sudie

I've been reading up for a visit to TO and have come across these. Are they neighbourhoods? Also, last time I visited I tried to find Kensington Market. Is it a building like the St. Lawrence market or the neighbourhood of houses? We are staying downtown near Chinatown. Are these places accessible via mass transit?

Also open to suggestions of off-the-beaten track ideas.

thank you in advance

Cat123

The Distillery District refers to the location of the formerly industrial distillery area of Toronto, which has recently been the object of a large urban revitalization project. The old industrial buildings (Victorian era) have been preserved and restored, and now house art galleries and restaurants. This weekend, for example, there is a jazz festival located there. There are also new condominium projects nearby. It would be a great place to check out for lunch and a short afternoon visit to the galleries and buildings. (www.thedistillerydistrict.com has more details, including directions)

The Beaches (or the Beach, as many call it) is an established neighbourhood located at Toronto's South-East End. You would get there by taking the Queen streetcar for about 30 minutes. There is a strip of shops and restaurants, as well as a boardwalk and, of course, a beach. It is very different from the rest of Toronto and well worth a visit, although not many tourists venture that way. It is, however, completely packed once a year for the annual Beaches Jazz Festival in July.

Cat123

Sorry - forgot to answer your other questions. Kensington market is not in any one building. It is a collection of stands and shops located west of Spadina between College and Dundas. You can certainly walk there from Chinatown - in fact the two neighbourhoods basically merge at Spadina. I've attached a link to more info on it here:

http://www.toronto.com/feature/7892/Kensington.html

BAK

It's a lomng but interesting walk from Chinatown (there are several Chinatowns, but we're talking Dundas and Spadina in this message) past the St. Lawrence Market and on to the Distillery District.

But the Beaches requires a streetcar ride.

These are al places I go to just on general principles (and cheap fruit in Chinatown) when I feel like a walk.

BAK

Carolred

Kensington market is a backpakers destination: used clothes, hippie stuff, etc. Restaurants are international and pretty cheat.

You can walk from Chinatown to the Beaches in a little more than two hours (I've done it); part of the walk is a bit too close to busy freeways, but it is not unsafe. Probably better to take a street car at least part way. It is a nice villagey area full of little shops with cool stuff and mid-to-higher-priced restaurants and nice parks among the condos.

The Distillery district is higher-end with expensive but very nice galleries and stores and white-linen restaurants.

Why does jazz seem to coincide with pricey restaurants these days?

BAK

RE>Why does jazz seem to coincide with pricey restaurants these days?< And yesterday I learnd one of the best jazz places, Top of the Senator, has been sold and the new owner is getting away from specializing in jazz.

He reports that, first of all, if jazz could pay the bills, the former owner would not have sold, and second of all, he does not want to run a non-profitable place.

Sad, really.

BAK