Kensington market

Kensington Market is Toronto's hippie district: a central location of independent shops, restaurants, and bars. It's a fun place to visit while you're here; not every city has a neighbourhood like this.

If you can, you should try to visit Kensington Market on the last Sunday of the month for Pedestrian Sunday. There's street performers, special events, and generally more of a fun atmosphere. Keep an eye out for the statuettes at the entrances to the market.

None of my suggested itineraries are supposed to be followed slavishly, but that goes double for this one. I've drawn a route on the map, but as long as you take in Augusta Avenue, Kensington Avenue, and Baldwin Street you can (and should) wander freely.

1. I need to start this tour somewhere, so why not outside the church of St Stephen in the Fields? There's a statue which always surprises me when I'm walking along this stretch of College Street. I've probably spoiled the surprise by telling you to look out for it. Sorry. Walk east, and take a right on Augusta Avenue.

2. The top of Kensington Market has some bars and eateries. (Kensington's pretty small, so take note of good-looking places and come back to your favourite later.) Once you cross over Oxford Street, there's more shops. Keep an eye out for the garden car - a Kensington Market landmark - as well as Blue Banana, a giant gift shop that's worth a browse. Bungalow is across the street if you like vintage - it also has a basement section. The south section of this block has some stores selling hats, sunglasses, scarves, etc for good prices.

   This block also features Bunner's vegan bakery, and Dolce Gelato has some vegan options too.

3. Keep walking south along Augusta, stopping in any interesting-looking shops. There's more market to your left along Baldwin Street, but we'll come back to that. I'm fond of Carlos' House of Spice, but it's not much use to a tourist. Kid Icarus is worth a look. Scope out Bellevue Square Park as you pass - our tour ends with a suggestion of takeaway eaten here, but it sometimes feels a bit sketchy.

   Keep an eye out for the junk robots just south of the park. Keep going until you hit Dundas Street, then turn left and Left again.

4. You're now on Kensington Avenue. This stretch has a lot of vintage stores, as well as some hippie boutiques and second-hand bookstores. There's also often street performances on this stretch. Keep heading north, back up towards Baldwin Street. Just before you get there, you might like to stop in Essence of Life (a giant health food store) for a snack, or Moon Bean Cafe (on St Andrew Street) for a coffee. There's also a Green P car park here; the top floor will give you an elevated view of the market and Toronto's downtown. It's not a great view, but it's free and convenient.

   Once you hit Baldwin Street, you have a couple of decisions to make. You can head right and see a few more shops and cafes, and/or enter the car park. Or if you've already decided what you want to eat, head left andpick up your food.

5. Return to Bellevue Square Park, and enjoy a sunny park lunch.

Where next

1. Were none of the food options tempting for you? That's hard to believe. But you're just round the corner from Buddha's Vegetarian, a down-to-earth veggie Chinese restaurant.
2. If it's a hot summer's day, maybe an air-conditioned museum would be a nice change of pace? You're a 10-15 minute walk from the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). This also takes you through a stretch of Chinatown.
3. This nearby stretch of Spadina Avenue has some gift stores; maybe this is a good time to pick up some Canadian souvenirs?

The garden car on Augusta Avenue.	I can't promise you fire spinners, but I saw some on this particular Pedestrian Sunday.