While we have yet to see choreographed street fights ala the Jets vs. the Sharks, there is most definitely a battle raging in Toronto for the title of coolest part of Queen Street. goodEGG industries founder Laural sings the praises of her East-end haunts, while her partner-in-crafty-crime Jen represents for her hood, the Westside.
QUEEN EAST
by Laural
Leslieville is located in the east end of the City, in what used to be an industrial area with several brickworks and other factories. In recent years it has developed a reputation as an up and coming neighborhood, with (relatively) cheaper real estate bringing in new residents, along with lots of great shops and restaurants. I moved to the neighbourhood more than a year ago and am completely smitten.
After a delicious meal at my favorite brunch spot, Edward Levesque’s Kitchen (1290 Queen St. E.), a trip to Gadabout (1300 Queen St E.) just next door is a must. The small shop is crammed floor to ceiling with all kinds of vintage treasures from games and toys to dresses and hats to books and pamphlets. And if you’re looking for something in particular, the staff are always very helpful.
Just down the street is another shop with a mix of vintage and contemporary products, called Winkel (1107 Queen St E.). They have a nice selection of papergoods, homewares and other interesting finds.
The crown jewel of the neighbourhood for shopping is Nathalie-Roze & Co. (1015 Queen St. E.), a shop featuring local independent designers and crafters with a great selection of clothing, accessories and papergoods. Nathalie-Roze also offers a variety of crafting workshops and serves ice cream on the patio in the summer!
Just a little further down the street is baby on the hip (969 Queen St E.), which I’m assured by my friends who have little ones is a must visit for new parents (or those looking for the perfect baby shower gift).
The street is also peppered with small galleries, including coupe space (998 Queen St. E.), which doubles as an event space and is run by the publishers of coupe magazine.
And, for designer furniture enthusiasts, there’s Machine Age Modern (1000 Queen St. E.), which has a large sized showroom of modern vintage pieces from 20th century designers and architects. Even for those of us who can’t afford to buy, there’s always something interesting to look at!
QUEEN WEST
by Jen
As a native of Toronto I have watched Queen West evolve & expand. As savvy chain stores moved on to the street between University and Spadina Ave., driving rents up and the cool factor down, boutique owners started moving further and further west, and were soon joined by independent gallery owners & craft studios. The result is blocks upon blocks of eye candy for fans of art, craft & design. Here is a taste of what you’ll find west of Bathurst on Queen.
Start your journey with a bang at Magic Pony (694 Queen W.), a gallery/shop that mixes contemporary art and retail in a very fun and dynamic way. Traffic stopping installations occupy the front window, enticing passersby to check out the art show at the back. The shop itself is filled with limited edition designer toys, clothing, books and stationary that are sure to please those who appreciate humour in contemporary design.
Quasi Modo Modern Furniture (789 Queen W) specializes in vintage and new modernist furniture, lighting and accessories for the home and office. Carrying work by some very prominent designers (such as Wegner and Knoll chairs, Eames and Adler ceramics), Quasi Modo is almost like a mini-museum of successful design, except you can buy stuff!
Fuel up for more explorations at Tealish (198 Walnut Ave.), a brightly painted independent tea shop just South of Queen Street at Walnut. Get a yummy tea latte to go (Walnut Ave Sencha is my #1 fave), choose from their extensive selection of loose teas, and explore their seasonally updated teaware including contemporary and traditional Japanese tea pots.
Crafty types should not bypass the Paper Place (887 Queen W.) which as its name suggests specializes in paper from around the world (especially Japan) as well as paper crafting supplies and books. For those who admire paper crafts but do not make stuff themselves, there are plenty of cute readymade cards and books, as well as some sweet Japanese and locally-made gifts. If you can’t make it to the shop but want to get your hands on their stock, check out their online store.
A bit past the park you’ll find Token gifts (888 Queen W.), the perfect place to pick up a sweet letterpress card to accompany your purchases or a blank book to document your travels and thoughts. Their thoughtful selection of home textiles, ceramics, and stylish and playful kids stock is definitely worth a looksee.
Further west but definitely worth the trek for textile addicts is The Workroom (1340 Queen W. at Brock). You’ll drool over bolts of carefully chosen fabrics by contemporary fabric designers from North America and Japan (such as Denyse Schmidt, Joel Dewberry, and echino). Rest your shopping-weary feet on the couch and flip through the growing collection of craft project books. If you’ve had enough of buying stuff and are looking to make something cute and stylish yourself, check out The Workroom’s workshop schedule.
As gathered by Laural and Jen of goodEGG industries. Please visit their wonderful sites:
goodEGG industries
Laural
Jen
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