High Park is the largest park within the former city of Toronto. It stretches south from Bloor Street West, west of Parkside Drive and east of Windermere Avenue. At its southern end, the park is separated from Lake Ontario by The Queensway, Lake Shore Boulevard, and the CN railway line.
Except for a small tract of land surrounding the Colborne Lodge, the park was ceded to the City of Toronto by architect, surveyor, and engineer John George Howard in 1873. Colborne Lodge was the retirement home of John and his wife, Jemima Howard.
The landscape in the park is varied, with manicured gardens in the western side, and unkempt forest in the east. Between these extremes, you can find sports fields, vegetable gardens, a small zoo, and restaurants. During weekends in the summer, the roads through the park are closed while hordes of people descend on the park.
The "Dream in High Park" hosts outdoor Shakespearean plays during the summer, which are quite popular with Torontonians.
The residential areas surrounding High Park are sometimes referred to by the same name, namely the areas directly to the east of High Park between Parkside Drive and Roncesvalles Avenue (along High Park Boulevard in particular), and the area directly north of the park (along High Park Avenue in particular).