Kensington in Toronto is nothing like its London namesake. Devoid of ‘Sloane Rangers’ this edgy district is home to thrift stores and colourful street art that make it more of a cross between London’s Camden and Brick Lane than the upmarket West. Bordering on China Town, the Kensington buildings house an eclectic mix of food markets, second hand clothes stores and international eateries. I really recommend a visit to this part of the city, online you can find some great hotels deals in Toronto if you don’t happen to live there yourself.
Above the shop windows and poking out of alleys are all sorts of eye catching graffiti – some of which, I am reliably informed, have been commissioned by the city council. Well if walls are going to be graffitied, they might as well be done by a professional!
Which is your favourite?
Toronto resident, Alicia, gets to grips with her favourite drawing!
This one reminds me of the art on the Wynwood Walls in Miami.
For more images of the Kensington walls visit my facebook page.
No Comments
Ian [EagerExistence]
April 4, 2012 at 2:55 amCool. Some of the best I’ve seen. I especially like 6893839126_e75c5260b6_z (hahaha great picture title, 4th down), and the laptop one (3rd down) is pretty good. Great model work!
Jayne
April 5, 2012 at 1:19 pmHa the model is Taggio. She worked well with the art work!
Francis Mariani
April 4, 2012 at 2:50 pmKensington Market is my favourite neighbourhood in Toronto. It’s bohemian (slowly turning trendy), multicultural (currently, Latin American shops and restaurants abound), eclectic (health food stores, vinyl record shops, scooter shop,green grocers, cheese merchants, indie cafés…). In the summer, Sundays are pedestrian-only. It’s just a great place to hang out.
In the midst of these wall murals are little pieces of street art – stencils, scribbles, 3-dimensional pieces nailed to poles…
Here is my take on Kensington Market: http://www.flickr.com/photos/designwallah/sets/72157615697166810/
Jayne
April 5, 2012 at 1:18 pmYou really hit the nail on the head there Francis and your photos are amazing. Love all the details you have picked out in such a cool area.
Cristina
April 5, 2012 at 1:57 amOne of my favourite neighbourhoods in my city. Reminds me so much of the historical quaint corners in Europe. Little narrow roads and small mom and pop shops. Thanks for highliting it Jayne!
Jayne
April 5, 2012 at 1:17 pmI loved it too – reminded of the some of the best parts of London!
Ayngelina
April 7, 2012 at 4:44 pmKensington is my favourite neighborhood in Toronto, great pics.
Jayne
April 11, 2012 at 8:22 pmThanks! Great city you have 🙂
Donna Vitan
September 9, 2013 at 12:41 pmLove all the art you’ve captured! I live in Toronto and definitely need to visit Kensington a lot more.
Sometimes exploring your own city is an adventure itself!
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April 7, 2014 at 11:30 am[…] caught up with Toronto resident, ace blogger and my former colleague Alicia Taggio. She took me to Kensington to check out some of the quirky wall paint in the area, including this giant laptop we […]