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Kensington Market is one of the city’s most unique neighbourhoods, with everything from funky vintage shops to one-of-a-kind international grocers!

Many Victorian-style houses built in the late 1800s still stand today, and many different cultural and ethnic groups have lived in and around the Kensington Market area over the years. This, no doubt, explains why it has become such a diverse Toronto neighbourhood.

Kensington Market is also one of Toronto’s best neighbourhoods for vintage shops, unique hole-in-the-wall restaurants, street art, and people-watching.

If you want to spend a day in this historical and tourist hotspot, here’s a list of our top recommendations for exploring this wonderfully varied, bohemian, and pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood that is unlike anywhere else in the city!

Purchase New Fashion in Vintage Clothing Stores

Kensington Market is teeming with great vintage clothing and trinket shops. People in Kensington know how to find great prices on anything from shoes to accessories to clothes.

Many of the vintage shops in the area participate in the Toronto Vintage Crawl, a seasonal event where you can get great deals on vintage items!

Courage My Love is one such vintage shop offering a wide selection of vintage formal clothing, cashmere, boots, handcrafted knick-knacks, beads, and other DIY accessory items.

Appreciate the Art

Kensington’s brilliant colours and abstract decor make it one of Toronto’s most Instagram-able locales. Many street artists have left their mark on Kensington Market, and every alley and many shops are works of art, as well.

There are several exciting graffiti and murals, and even the homes are painted! You may notice positioned mannequins on the terraces of the area’s Victorian mansions, store lettering that extends to the top, and much more, as you wander about.

Yvonne Bambrick’s Garden Car is one of the most iconic art staples in Kensington during the summer months. This living art installation, constructed of greenery and a recycled car, has been part of the neighbourhood for over a decade.

Because Kensington Market isn’t very large, you can walk around the whole community to see the cool street art in a relatively short amount of time!

Find the Ideal Artisanal Gift

Kensington’s streets are full of vendors, and they’re ideal for picking up souvenirs to take home from Toronto or treating someone special. Homemade jewellery, apparel, candles, and other items are available in the market from various vendors and establishments.

The Blue Banana Market in Kensington Market is the best location for gifts, with many unusual goods and stalls from local artisans. The items range from useful homeware to jewellery and apparel to humorous objects. They also have food and candy for sale. It’s the kind of area where you could spend hours just trying to see everything.

Taste International Cuisine

With such a diverse range of cultures in such a small space, it’s no surprise that the food selections in Kensington Market are diverse and plentiful.

As Toronto’s best food neighbourhoods, many restaurants call Kensington Market home, ranging from Rasta Pasta’s famous jerk chicken to Seven Lives tacos, which have earned a reputation as some of the best tacos in the city.

Because Kensington Market is a marketplace, it should come as no surprise that one can buy a variety of foods to take home. The market has it all, whether you’re looking for a popular local butcher at Sanagans Meat Locker, artisanal cheeses at Global Cheese Shoppe, bread from Blackbird Bakery Company, or spices from House of Spice, the market has you covered for your next meal at home.

Participate in Events

Kensington Market is frequently the site of public events, particularly during the summer. If you plan your market visit carefully, you might just witness one of these events!

For example, Pedestrian Sundays are held on the last Sunday of each month from May to October. On Pedestrian Sundays, Kensington’s streets are closed to traffic, allowing the walking public to take over. The streets are open to performers, food vendors, dance parties, and other activities during this time!

People Watch

A great way to get to know a neighbourhood and its vibe is to take note of the people who live there! Because Kensington is a hotspot for artists, there is always some kind of performance going on in the streets. There are plenty of buskers, sketch artists, and strange individuals to meet in the area. People-watching is best done when walking around the streets, especially on weekends in the summer. If you like what the local artists are creating, please support them!

Unwind at the Park

With all the eating and walking, one is certain to get tired while exploring Kensington Market. Fortunately, Kensington has multiple parks. The main location is Bellevue Square Park, which is located off Augusta Ave. There’s also Sonya’s Parkette, a quaint little corner with a playground that provides a welcome respite from the city’s bustling streets.

Bring your food stash or simply relax and enjoy the sunshine before returning to the market’s pedestrian-filled streets.

Take a Guided Tour

What better way to discover Kensington Market than with the help of local experts? If walking Kensington’s laneways alone appears daunting, you could take a tour through the city with some of these group excursions to learn about Kensington’s rich history and hidden gems.

Viator, for example, offers a 3-hour walking tour of both Kensington Market and the adjacent Chinatown. With a guide who will explain the rich history of these neighbourhoods, you will visit the stores and historical sites in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.

LocalFoodTours offers the “Kensington Market International Toronto Food Tour” for foodies. On this three-hour walking tour, you’ll explore nearby Chinatown, before travelling to the market to uncover a lively and diverse food scene. The diverse groups who have moved here have given so much flavour to the city’s streets, from dumplings to churros. Visiting 7+ distinct food locations in the market, learn about their stories, taste the history, and explore the vibrant and colourful district from a new viewpoint.

Find Your Next Neighbourhood with Harvey Kalles

If you’re looking for a new neighbourhood to call home, Harvey Kalles Real Estate can help. Our sales team consists of some of Toronto’s greatest real estate professionals, and we are well-versed in the city’s diverse neighbourhoods. Whether you want to sell your present home or find your ideal new one, our trusted real estate service is here to help you every step of the way.