Kensington Reinvents Itself
The Kensington market is a shopper’s delight, a busy cornucopia of small shops, seller’s stalls and neat businesses tucked into a labyrinth of streets in downtown Toronto. Fresh fruits and vegetables, vintage clothing and delightful meats are for sale here. The market is an ongoing statement to vibrant entrepreneurship that constantly reinvents itself. If you plan on visiting Canada you should definitely see Toronto. Kensington market is definitely near the on the top of my Toronto travel destinations.
Although the parking metres are all over the place, people come here mostly by public transit, walking or another more eco plus efficient way – biking which has been really popular during the summer time. According to a 2011 article, Bounded by Dundas Street on the south and College Street marking its northern border, this market is home to dozens of sellers who offer treats and delights of their particular ethnicity. The variety of produce, fish and meat is immense. Bakeries and cheese shops are tucked into this neighborhood. Discount and surplus stores offer good deals for discriminating shoppers. Restaurants, cafes and nightclubs are the newest occupants and are making their presence known.
Kensington is Free
The number of attractions to see is simply unfathomable. Kensington market is a bounty of sights and sounds that will overwhelm the casual shopper. Best of all, it’s free.
It takes no trouble at all to park yourself at a casual cafe and study vagrants smoking weed and Trotskyites in goatees passing out fliers, highlighting dead communist dreams. Ancient counterculture types roam around in hipster clothing, looking for peace and free love. Some need to find a shower to make this place more agreeable.
You can find an acupuncturist around the corner from the grocery store if your tummy hurts from eating too much cheese with creme doughnuts. The knitting store offers lessons to create a pair of mittens for those cold Toronto days.
Bacon and Butterscotch Cookies
The distinct culture attracts both the curious and curiosities. Bacon butterscotch cookies will turn your taste buds upside-down. The Burger Bar offers cheeseburger spring rolls and a variety of beers to wash them down. The night people roam the streets, searching out hidden places in basements and back alleys.
The market also presents confusion. The European meat store sells German knockwurst that you can dip into your sangria or soy milk if you wish. That’s after warming up with an expensive array of Spanish tapas.
A Kensington Sampler
To give a flavor of the shops and restaurants at Kensington, here are a few:
- Akram’s Shoppe features fresh falafel sandwiches and 300 other Middle Eastern dishes.
- Big Fat Burrito is exactly as its name implies.
- Cheese Magic offers cheese in all its incarnations.
- Truffles and chocolate bars are featured at Chocolate Addict.
- An old-fashioned soda and sandwich are for sale at Dr. Augusta’s Samitorium.
- Flashback offers cheap, vintage clothing.
- Kensington Comics has a large collection of your favorite comic books.
Overall, you can find bargains in food, clothing and funny buttons for your jacket. Kensington is an all-out assault on your senses, whether it’s fish rotting on the hot pavement or a loud street musician looking to make a few dollars from people passing by. Reserve a day for exploration.
