returning fall 2026."
• The Alley Flea Market, for vintage clothing, handmade goods, collectibles and art, is marked "Opening Soon" with no date.

The big pieces still waiting

Markham Street has its own list of signs still up. Pasta Basta, a Roman-style pasta bar at 595 Markham Street, set a target of "Summer 2026." That season has passed, and its website still reads "Coming Soon." Cremma, a coffee and gelato shop, is listed as coming to Markham Street without a date.

The Kitchen is the largest piece. In June, Retail Insider described it as a 19,000-square-foot food hall, bar and live-music and event venue, with Kitchen Hub running the food side and about 13 restaurant vendors expected. That report said commercial openings were expected over the summer. Today, Mirvish Village's own dining directory does not list The Kitchen as open.

This is the contrast the thesis rests on. The places serving customers now are a bakery in a 140-year-old house, a pizzeria in a former café, a bookstore, and a handful of small alley units. The venue built to be the development's main draw is the one still waiting.

What's open, and when

Because of those hours, a weekday visit and a weekend visit look different. On a weekday, you can drop shirts at Good N' Fast in the morning and pick up bread at Blackbird before 6 p.m. Badiali covers dinner, and Book Bar stays open after the street goes quiet. On a weekend, the order shifts:

1. Get to Blackbird early, before the 16 seats fill up.
2. Take the mews over to Honest Ed's Park.
3. Walk through the alley once Bazaar Gift Shop opens at noon.
4. Have a slice at Badiali.
5. Finish at Book Bar, which on Friday and Saturday doesn't close until 1 a.m.

Mirvish Village's events calendar has no November or December dates posted yet.

At Andy Taylor, we follow how a street like Markham changes as its old storefronts fill one by one, and what that means for the Annex homes around it. If you own nearby and want to talk about how this block's return affects your own plans, request a private consultation.