Toronto
Kensington Market
Over the course of its 125-year history, Kensington Market’s composition has closely reflected immigration trends in this multicultural city. Circa-1880s, it housed working-class Irish and Scottish migrant laborers. By the 1920s and '30s, it become known as the Jewish Market, and when first- and second-wave Jewish immigrants started moving to middle-class communities outside the downtown core, successive waves of immigrants moved through the market: Portuguese, East Asians, Caribbeans, Central Americans, and Africans. Food shops of every type share the streetscape with ethnic cafes and restaurants, giftware boutiques, as well as trendy vintage-clothing shops. The market was designated a National Historic Site in 2006.
Insider Tip:
Chinatown abuts Kensington Market, providing the perfect opportunity for a self-guided, progressive dining experience.
