Kensington Market
Toronto's most unique neighbourhood, Kensington Market retains its charm and wonderful diversity through its eclectic mix of vintage clothing stores, Latin American grocers, fresh produce, cafes and watering holes. Defiantly independent and progressive, Kensington hosts street festivals like Pedestrian Sundays in the Summer months and December's annual Festival of Lights. Often overlooked but not to be missed is the stretch of Nassau street between Augusta and Bellevue, home to spots like I Deal Coffee, Kid Icarus and This Ain't the Rosedale Library.
History & Background
Originally intended to be the site for large English-style country homes on huge estates, Kensington Market was divided into smaller plots of land with small houses and became home to many of the new immigrants who arrived in Toronto. By the 1920’s Kensington was home to 80 percent of the Jewish population, and was known as the Jewish Market. The market area has seen a transfer of populations, which has added to its rich layers of cultures- Ukrainians, Hungarians, Italians and Portuguese. In the 1960’s Kensington Market narrowly escaped an urban restructuring project that would have torn down the small houses to make way for large apartment-style housing. In the 1970’s Chinatown joined the market as it moved westward to Spadina west.
Today, Kensington Market is a mishmash of many cultures and ages. You will find an array stores, including food, clothing, health food, a knitting shop, and patios and a park surrounded by houses. Today, neighborhood groups work to keep the market local and have successfully prevented chain stores like Nike from infiltrating the market. Other groups are working to prevent gentrification through projects that reinforce local identity and sense of place through story telling projects and online public forums.
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