Impressions of Toronto’s Kensington Market, 2021

Kensington Market lies just west of downtown, next to Chinatown. It is one of Toronto’s oldest, most diverse, and liveliest traditional market districts. Its origins date back to 1815, and in 2005 it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

The College Condominium, with its rainbow-coloured balconies, stands right on the edge of the market.

This is not a market in the conventional sense, but a collection of independent shops scattered across the surrounding streets, offering food from around the world as well as cafés, each with a character of its own.

I had not planned to explore Kensington Market. I had only come to Found Coffee for a drink. It is a pleasant café, and the coffee is very good.

Then I noticed that Kensington Market was nearby, so I wandered in for a look.

Pete’s Bike Shop.

Graffiti is one of Kensington Market’s defining features.

Large murals cover walls throughout the neighbourhood.

As you browse the shops, you can also take in the graffiti along the way.

Graffiti reflected in the polished surface of a car creates a singular, shifting image.

Fruit, vegetables, and other everyday necessities are not the market’s mainstay, but the occasional grocery store is well stocked with fresh produce.

The neighbourhood is packed with places to eat and drink: restaurants, bars, dessert shops, cafés, and ice cream parlours.

The flavours span the globe, from local Indigenous food to Mexican cuisine, and from European fare to Asian snacks. There is something for everyone.

Small goods are another mainstay. Thrift shops, antique stores, jewellery shops, gift shops, and boutiques are everywhere.

They draw groups of young people who come to meet up and take photos.

Reflected in the shop windows, the displays and the street overlap in a blaze of colour.

This shopkeeper had brought his child along for the holiday. The child studied while helping mind the shop; the father minded both the shop and the child.