Toronto/Kensington-Chinatown

Kensington Market and Chinatown are neighbourhoods in the western side of downtown Toronto. Kensington Market is one of the most eclectic and unique locations in the entire city. Everything from fresh food markets to restaurants and bars, vintage clothing boutiques, spice markets, and music shops are all contained in two small north-south streets and a handful of cross-streets. Chinatown, the second largest in North America after New York City, contains many Chinese and East Asian restaurants, shops and businesses. At the eastern edge of Chinatown is the acclaimed Art Gallery of Ontario. And south of these neighbourhoods is Queen St West and the Fashion District, home to both mainstream and independent shops.

Kensington Market
During the 1920s, Kensington Market was known as the Jewish Market, once a centre of Jewish life. But since then it has morphed into the centre of Toronto's bohemian scene. Visitors will be assaulted by sounds and smells unlike anywhere else in the city, as narrow streets bustle with immigrants, punks, and yuppies alike. Today, you can sense the city's rich, multicultural mix, obvious in the shops packed with goods from Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South America and Asia. A visit to Kensington is like a sensory trip around the world. It's also a treasure trove of vintage and second hand clothing shops, tucked in among eclectic restaurants and cafés.

Shopping in Kensington Market is centred along Augusta, Baldwin and Kensington as well as all along College Street. Many of the shops on Augusta tend to cater to a largely working-class clientele, with multiple shops selling tough, cheap clothing. Baldwin is focused mainly on food, with some of the finest butchers, grocers, bakers and fishmongers in the city. Kensington contains a jumble of Victorian row-houses housing second-hand clothing shops. College Street is packed with discount computer shops, particularly the closer you are to the university; further towards Bathurst Street, College becomes a centre of Latin-American restaurants and shops.

On Sundays throughout the summer the streets are shut down to motorists, and pedestrians take over the streets. There are frequently concerts, exhibitions of art (visual and performance), and occasionally political displays, which generally relate to ecology, going car-free, or anti-globalization.

Kensington Market is, first and foremost, a market: its shops are generally accepted as some of the finest in the city to purchase fresh food (especially cheese and meat), spices, vintage/thrift clothing and almost anything esoteric or exotic. Cash is often preferred by stores here, especially smaller shops. Some vendors do accept cards, but sometimes only above a minimum amount set above a single drink or snack.

The Market is also home to an eclectic art community, and there are several galleries, many of them free, offering constant shows of local talent. This is helped by proximity to OCAD (The Ontario College of Art & Design. If you see something in the sky that looks like the offspring of a crossword puzzle and a Rubik's Cube standing on pencil crayons, you're looking at OCAD.) There are no major concert venues in Kensington, but especially in summer, many cafes and restaurants offer live music; in particular, Supermarket (South of College on Augusta) is popular with young urbanites.

This is a very friendly enclave, but locals and regulars are protective of their independent stores, bars, cafes and restaurants, and chain businesses have not been welcomed along Kensington's streets. It's a great place to bring the kids and spend a day exploring the world, but it is not a shopping mall. It's gritty, it's real, and it's organic.

Chinatown
Chinatown runs along Spadina Street and is one of North America's largest Chinese districts. This ever-expanding area is home to ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and elsewhere. A wealth of oriental shops and fruit markets spills out onto the street, and a vast selection of authentic Chinese restaurants feature such delicacies as dim sum. Toronto's second Chinatown is located in the Broadview/Gerrard area, and three other distinctive Chinatowns are located in the suburbs.

Queen Street West
The intersection of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue is at the northern end of Toronto's former Fashion District that ran south on Spadina Avenue to Front Street; however, the garment industry jobs have long since left for cheaper places. The area is pretty much gentrified now and is losing its hipsters to up-and-coming West End neighbourhoods, such as West Queen West and Parkdale, with fewer Starbucks' and lower rents. The neighbourhood is centred along Queen Street running from University Avenue to Bathurst Street. The section of Queen from University to Spadina has become something of an open air Eaton Centre with chain clothing stores such as Club Monaco and The Gap dominating; despite this, there are still enough diverse restaurants and quirky independent shops to make this section of Queen a worthwhile visit. Immediately west of Spadina still contains remnants of the textile industry: a great many fabric shops. Further west towards Bathurst Street, Queen West shops seem more oriented to serve the surrounding residential neighbourhoods, with cafes and grocery stores.

By transit
Kensington Market and Chinatown are accessible by a number of streetcar routes, all of which are operated by the TTC. The 506 Carlton runs along College Street from High Park in the west to Main Street station on subway line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) in the east, it runs through Church-Wellesley and Cabbagetown, Queen's Park, the University of Toronto and Little Italy and connects to subway line 1 (Yonge-University) at College and Queen's Park subway stations. For Kensington Market, get off at Augusta Avenue or Spadina.

The 510 Spadina runs from Union Station in the Financial District to Spadina subway station in The Annex. It has its own right-of-way, making it much faster than other routes and even driving, however it can be extremely crowded, particularly during rush hour. For Kensington Market, get off at Nassau Street.

505 Dundas runs mainly along Dundas Street between Dundas West and Broadview stations on subway line 2 (Bloor-Danforth), with connections to subway line 1 (Yonge-University) at Dundas and St Patrick stations.

Another option is the 501 Queen streetcar, which runs along Queen Street through the northern end of the former Fashion District, south of Chinatown. It runs with traffic so it can be extremely slow, and it can also be extremely busy. Just south of that is 504 King streetcar which runs along King Street. It has two routes with overlapping branches, 504A and 504B, and both routes serve the Kensington-Chinatown area. While 504 King is much further south than 501 Queen, 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton, 504 King can be a good option during rush hour because a portion of King Street (including the entire portion along Kensington-Chinatown) has restricted vehicle movements which provides a faster and more reliable transit experience.

The more adventurous can hike over from Queen's Park subway station to Kensington Market. Exit the station by taking a right, then a left, and walk West until you hit Spadina. You can either continue along College, taking you past the border of the University of Toronto campus, or cut Southwest and pass through quiet, but pleasant, residential areas. When you hit the streetcar line, do a block or two more to the West, and you'll be in Kensington.

Chinatown can be reached from the St Patrick subway station. It is about two blocks west along Dundas St.

By car
As Kensington is quite comparable to an open-air market, it's not an especially car-friendly place. There are "Green P" (Municipal) lots in the area, and there is street parking on most thoroughfares, but the sheer pedestrian volume (especially on weekends in summer) can make driving a daunting prospect. In particular, Kensington has "Pedestrian Sundays" in the summertime: any cars parked between noon and 7-10:00 PM (Depending on the location) will be towed to a local lot at the owner's expense.

If you must drive, park on Spadina or College instead. If you must drive through Kensington, keep an eye out for jaywalkers, and do note that most of the local streets are one-way.

By foot
Kensington Market is one of the most walkable neighbourhoods in the city. It is located immediately next to the University of Toronto and adjacent to Chinatown. College Street or Spadina Avenue are the best ways to access the area on foot as their sidewalks tend to be significantly wider than most in the city.

Grange Park
At or near Dundas Street West and McCaul Street.

Chinatown

 * The intersection of Dundas and Spadina is the most visible symbol of the Chinatown community. On weekends, especially, the sidewalks are crammed with open-air food stalls, vendors, and thousands of people from all backgrounds eager to shop, eat, and socialize.

Events

 * Chinese New Year. With the large Chinese population in Toronto, this event grows every year. One of the most accessible ways to celebrate is to attend the Dragon Dance Parade, which winds through the Dundas St. Chinatown (end of Jan. or early Feb.). Colourful dragons, over 20 ft. long and supported by 12 or more people, dance through the streets to bless the shops and restaurants. Drummers, whose constant beat drives away evil spirits, accompany the dragons.

Walking Tours

 * Because of its interesting history and unique nature, there are several tours covering the Kensington Market neighbourhood. Tasty Tours offers a Sweets Tour where you get to sample a variety of multi-ethnic sweets from different stores.

Kensington Market
The Kensington Market is a great place to find second hand clothing. There are many second hand and new clothing stores spread out through the market. On Kensington Ave, south of St Andrew St, houses on both sides of the street were converted to shops making the street look very bohemian.



Chinatown
In Chinatown, street signs in the area are written in both English and Chinese, and there are two large shopping malls that cater to a large Chinese clientele – the Chinatown Centre and the Dragon City complex, both near Dundas and Spadina streets.



Queen Street West
Stroll along Queen Street West, between University and Spadina Avenues, where there is a mix of unique, eccentric stores and North American chains.

Banking
There are a cluster of major banks at Spadina and Dundas; don't mind the Chinese signage, the tellers also speak English, as do the ATMs. Many of Kensington's smaller shops will not accept credit cards or debit, so visitors are advised to bring at least some cash with them if they plan on doing any shopping.

Kensington Market
There are many places to buy food.



Kensington coffee shops
Kensington Market has perhaps the highest concentration of independent coffee shops in the city. Here are just a few of them:

Chinatown
The restaurants are a big attraction to visitors, as the familiar "North American Chinese" menu is all but non-existent here. Instead, chefs in the area produce a variety of authentic cuisines, including Szechwan, Hunan, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Their ingredients are purchased fresh from the stalls lining the streets. And it's not unusual to pass dozens of shop windows lined with barbecued pork, duck, steamed buns, and other more exotic fare.

There is an immense (and frequently changing) selection of restaurants in Toronto's Chinatown. Most are cheap, and many use plastic tablecloths that are picked up by the corners along with all the dishes. They may look bad, but the food is frequently excellent. If you're on a tight budget, this is a good way to go. Bakeries are particularly cheap and filling, and do offer many meat and veg options.

North of AGO
North of the art gallery, there are restaurants on the north side of Dundas Street, the west side of McCaul Street and on both sides of Baldwin Street (Baldwin Village) within 1 block west of McCaul Street. Baldwin Village is quaint with houses converted into restaurants and shops along a tree-lined street.

Drink
Kensington is a great place to go to find an out of the way quiet bar with cheap drinks and a friendly atmosphere. Spadina and Queen West have some of Toronto's best known bars for live music, like the El Mocambo and Horseshoe Tavern.



Sleep
Neither Kensington Market nor Chinatown are major hotel neighbourhoods, most visitors stay in hotels in other parts of the city. Yorkville is a nearby neighbourhood with many high-end hotels.



Go next
Here are a list of neighbouring downtown districts:
 * Entertainment and Financial Districts: CN Tower, Union Station.
 * Harbourfront: Harbourfront Park, harbour tours, Toronto Islands.
 * Yonge-Dundas: City Hall, Eaton Centre, Yonge-Dundas Square.
 * Yorkville and the Annex: Yorkville, Mirvish Village, Royal Ontario Museum, University of Toronto.