Neighborhoods Worth a Visit

Toronto is a patchwork of neighborhoods, and the best way to discover its soul and flavor is to meander along its streets. On foot, you can best appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells that lend each area its particular character. Following are some of the most interesting neighborhoods.

Downtown West

Chinatown -- Stretching along Dundas Street west from Bay Street to Spadina Avenue and north and south along Spadina Avenue, Chinatown is home to some of Toronto's 350,000 Chinese-Canadian residents. Packed with fascinating shops and restaurants, it even has bilingual street signs.

In Dragon City, a large shopping mall at Spadina and Dundas, you'll find all kinds of stores. Some sell Chinese preserves (cuttlefish, lemon ginger, whole mango, ginseng, and antler), and others specialize in Asian books, tapes, records, fashion, and food. A food court features Korean, Indonesian, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine.

As you stroll through Chinatown, stop in at some of the shops and teahouses. A couple of my favorites are Tap Phong and B&J Trading. A walk through Chinatown at night is especially exciting -- the sidewalks fill with people, and neon lights shimmer everywhere. You'll pass gleaming noodle houses, windows hung with rows of glossy-brown cooked ducks, record stores selling the top 10 in Chinese, and trading companies filled with Asian produce.

To get to Chinatown, take the subway to St. Patrick and walk west.

Little Italy -- Along College Street, between Euclid and Shaw, Little Italy competes with West Queen West to be the hottest spot in the city. The area hums at night, as people crowd the coffee bars, pool lounges, nightclubs, and trattorias. The Mod Club is one of the city's best live-music venues. Notable restaurants in the area include Sottovoce, Chiado, and Veni Vidi Vici. Great boutiques in the area are Sim & Jones, which features chic, smart casual clothing for women, and Mink, a glittering oasis of faux gemstones. To get there, ride any College Street streetcar west to Euclid Avenue.

Queen Street West -- This street was once considered the heart of Toronto's avant-garde scene. That would be a serious stretch today. Sure, it's home to several clubs -- such as the Rivoli -- where major Canadian artists and singers have launched their careers, but it's also where you'll find mainstream shops such as Club Monaco, Gap, and Le Chateau. Edgy? Not anymore.

Queen Street West officially starts at Yonge Street, but it doesn't really pick up, style-wise, till you cross University Avenue. This is prime shopping territory, with one-of-a-kind clothing boutiques such as Price Roman and Peach Berserk. You'll also find a number of antiquarian bookstores, antiques and/or junk shops, nostalgic record emporiums, kitchen supply stores, and discount fabric houses. To start exploring, take the subway to Osgoode and walk west along Queen Street West.

Art & Design District -- Also known as West Queen West. Queen Street west of Bathurst Street used to be a no-man's land -- not because it was dangerous, but because little of importance was believed to be that far from the downtown core. How times have changed: This is one of the liveliest 'hoods in the city (one magazine dubbed it the coolest in the country). It's now home to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, and two of Toronto chicest hotels: the Drake Hotel and the Gladstone Hotel.

West Queen West is all funky fun. It's got great shops for housewares and antiques, such as Quasi-Modo, and excellent art galleries, such as the Stephen Bulger. The clothing boutiques are exceptional: glamorous Cabaret for vintage, Girl Friday for original designs, and Delphic for menswear. It's also got some fine-but-affordable dining, such as Swan. Take the subway to Osgoode and the streetcar over to Bathurst, and start walking west from there.

Downtown East

The Beaches -- This is one of the neighborhoods that makes Toronto a unique city. Here, near the terminus of the Queen Street East streetcar line, you can stroll or cycle along the lakefront boardwalk. Because of its natural assets, it has become a popular residential neighborhood for young boomers and their families, and Queen Street has plenty of browseable stores, such as Book City. Just beyond Waverley Road, you can turn down through Kew Gardens to the boardwalk and walk all the way past the Olympic Pool to Ashbridge's Bay Park. To get to The Beaches, take the Queen Street East streetcar to Woodbine Avenue.

Leslieville -- Queen Street East between Broadview and Leslie Street has become the place to shop for well-priced antique and vintage furniture. Stop in at Zig Zag, G.U.F.F., and Uppity!. Vintage clothing is another Leslieville specialty: stop in at Gadabout or Thrill of the Find. This is also a great spot for lounges (such as Barrio) and bistros (such as Edward Levesque's Kitchen).

Midtown West

Yorkville -- This area stretches north of Bloor Street West, between Avenue Road and Bay Street. Since its founding in 1853 as a village outside the city proper, Yorkville has experienced many transformations. In the 1960s, it was Toronto's answer to Haight-Ashbury. In the 1980s, it became the hunting ground of the chic, who spent liberally at Hermès, Chanel, and Cartier, and at the neighborhood's many fine-art galleries, such as Kinsman Robinson and Feheley Fine Arts. In the early 1990s, the recession left its mark -- but today, the energy is back. Hazelton Lanes and Bloor Street continue to attract high-style stores, including a branch of Tiffany's.

Stroll around and browse, because this is still a shopper's paradise. Jeanne Lottie, Pusateri's, and Teatro Verde might bring out my spendthrift side, but they won't break the bank. People-watching is also a popular pastime here; pick a perch at a cafe on Yorkville or Cumberland, and watch the parade go by. If you really want to indulge, visit the Stillwater Spa at the Park Hyatt hotel or the Holt Renfrew Spa. (Massage is my favorite remedy for jet lag, for stress . . . for just about everything, actually!)

While you're in the neighborhood (especially if you're an architecture buff), take a look at the red-brick building on Bloor Street at the end of Yorkville Avenue that houses the Toronto Reference Library. Step inside, and you'll find one of Toronto's most serene spots. To reach Yorkville, take the subway to Bay.

Mirvish Village -- One of the city's most illustrious characters is Honest Ed Mirvish, who started his career in the 1950s with a no-frills department store at the corner of Markham and Bloor streets (1 block west of Bathurst). Even from blocks away, neon signs race and advertisements touting bargains hit you from every direction. Among his other accomplishments, Mirvish saved the Royal Alexandra Theatre on King Street from demolition; established a row of adjacent restaurants for theater patrons; and developed this block-long area with art galleries, restaurants, and bookstores. He was responsible for saving and renovating London's Old Vic, too.

Stop by and browse, and don't forget to step into Honest Ed's. To start your visit, take the subway to Bathurst.

The East End

The Danforth/Greektown -- This eclectic area along Danforth Street east of the Don River is hot, hot, hot. It swings until the early hours, when the restaurants and bars are still crowded and frenetic. During the day, visitors can browse the traditional Greek stores -- like Akropol, a Greek bakery at no. 458 (tel. 416/465-1232) that displays stunning multitiered wedding cakes in the window. The neighborhood is becoming more ethnically diverse, and its new character is reflected by stores like Blue Moon, no. 375 (tel. 416/778-6991), which sells beautiful crafts from the developing world (the store supports only producers that provide healthy working conditions and fair pay), and El Pipil, no. 267 (tel. 416/465-9625), which has colorful clothing, knapsacks, and jewelry. To get to the Danforth, ride the subway to Broadview and walk east.