While Toronto has no shortage of eclectic and one-of-a-kind neighbourhoods, one area has been singled out among the rest as the city’s very own version of Brooklyn.
Travel publication Brooklyn Of, which names the coolest neighbourhoods in more than 150 cities around the world, has officially selected West Queen West as Toronto’s hippest area.
The publication uses “Brooklyn of” as a metaphor for a city’s coolest neighbourhood, meaning a place where culture, restaurants, nightlife and creative energy all come together in an organic way, as opposed to an area that’s dominated by major tourist attractions and big-box chains.
For Toronto, that meant West Queen West came out on top, ahead of other neighbourhoods like Kensington Market and Davenport, which were named runner-ups.
“We named West Queen West the Brooklyn of Toronto, and it was not a hard call. It has the whole package: record shops, late-night bars, street art, and a park scene that runs on cheap tallboys in summer. Torontonians are welcome to tell us we are wrong,” said Per, creator of Brooklyn Of.
As the publication notes, the stretch of Queen Street West between Bathurst and Gladstone is packed with independent shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes, while Trinity Bellwoods, which sits at the heart of the neighbourhood, is routinely packed during the warmer months.
Brooklyn Of’s guide to the neighbourhood includes places to stay like Gladstone House and the Drake Hotel, along with restaurants such as Prime Seafood Palace, Tiger Blues, as well as La Banane and Mamakas Taverna, which actually sit on the Ossington Strip.
While Ossington Avenue does intersect with Queen Street West (and there’s no denying the two areas naturally feed into each other), many locals would likely consider Ossington its own distinct strip and neighbourhood, rather than just another section of West Queen West.
When heading north from Queen, that distinction is especially noticeable, since Ossington’s concentration of restaurants and unique businesses gives it a character that’s undeniably its own.
For drinks, the publication recognizes bars like BarChef, Mother, Prequel & Co. Apothecary, Bar Poet, and Bovine Sex Club. Numerous coffee shops were also mentioned on the list, including Buno Coffee, Library Coffee, Highly Likely Coffee, Cafe23, Sam James Coffee Bar, and White Squirrel Coffee Shop.
Other spots highlighted include none other than Trinity Bellwoods Park, Youngplace, Graffiti Alley, and shops like Type Books, Kowli, and Atomic.
“West Queen West wins on density. Within a 15-minute walk you can browse Type Books, drink whatever BarChef is setting on fire this month, and end the night at Mother or Prime Seafood Palace without ever checking a map,” the publication writes.
“That ease is hard to argue with. Kensington makes you fight for it, and Davenport makes you plan for it, but West Queen West just delivers, block after block, morning coffee at Library Coffee through last call. It’s the only neighbourhood on this list where the creative scene, the food, and the nightlife all operate at full strength at the same time. It arrived, it stayed good, and nothing else in Toronto matches its floor.”
Runner-up Kensington Market was recognized for its ample vintage shops, cheap eats, markets, and late-night bars, while Davenport (between Dupont and St. Clair) was highlighted for its cozy Portuguese bakeries, small galleries, and studios.
Do you agree with the publication’s ranking?
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