Episode 02: Summer in the city

Running into my favorite Youtubers on a summer day in the city! What’s not to love?

With over 6 million inhabitants, Toronto is a metropolis. As the capital of Canadian business, Toronto welcomes millions of tourists annually, is a hub for many industries, and is a center for innovation. Somehow though, it feels like a small town. I always end up running into my friends downtown, or making new friends wherever I go. I find people are generally open-minded and open to making connections. Toronto gets a bad rap in Canada for being “all business” and cutthroat, but in this vlog I hope you can see how that isn’t always the case.

Case in point: I made it to Kensington Market in this video, and ran into two of my favorite Youtubers on the street! Chris Hau and Lizzie Peirce, two producers, photographers, and inspiring creators, were even friendlier and nicer in real life than I thought. As you can see in the vlog I did not even try to keep my cool, lol.

I also made a few connections with Kensington vendors, who are a part of what make Kensington such a gem. Kensington Market, for the uninitiated, is a district made up of vendors from every walk of life, and has so far resisted a lot of the gentrification and commercialization taking place in other parts of the city. People from all over the world come together in this small corner of the city in the summertime to enjoy the sunshine and eclectic eateries. This is especially true on Sundays, as the streets become pedestrian-only (no cars).

Personally, I recommend checking out the tacos at Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos, the sweets at Wanda’s Pie in the Sky and Cafe Pamenar for a cool, laid-back coffee shop/bar with a great patio. If you haven’t already tried them, Lizzie also recommended the smoothies here!

In this video, I shared my Skillshare class! Check it out if you are looking to learn another language!

The city’s murals make a small cameo, as Kensington is home to some great street art.

Kensington Market is a classic Toronto spot in the summer for tourists and meeting friends.

In the summertime, the streets are converted into pedestrian areas, which allow those on foot to make the most of the laid-back neighborhood.

Ran into two of my favorite Youtubers also enjoying Kensington Pedestrian Sundays! Check them out!

Wanda’s Pie in the Sky: Try it for some of the best pies around!

I took the Spadina streetcar from Spadina station, getting off at Nassau Street.

The Spadina Streetcar

From Kensington, I walked down to Queen Street and to Graffiti Alley.

After the walk through Kensington, I made my way down to Queen Street and Graffiti Alley, pointing out some murals and street art on the way.

Are you interested in seeing a street art or graffiti tour of Toronto? It’s one of my personal favorite aspects of living in Toronto, and makes the city a pedestrian art-lover’s paradise.

Let me know in the video comments!