Kensington Market, Toronto Neighbourhood Guide: A Feast for the Senses

Kensington Market is one of the most ethnically diverse, culturally rich areas of a city, which prides itself on its diversity. It is a busy place full of shops to explore, restaurants to try, and annual community events to engage in. Defined by its unique outdoor market, the neighbourhood was pronounced a National Historic Site of Canada in 2006. 

Following his service in the War of 1812, George Taylor Denison purchased the land that is now home to Kensington Market in 1815. It was subdivided in the 1850s with construction on the area’s initial homes beginning in the 1880s. 

The neighbourhood’s first residents were predominantly Anglo Saxon, as reflected in the names of the streets. That changed in earnest around the early 1900s with a dramatic influx of Eastern- European Jewish immigrants. By the 1920s, there were as many as 60,000 Jews who called the area home. 

Though they were largely excluded from the elitist Toronto business community, these resourceful community leaders began erecting market stalls on their lawns. The ensuing decades may have changed the neighbourhood’s demographics, but the market stalls remain a beacon challenging locals and tourists to explore them at their leisure.

The homes that line the streets within Kensington Market are predominantly of the Victorian-row persuasion. Most of these small- to medium-sized homes were built between the 1870s and 1890s and featured prominently placed market stalls on their front lawns. 

Kensington Market does contain a few modern developments too. The lofts built in the former George Brown College buildings are particular standouts.

The homes that line the streets within Kensington Market are predominantly of the Victorian-row persuasion. Most of these small- to medium-sized homes were built between the 1870s and 1890s and featured prominently placed market stalls on their front lawns. 

Kensington Market does contain a few modern developments too. The lofts built in the former George Brown College buildings are particular standouts.

The city may offer better places to find specific items, like King   West for high fashion or The Distillery District for world-class spirits. But there’s no experience in the city quite like an afternoon spent shopping in Kensington Market. 

Pop-up shops, new and used clothing, artisan jewelry, and souvenir shops mingle with specialty food stores, butcher shops, and bakeries. The outdoor market stalls and vast twists and turns of the neighbourhood make the market easy to get lost in and difficult to escape.

One of the areas where Kensington Market really shines is in its vast and ever-changing selection of fantastic places to eat. There are so many great restaurants that it would be next to impossible to name them all here. Suffice it to say that most culinary cultures are well represented including Mexican, Chinese, Vietnamese, American, Caribbean, and more. 

The area’s Spadina Avenue border also forms a section of Toronto’s famous Chinatown district, offering even more amazing dining choices for you to consider. It’s a veritable foodie paradise and an unquestionable must-see.

Kensington Market is a retail- and service-sector marvel. But all of that dedicated retail and housing space comes at the cost of greenery. There are only two parks that are found within the neighbourhood’s boundaries: Bellevue Square and Sonya’s Parkette. 

That’s not meant to diminish either of these two parks. The mural-laden Sonya’s Parkette is a local gem, and the endless annual events held at Bellevue Square can’t be missed. 

Those looking for a bit more space to run around in don’t have to travel very far. Alexandra Park is located just south of Dundas and the iconic Trinity Bellwoods is one neighbourhood to the west.

There’s only so much shopping and eating one person can do. Eventually, you’ll likely want to burn off the excess or have a little technology-free fun. 

Bellevue Square is located on the corner of Wales Avenue and Augusta Avenue. It may be under half a hectare in size, but it still manages to include a wading pool and a playground. The square hosts an abundance of community events throughout the year. 

Cecil Community Centre at 58 Cecil Street is a not-for-profit, multi-service neighbourhood centre. It provides Kensington Market locals with a variety of educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs all year long. The facility includes an auditorium, multi-purpose and community rooms, and a gymnasium.

Kensington Market is a part of Toronto’s downtown core. As such, it benefits from the city’s expansive network of transit buses, streetcars, and subways. 

The streetcars found along Queen and Dundas Streets and Spadina Avenue connect to the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line by way of Spadina Station. The streetcar that operates along Bathurst Street delivers commuters to the Bloor-Danforth subway line. 

Not to be left out, vehicle owners can get in and out of the city easily, as both the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard are just minutes south of the area.

It’s hard not to love this eclectic little slice of the big city. Toronto’s Kensington Market is widely considered one of the most unique locales in all of Canada. Its eclectic outdoor marketplace welcomes visitors with the tempting smell of delicious food and shops full of treasures just waiting to be explored. But beneath the commercial surface, Kensington Market, Toronto, is built on a foundation of ethnically diverse, community-driven locals who yearn to keep the city as interesting as they are.