Walking Tour 1

Chinatown & Kensington Market

Start: St. Patrick subway station.

Finish: Queen's Park subway station.

Time: At least 2 hours. Depending on how long you want to linger at the Art Gallery of Ontario and at various stops, perhaps as long as 8 hours.

Best Times: Tuesday through Saturday during the day.

Worst Times: Monday, when the Art Gallery is closed.

This walk takes you through the oldest of Toronto's Chinatowns (the city's original Chinatown was on York Street between King and Queen sts., but skyscrapers replaced it long ago). Although at least four Chinatowns exist today, and most Chinese live in the suburbs, the intersection of Dundas Street and Spadina (pronounced spa-dye-na) Avenue is still a major shopping and dining area for the Asian community. As a new wave of immigrants has arrived from Southeast Asian countries -- Thailand and Vietnam in particular -- this old but vibrant Chinatown has taken them in. Today, many businesses here are Vietnamese or Thai.

Successive waves of immigration have also changed the face of the nearby Kensington Market. From the turn of the 20th century until the 1950s, it was the heart of the Jewish community. In the 1950s, Portuguese immigrants arrived to work in the food-processing and meatpacking industries and made it their home. In the '60s, a Caribbean presence arrived. Today, this market retains traces of all these communities.

From the St. Patrick subway station, exit on the northwest corner of Dundas Street and University Avenue, and walk west on Dundas Street. Turn right onto McCaul Street. At no. 131, you'll see:

1. St. Patrick's Church

Built in 1861 for Toronto's Irish Catholic community (you could have guessed that from the name, couldn't you?), this church became the base of German-speaking Catholics from 1929 to the late 1960s. Inside, you'll find some of the most beautiful stained glass in Toronto. The church is also a popular site for concerts.

Go back toward Dundas Street and walk west; looking south on McCaul Street, you'll see:

2. Sharp Centre for Design

This building that looks as though it were inspired by a cartoon (it looks like a checkerboard box on stilts) is part of the Ontario College of Art & Design. The Sharp Centre won a Worldwide Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004; they described it as "courageous, bold, and just a little insane." Admire the insanity from the outside; visitors are not allowed beyond the (unexciting) lobby.

Continue west along Dundas Street. On your left is the:

3. Art Gallery of Ontario

At press time, architect Frank Gehry's design for a renovated AGO is still a work in progress, and the building is closed. However, the AGO is slated to reopen in November 2008. From prior visits, I can promise that the Canadian and international collections are excellent, and the renovation will increase the number of works on view.

Walk behind the AGO, following Beverley Street south. Behind the AGO, you'll find:

4. The Grange

Closed for the past 3 years during the AGO's renovation, this historic mansion was the original home of the gallery. Built in 1817, the Georgian mansion is still part of the AGO. The surrounding Grange Park is still a charming spot, in spite of nearby development -- Village by the Grange, an apartment and shopping complex is also tucked back here.

Retrace your steps to Dundas Street West and cross so that you're on the north side of the street. On this block, you'll find:

5. Bau-Xi

This gallery, at 340 Dundas St. W., represents contemporary Canadian artists. It's been in business since 1965 and offers an interesting perspective on the current art scene.

Walk west along Dundas; at the northwest corner of Beverley and Dundas is the:

6. Consulate General of Italy

It doesn't look like a government building: The rambling late-19th-century mansion, with its sandy brick, quasi-Gothic windows and wrought-iron decoration, is a beauty. Too bad you can't go in.

You're now walking into the heart of Chinatown, with its grocery stores; bakeries; bookstalls; and emporiums selling foods, handcrafts, and other items from Asia.

What follows are some of my favorite stops along the stretch of Dundas Street between Beverley Street and Spadina Avenue. On the south or left side as you go west is:

7. Tai Sun Co.

At nos. 407-09, the supermarket carries dozens of different mushrooms, all clearly labeled in English, as well as fresh Chinese vegetables, meats, fish, and canned goods. Melewa Bakery, no. 433, has a wide selection of pastries, like mung-bean and lotus-paste buns. Outside Kiu Shun Trading, no. 441, dried fish are on display; inside, you'll find numerous varieties of ginseng and such miracle remedies as "Stop-Smoking Tea."

On the north side of the street is:

8. J & S Arts and Crafts

This shop, at no. 430, is a good place to pick up souvenirs, including kimonos and happy coats, kung-fu suits, address books, cushion covers, and all-cotton Chinatown T-shirts. Kim Moon, no. 438, is an Asian bakery that features almond cookies, deep-fried taro pastries, and dim sum pork buns.

Take a Break -- Ten Ren Tea, at no. 454 (tel. 416-598-7872), sells all kinds of tea -- black, oolong, green -- stored in large canisters at the back of the store. Charming ceramic teapots and cups are on sale here, along with gnarled root ginseng. You can break here for tea -- but even if you don't want to sit down, the staff will probably urge you to sample an unfamiliar variety in a tiny cup. Don't worry -- it will taste surprisingly good.

At the northwest corner of Huron and Dundas streets is:

9. WY Trading Co.

At no. 456, WY Trading Co., Inc., has a great selection of records, CDs, and tapes -- everything from Chinese folk songs and cantatas to current hit albums from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Even if you don't go in, you'll hear music blaring from inside. At no. 482A, Po Chi Tong is a fun store that sells exotic remedies, like deer-tail extract and liquid-gold ginseng or royal jelly. The best remedy of all time is the "slimming tea." Watch the staff weigh each item out and total the bill with a fast-clicking abacus.

At Spadina Avenue, cross over to the southwest corner to:

10. Dragon City

The three-level Asian shopping complex at 280 Spadina Ave. is complete with a food court. Here, you'll find books, music, clothing, toys, and homeopathic remedies under one roof.

Spadina Avenue is the widest street in the city because the wealthy Baldwin family had a 40m (131-ft.) swath cut through the forest from Queen Street to Bloor Street so that they could view the lake from their new home on top of Spadina Hill. Later, in the early 20th century, Spadina Avenue became Toronto's garment center and the focal point of the city's Jewish community. Although it's still the garment center, with wholesale and discount fashion houses as well as the fur district (farther south around Adelaide), today it's more Asian than Jewish.

If you enjoy strolling through supermarkets filled with exotic Asian delights, including seasonable fruits such as durian, visit the:

11. Tai Kong Supermarket

Look at all the different provisions -- chile and fish sauces, fresh meat and fish (including live tilapia in tanks), preserved plums, chrysanthemum tea and other infusions, moon cakes, and large sacks of rice.

Take a Break -- For fine, reasonably priced food, a Chinatown favorite is Happy Seven, 358 Spadina Ave. (tel. 416/971-9820). If you don't mind lining up, head for the ever-popular Lee Garden, 331 Spadina Ave. (tel. 416/593-9524). Continuing north, cross St. Andrews Street.

12. Tap Phong Trading Company

This shop, at 360 Spadina Ave., stocks terrific wicker baskets of all shapes and sizes, as well as woks and ceramic cookware, attractive mortars and pestles, and other household items.

Cross Baldwin Street and you'll come to:

13. Plaiter Place

At 384 Spadina Ave., Plaiter Place has a huge selection of finely crafted wicker baskets, birdcages, woven blinds, bamboo steamers, hats, and other fun items. Fortune Housewares, no. 388, carries kitchen and household items -- including brand names -- for prices at least 20% lower than elsewhere in the city.

Now double back to Baldwin Street. You're heading into the heart of the Kensington Market area, which has always reflected the city's waves of immigration. Once it was primarily a Jewish market; later, it became a Portuguese neighborhood. Today, it is largely Asian and Caribbean, but you can still see many Jewish and Portuguese elements.

Head back to Baldwin Street and walk west, you'll find:

14. Tom's Place

This traditional haberdasher -- located at 190 Baldwin Street -- is a place where you can still haggle for a deal on Italian-made men's shirts. The store also sells women's clothing, but I've had better luck shopping for my husband than for myself here.

Across the street is:

15. Chocolate Addict

Located at 185 Baldwin, this tiny temple to chocolate has some truly original offerings (mmm, wasabi truffles).

At the southwest corner of Baldwin Street and Kensington Avenue is:

16. Global Cheese Shop

My apologies to the lactose-intolerant, but this store, at 76 Kensington Avenue, is one of my favorites in the neighborhood. The staff will let you have a taste of almost all of the 150 cheeses (well, maybe not all at once).

As you stroll south along Kensington Avenue and pass St. Andrews Street, you will find a series of secondhand- and vintage-clothing stores.

17. Asylum

At no. 62 Kensington Ave., on the west side of the street, the store has good jeans, leather jackets, and assorted accessories.

18. Courage My Love

The best spot for cheap but chic vintage clothing is at no. 14. It stocks retro gowns and wedding dresses, suits, and accessories, as well as new jewelry and beads for do-it-yourself projects. The $5 rack out front (in nice weather) has some unbelievable deals; if you take some of these exquisite but damaged dresses and coats to a tailor, as I have, you can end up with beautiful, original pieces for a song.

19. Dancing Days

At no. 17 (on the east side of the street), you'll find party-ready glad rags that will make you look like an extra in Grease.

When you reach Dundas Street, turn right and walk 1 block to Augusta Avenue. Turn right on Augusta Avenue. As you walk north, and cross Wales Avenue, you'll find:

20. Bellevue Square Park

On maps this park is often referred to as Denison Square. Either way, it's a lovely spot. While you're checking out the statue of Canadian actor Al Waxman, you may smell marijuana being smoked nearby. Kensington Market is home to some head shops, and smoking cannabis in public -- while illegal -- is not uncommon in and around the park.

Stroll through the park; at the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Denison Square, you'll find:

21. Kiever Synagogue

This building, at 28 Denison Sq., was completed in 1927. Architect Benjamin Swartz designed it with Byzantine style in mind. The most striking features are the twin domes atop the building (sadly, the building isn't open to the public). The Kiever Synagogue was the first specifically Jewish building designated a historic site by the province of Ontario.

Turn back toward Augusta Avenue, and you'll see:

22. Sasmart Smart Wear

This discount store has the strangest assortment of goods you'll find anywhere. OshKosh clothing for kids is on display near antique china; a little farther along is kitchen gear (new and used), luggage, and gadgets. It's a weird, cluttered space, but the prices are unbeatable.

Walk north on Augusta to:

23. Casa Acoreana

An old-fashioned store at no. 235, it stocks a full range of fresh coffees, as well as great pecans and filberts.

Just up the street is:

24. Perola Supermarket

This store at 247 Augusta Ave. displays cassava and strings of peppers -- ancho, arbol, pasilla -- hung up to dry and sitting in bins, plus more exotic fruits and herbs.

Take a Break -- The Aspetta Caffe, 207 Augusta Ave. (tel. 416/916-8275) is a perfect perch if you want to people-watch while sipping coffee and having a light meal of panini or pasta. If you're in the neighborhood at dinnertime and want a heartier meal, try La Palette, 256 Augusta Ave. (tel. 416/929-4900) or Torito, 276 Augusta Ave. (tel. 647/436-5874).

Continue north along Augusta Avenue to College Street. Turn west on College and you'll find:

25. Church of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields

This small but historically significant church has had to fight hard to ward off the condo developers circling Kensington Market. Ironically, the Anglican Diocesan Council wanted to sell its own church, and the local community -- many of whom have no religious connection to the church -- came together to save it. The building is a lovely example of Gothic Revival architecture, built in 1858, and contains some splendid stained-glass windows.

On College Street, hop on an eastbound streetcar, which will deliver you to the Queen's Park subway station. The southbound train will take you downtown.