Kensington Market Toronto
 

What is Kensington Market, and where is it in Toronto? From what I can gather, it sounds something like Pike's Place market in Seattle? A fair analogy?

No. Not even close. Kensington used to be the centre of Toronto's Jewish Neighbourhood and was a hawker's market area. Now although there's still the odd Jewish establishment it has become more southern European, (Portuguese & Italian), Carribean & Asian with all sorts of interesting curio stores selling everything from used furniture, (antiques?), as well as ethnic specialties like colourful clothing and live food. The main fun there is the haggling. Few prices are fixed and everything is negotiable. But it's not everyone's cup of tea.

I walked up to Kensington a couple of Saturday's ago. Part of the fun of visiting is the walk through Chinatown to get there.<BR><BR>Kensington now has a statue honoring Al Waxman, who starred in a tv show called King of Kensington, and died a few years ago. Americans know/knew Al best as the Lietenant in Carney and Lacy.<BR><BR>The most likely purchases for American tourists in Kingsington are jewelry, very cheap women's clothes (the clothes are cheap, not the women) and expensive men's clothes at good discount prices.<BR><BR>The closest Torontohas to Pike's market is St. Lawrence Market, which is in the opposite corner of downtown Toronto, at Jarvis and Front Streets.<BR><BR>On Saturday's there's ine building filled with farmers and Saturday-only retailers. From Tuesday through Saturday there's a second building filled, similarly to Seattle, with permanent retailers selling all kinds of raw / uncooked food, plus a couple of restaurants. <BR><BR>It's a Toronto tradition to go to the St. Lawrence Market for back bacon on a bun sandwiches. the neighborhood includes a great book store, more art calleries (there's a good historiacal gallery in the main market building, too) and the neighborhood is worth a visit, especially on Saturday's.<BR>One of Toronto's visual icons is the Flatiron Building. If you turn your back to the Flatiron Building, the St. Lawrence Market is right ahead of you, a block away.<BR><BR>Both markets are worth a visit.<BR><BR>BAK

Thanks for all of the info!

Is the market then outdoors only on Saturday? Then from Tues.-Sat. is it only indoors?<BR>Thanks for your answers.