Kensington

I can't get enough of Kensington Market. This is the third time I'm exploring that place. It helps that Kensington is merely a 7 min bike ride away. I'm amazed (again!) at the riot of colours and vibrant vibe of the little bohemian community tucked in the corner of downtown Toronto. There are ice-cream parlours (the old-fashioned kinds. Tried "Heavenly Hash" - choc ice cream with marshmallows and almonds), cheese shops, peanut butter shops, fruit-tellers, fish shops, bead shops, dollar shops, a cute Japanese shop and of course vintage clothes shops.

Kensington is the place to search for vintage clothes and other second hand costumes. They have a fantastic range and vintage hunters will have a wild time sieving through each shop. Best of all, the clothes are usually cheap (CA$20 for a dress). I feel extremely bitter when I think of my S$100 plus vintage dresses! However, it's a little overwhelming cos there's so many choices and I got a little weary of vintage (ended up buying a non-vintage dress). There are pretty cool stuff like tee shirts, jackets and accessories for guys too. The last time I biked there, it thunder stormed suddenly so we were holed up in this shop which sold kawaii Jap bags which Cui adored. Jap influence is quite prevalent in Toronto though not as much as in Singapore.