By Grace Cameron, Lifestyle Editor
Fruit stand at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, awash with colour and culture. - Photos By Grace Cameron
Kensington and St. Lawrence markets: Two different faces of Toronto
ONE IS a 200-year-old market contained in two buildings and surrounded by spanking new and superlatively expensive condominiums.
The other, sprawled over a number of narrow streets, spills out on to the sidewalk and is adjacent to the hustle and bustle of Chinatown to the east and the old, but definitely working class neighbourhood of Little Italy to the west.
One is decidedly restrained and somewhat refined. A mecca for tourists visiting the city, its vendors are hand-picked farmers and merchandisers who must be passionate and knowledgeable about their products and show interest in the general welfare of the market before being allowed to set up shop.
The other sprang to life in the 1920s when Jewish immigrants peddled their wares from bolted down pushcarts in front of their homes. Business soon spilled over on to the lawns, porches and in some cases occupied the main floor of houses. It has grown since then, but that energy of contained chaos remains.
