Psychiatr News February 17, 2006
Volume 41, Number 4, page 25
© 2006 American Psychiatric Association
Information on Host City and Meeting Highlights
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Eclectic Neighborhood Offers Round-the-World Trip
Rich Daly
From the first spicy smells, visitors to Kensington Market know they
have entered a part of Toronto where people do the business of living, as well
as selling.
Are you wondering where to go for a bushel of fresh crabs and quality
vintage clothing? Or maybe you just want to people watch in a place where
people do both? If eclectic and authentic are your watchwords then Kensington
Market is a must-do Toronto destination.
You'll know you have found the market when you are immersed in a maze of
narrow streets and alleys, bustling with shops and lined with brightly painted
Victorian houses.
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Open for over 20 years, Exile has been a fixture in Toronto's eclectic
Kensington Market neighbohood. The store carries mostly vintage and funky new
clothes and baubles.
Photo:Leo Wong
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The labyrinthine streets on the western side of the city's Chinatown are
home to not only some great prices but also some of the best local produce and
fresh meat in the city. Among its many appeals, Kensington Market draws most
of its visitors because its dozens of tiny shops and produce stands make it a
haven of fresh fruit, vegetables, and dry-goods stores.
The shops reflect Toronto's rich, multicultural mix. The many small stores
are packed with items from Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, South
America, and Asia. Among the foods the locals search out at the market: great
cheeses, coffee, nuts, and international delicacies. Visitors describe the
market as a sensory trip around the world because of the different foods and
spices that fill the air with their tantalizing aromas.
The ambience comes complete with fishmongers, street musicians, impromptu
speechmakers, and shoppers. The sidewalk music can range from sitar, funk, and
reggae to punk music.
It's also a trove of vintage clothing shops, tucked in among eclectic
restaurants and cafés.
The market area, loosely defined by the borders of College and Dundas
streets and Augusta and Spadina avenues, is also home to a variety of tiny
cafés
Market Moves Through History
Kensington has been reinventing itself since the 1880s, when houses were
built on small plots for Irish and Scottish immigrant laborers. Many of these
houses still stand, and the inexpensive homes have housed successive waves of
immigrants.
By the early 1900s, the area had become home to more than 80 percent of the
city's Jewish community. Shut out of the city's mainstream commercial areas,
many residents began selling goods from the back of their homes or from carts
in front of their houses. The successful "Jewish Market"—as
it is still known to some today—sold a diverse array of items imported
from the homelands of the various immigrant communities. These successful
immigrants later moved to wealthier suburban areas and were replaced by new
immigrants.
By the 1950s the market had become more diversified, with a post-war
immigrant influx. Today the area represents more than 30 cultures, including
Portuguese, East Indian, Ethiopian, and Caribbean.
The market has achieved fame throughout Canada by lending its name to CBC
television shows and a sitcom. A 1960s band called Kensington Market helped
shape its image as a hippie enclave.
Today the neighborhood is a welcoming tourist attraction and a center of
Toronto's cultural life as artists and writers moved into the area. Although
its land values have risen in recent years, Kensington remains a predominantly
working class, immigrant community.
Locals suggest visitors take public transportation to the market because
parking is difficult. The city's subway, the TTC, has a nearby stop at Queen's
Park Station.
Hit the Highlights
Saturdays may be the best time to appreciate the bustle of the market's
narrow streets. Some Kensington Market landmarks visitors should see include
Bellevue Square Park, Tom's Place, St. Stephen's Community House, and the
Number 10 Fire Station.
There are still other highlights in the market. The owners of the Free
Times Café describe it as a 25-year home of alternative Canadian/Jewish
culture, food, and drink. The café features nightly concerts of
original Canadian folk music, art shows, poetry, and theater. Rancho Relaxo is
an authentic Mexican restaurant with live music. Kolbeh restaurant offers
Persian dishes, a great beer selection, and a belly dancer on the weekends. My
Market Bakery is known for great bread, Portuguese custard tarts, and
cheesecake.
Additional information about the market is posted at
<www.toronto.com/attractions/listing/000-213-802>.
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American Psychiatric Association.
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