Past Chinatown, we ended up in another cute multicultural neighborhood: Kensington Market. The eclectic shops and cafés are stuck between Spadina and Little Italy. We spotted Latino, European, Middle-Eastern and North African shops.
There was an artsy feeling in the air. Murales, graffitis and trendy hippie chic clothes, along with numerous bikes and narrow streets that – gasp! – can’t probably be navigated by car easily.
This neighborhood reminded me a little bit of some New Zealand cities such as Christchurch or Queenstown: relaxed and easy-going, with a thing for organic and homegrown food and promoting a somewhat alternative lifestyle.
This is the area of Toronto that I walked around the most, back in 2001 when I was new to Canada and desperate because I couldn’t get a job.
I have vivid memories of all these places…
.-= Gabriel´s last blog ..Ring =-.
This area seems to be a bit ganster to me :p
Love your photography {a lot!} but I really wouldn’t wanna live in this neighborhood {based on some of these images}.
.-= Agnes´s last blog ..Daydreaming =-.
Wow, that Geisha mural was fantastic. Reminds me of Mucha. 😀
.-= Lizz´s last blog ..B.B. Cream Review: Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream =-.
I like the “if the environment was a bank…”, so true!
.-= Nigel Babu´s last blog ..Backing up with APTonCD =-.
Happy New Year Zhu ;D I like buzz and the colours 😀
Canada is a multi-national country for sure. We are freezing here in Tulsa. The low tonight is expected to be -15C. This old man will stay inside. Stay warm there in Ottawa.
.-= Tulsa Gentleman´s last blog ..Dancing Children Statue =-.
Ah, I haven’t visited this part of Toronto when I was there. I dunno, sometimes I don’t like seeing the graffiti walls, it reminds me of urban decay. But then I do recognize that it is a distinct culture. I am not saying that I want to live in Wisteria Lane though.
.-= Linguist-in-Waiting´s last blog ..Alaska =-.
Love the alternative lifestyle look and how well you’ve captured it!
.-= RennyBA’s Terella´s last blog ..Oslo Blog Gathering at First Millennium Hotel =-.
This is interesting! We also have a place name called Kensington in London.
It’s one of the poshest places here.
Your Kensington is like our Hackney in East London. 😉
Re: Testicle by the Thames / 泰晤士河旁的睾丸 / Testikel di tepi Sungai Thames / テムズ川の側の金玉
Modern offices in London prefer to have an open plan layout. They say that helps to improve communication?! Your boss sits right next to you, so no time to update your Facebook! Ha ha…
Re: Freedom in captivity / 束缚的自由 / Kebebasan di dalam tawanan / とらわれの身の自由
I love aquaria! I can spend hours there!
Re: Celestial shells / 天体的贝壳 / Cangkerang cakerawala / 天の貝
Likewise, I am a non-church-goer but perhaps I’ve more churches than you? Ha ha… I particularly like small parish churches in England.
.-= London Caller´s last blog ..Silhouette in hibernation / 冬眠中的剪影 / Silhouette di dalam hibernasi / 冬眠中のシルエット =-.
@Gabriel – I didn’t even know you lived in Toronto at the time! Did you notice, they have quite a few latino shops there.
@Bluefish – Really? I didn’t have this feeling.
@Agnes – Funny the perception we have of places… looked fine to me!
@Lizz – I love it too!
@Nigel Babu – I know, it caught me eye right away!
@shionge@hotmail.com – Happy New Year Shionge!
@Tulsa Gentleman – That is really cold… and unusual I guess! Stay warm.
@Linguist-in-Waiting – I kinda of like urban decay actually, as long as there is a message. I hate this silly graffiti signatures (except when there are a bunch like in the picture, it becomes art then!) but murales are fine to me.
@RennyBA’s Terella – You’d love the place — the food looked awesome.
@London Caller – Yeah, not quite the same Kensington 😉
i’m pretty sure i’d like kensingtom market. i love all the stickers and graffitis- especially the one about if the environment was a bank, we would have saved it by now. wish you would have taken some photos of the little restaurants and coffee shops too. because that’s proably where i’d be hanging out. someplace warm with some coffee. blowing on the steam.
.-= Seraphine´s last blog ..Pretty / Ugly =-.
This looks like my kind of place! I love bikes 🙂 That parked bike looks very funky, I wonder if someone put it together or if that’s how it was made. Has the banana seat, which is very cool…
.-= Seb´s last blog ..Bear and I Visit The Louvre =-.
Salut Zhu,
Hey, this is the FUNKY part of town ! FUN !!
The types of signs and advertising in a place tells you a lot about the type of people who live/ frequent the place.
This feels of course young,perhaps student,artistic,and original.