During the 1920s, it was known as the Jewish Market. 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.
Bicycling through Downtown Toronto is very popular and is the fastest method to
get to Kensington Market, especially during the summertime. Cyclists coming from
the north can use College St bike lanes and dismount at Augusta Ave (many
cyclists ride on Augusta Ave against the one-way traffic but it is recommended
to dismount and walk along Augusta). From the east, use Oxford or Baldwin
streets from Spadina Ave. From the west, use Nassau St from Bathurst St. From
the south, use Dundas St W and enter Augusta Ave. Bike Share Toronto [1] has
bicycle stations conveniently located at Augusta St north of Dundas as well as
the surrounding perimeter of the Market. Ample bicycle parking is also available
in the Market.
Kensington market is accessible by the 506 College and 510 Spadina streetcars,
both of which are operated by the TTC [2];
the fare is $3.00. The 506 runs along College Street from High Park in the west
to Main Street station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line in the east, it runs
throughCabbagetown, Toronto/Church-Wellesley,
College Park, Queen's Park, the University of Toronto and Little
Italy and connects to the subway
at College and Queen's Park subway stations. For Kensington Market, get off at
Augusta Avenue or Spadina.
The 510 runs from Union Station in the Financial
District to Spadina subway
station in The
Annex. It runs through the Harbourfront district,
the Theatre
District, the Fashion
District and Chinatown.
The 510 runs along Queen's Quay and Spadina entirely within its own
right-of-way, meaning that it is 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.
The more adventurous can hike over from Queen's Park station. 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.
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 throughfares, 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.
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.
Kensington market was the site of the Canadian television sitcom King of
Kensington which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1980 and starred Al
Waxman, who was himself born in the neighbourhood. A memorial, erected to Al
Waxman following his death in 2001, can be seen in Bellevue Square Park.
El Mocambo on
Spadina just South of College has frequent musical acts upstairs and is one
of Toronto's oldest musical venues. Acts that have performed here include
Elvis Costello, who recorded a live album, and the Rolling Stones.
Down the road on Spadina you'll find Grossman's
Tavern known as "Toronto's
Home of the Blues", not to mention home of one of the best and cheapest
burgers you'll find in the city. You'll find bands playing every night, as
well as Saturday afternoons and there is never a cover charge.
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. Bring cash; it's taken everywhere and will save you hassles, as many
of the smaller stores will not take credit or debit cards. American currency is
taken at some stores, but may result in sneers and less-than-kind glances from
others.
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.
If there's one thing you should keep in mind when visiting Kensington, it's that
there is no local Starbuck's. This is a very friendly but very protected enclave
where vegan cran-apple muffins take the place of Big Macs and anyone who so much
as says the words "double mocha venti" might get into trouble if the wrong
people are listening. While it can be a great place to bring the kids and spend
a day exploring the world, this is not a shopping mall. It's gritty, it's real,
and it's organic.
Because of its interesting history and unique nature, there are several tours
covering the Kensington Market neighbourhood. Toronto Urban Adventures has a
Chinatown and Kensington Market walking tour (http://torontourbanadventures.com),
and Tasty Tours offers a sweets tour where you get to sample a variety of
multi-ethnic sweets from different stores (http://tastytourstoronto.com)
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.
There is a little tucked away TD Bank machine on Kensington, near St. Andrew.
Take a deep breath and hold it before you walk in.
Jumbo Empanadas, 245 Augusta
Avenue. Delicious and inexpensive empanadas in both meat and vegetarian
varieties.
My Market Bakery, 184 Baldwin St.
The best in baked goods you'll find in all of Toronto.
The Grilled Cheese, on Nassau just
west of Augusta. As the name indicates, serves various types of grilled
cheese sandwiches, along with a soup of the day.
King's Cafe, 192 Augusta. A
Chinese-style vegetarian restaurant.
Mexican Salsas, on Augusta.
Authentic and inexpensive tacos, tostadas, and burritos.
Big Fat Burrito, On Augusta one
block south of College. Try the Yam Burrito.
Urban Herbivore (herbivore.to),
at Augusta and Oxford. A vegetarian/vegan restaurant with huge sandwiches
and build-your-own salads.
Last Temptation, On Kensington just
North of Dundas. Known for its seafood and tropical decor.
Global Cheese, 76 Kensington.
Likely one of the best places to buy cheese in the city. Excellent,
friendly, knowledgable staff.
Supermarket, 268 Augusta — just
South of Augusta and College. A wide selection of Asian fusion dishes, and
the bar is quite popular with bright young people in the evening. A bit more
upscale (in decor, menu and price) than the rest of Kensington.
Hibiscus, 238 Augusta Avenue in
Kensington. Everything is gluten free. Excellent buckwheat crepes and salad
bowls. A meal is about $8.
Kensington is a great place to go to find an out of the way quiet bar with cheap
drinks and a friendly atmosphere.
Embassy, 223 Augusta Avenue. Cozy
place to get a drink, with couches and booths as well as a patio in the
summer.
Last Temptation, On Kensington just
North of Dundas. They have reasonable priced pitchers of some popular
Ontario beers.
Graffiti's, At the intersection of
Kensington and Baldwin. Graffiti's generally has a live music act nightly.
Thirsty and Miserable, 197 Baldwin
Street. A punk-rock dive with a well-curated selection of craft beers.
Ronnie's Local 069, on Nassau just
west of Augusta. A small, hip dive with a patio that is usually jam-packed.
Cold Tea, 60 Kensington Avenue. A
compact bar hidden in the back of the Kensington Mall, named after the code
phrase that you can use in certain Chinatown restaurants to get a discreet
teapot full of beer after hours. Fresh dim sum served until last call.
Kensington has perhaps the highest concentration of independent coffee shops in
the city. Here are just a few of them:
Casa Acoreana, on the corner of
August and Baldwin. An intimate cafe, attached to a coffee-and-bulk-goods
store, this is probably the cheapest place around to buy a cup of joe or a
latte. Excellent view for people-watching.
i deal coffee, on Nassau, a bit
west of Augusta. The sign advertising this cafe sports a steaming cup of
coffee and doesn't actually contain its name. Fair trade coffee at
reasonable prices, by the serving or in bulk. This is also a great place to
find out what's happening in Toronto.
Cafe Pamenar, on Augusta just south
of College, next to Bikes on Wheels. One of the newest cafes in the Market,
it's gotten a good deal of attention for its espresso. A spacious enclosed
patio in the rear makes for a nice place to hang out in warmer weather.
Baldwin Cafe, at the intersection
of Baldwin and Kensington. Possibly the only cafe around that serves Korean
food, as well as more traditional sandwiches and breakfast foods.
Hot Box Cafe, on Baldwin between
Kensington and Augusta. This notoriously relaxed cafe, located inside a head
shop, is known for its private back patio, where customers openly smoke
marijuana (so long as they make the minimum $4.20 purchase). Vaporizers are
available for rent, as well. Check out the selection of delicious smoothies.
Kensington's, at the southeast
corner of Baldwin and Kensington Ave. One of the most spacious cafes in the
Market, with a large selection of sandwiches.
Moonbean, on St. Andrew just east
of Kensington Ave. An enormous selection of coffees and teas, and vegan
baked goods. Patios in front and back.
Pennylicks Gourmet Coffee, on
Augusta. A family-run cafe specializing in paninis, this was one of the
first places around to have a high-tech Clover coffee machine.
Kensington Market is not a major hotel neighbourhood, most visitors stay in
hotels in other parts of the city. Yorkville is
a nearby neighbourhood with many high-end hotels.