The area we now know as Parkdale, was a 240 acre gift to James Brock in 1812. Parkdale Village was incorporated in 1879, only to be annexed (controversially) by the City of Toronto ten years later. From 1911-1922 the Toronto Harbour Commission worked on "improving" the waterfront in the Parkdale region by adding a boardwalk, the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, and Sunnyside Amusement Park.

In the 1950's, construction of the Gardiner Expressway lead to a substantial change in the neighbourhood's demographics, causing this once relatively affluent area's transition to a more working class neighborhood. In recent years gentrification has engulfed the area as its residents struggle to salvage the diversity and inclusivity Parkdale has come to be known for.