Yorkville and the Coffee Houses
Without a liquor license, they were permitted to stay open well into the night and accompany the crowd who lived in the area, late night arrivals from people stumbling out of the bar and the "weekenders" who came to be a part of the scene and see for themselves what these hippies were all about.
Coffee houses generally first began in England in the 17th century, where people gathered for debates over the namesake drink that had recently just arrived on the continent. Coffee houses as pillars of the bohemian and hippie community began for the first time in New York City.
In Toronto, these venues differed from the rowdy rock n' roll clubs of Yonge Street in that they did not serve alcohol or even have the licenses to do so. These were cozy places where people gathered to discuss the constantly evolving times of the 1960s or to just hang out and hear the artist or band on stage. The twenty or so coffee houses that existed throughout the sixties were an essential part of Toronto's music culture and allowed bands and artists to gain exposure and reach stardom.
