Toronto Uncovered

Posts Tagged ‘St. Lawrence Market’

In recent years, the faux-vintage indie scene appears to have taken our city by storm.  I cite the replacement of many funky Queen Street shops, specifically between Spadina and University, with chain stores like H&M and Urban Outfitters as my evidence. Don’t get me wrong, I like both those stores but I miss the authentic vintage ambiance of “Old Queen”. Yard sales and flea markets are rare in urban cities, which is a shame because in a world where we’ve become so tech and trend obsessed sometimes a little nostalgic taste of the past can be good for the soul.

Fortunately, St. Lawrence Market is our metropolis’s retro oasis and its located right downtown at Front and Jarvis. It’s all too easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of contemporary city life and take for granted many of life’s simple pleasures. Get back down to earth by visiting St. Lawrence as soon as you can and might I specifically suggest you do so on the weekend. After an eventful Friday and Saturday a friend and I spent our lazy Sunday browsing the St. Lawrence indoor and outdoor flea market (Sunday Antique Market).  We came upon many marvels such as antique furniture, funky glassware, rare vinyl, retro albeit fully functional turntables, vintage clothes, watches and jewelry and so much more.


Personally, I was delighted upon the discovery of a box of plush toys that took me right back to my childhood. Finding Care Bears was amazing but I was blown away to stumble upon a My Pet Monster with the cuffs intact. Another great benefit about the flea market is that the vendors are informative without being pushy. They’re also incredibly friendly and funny people to talk to so it’s a great place to go especially if you’re a social butterfly and/or new to the city.

Keep an eye out for celebrity sightings such as Colonel Sanders and Aunt Jemima. Alright, so actually they were just a couple of quirky figurines that we noticed were for sale and as tacky as they were it was still delightfully amusing to discover them amongst the sea of memorabilia.

The flea market will appeal to those of you looking for a bargain or a treasure hunt and, with some vendors selling old stamps and coins, it’s also a collector’s paradise.

I recently decided to sell my East side, Jarvis and Adelaide condo and move West.  I’m definitely excited to re-immerse myself in everything the West side has to offer: more restaurants, more shopping, more culture, more parks and bike lanes, but I will definitely miss certain East-end-only features that  I have come to take for granted.  Below is a farewell tribute to the East end and everything it has to offer.

1. St Lawrence Market: I’ve been coming to the St. Lawrence market on Saturdays ever since I was old enough to walk on my own. My grandparents used to take me every weekend, introducing me to all the shop vendors and teaching me the art of  negotiation.  Toronto’s most famed market has a huge array of meat, cheese, baked goods and the freshest produce around.  If food isn’t your thing (if you people even exist), the St. Lawrence has a huge antiques market on Sundays. I blogged all about this recently, as I love to peruse new and used treasures. St. Lawrence, I will miss you!

2. Peace and quiet: The East end, while being close enough to walk to pretty much anything, is actually pretty quiet. I am rarely woken up at night by late partiers, streetcars, or sirens. The streets are rarely crowded no matter what time or temperature, making walks or bike rides enjoyably peaceful.

3. More for less: Whether you are renting or buying, the East end usually has larger apartments, houses and condos for much less.

4. Parking: There is actually parking readily available on most streets and for most grocery stores. This is something much harder to find in the West.

5. Hot House Sunday Brunch: There are few, if any, brunch spots in Toronto that out-do the Hot House Sunday brunch-capade. Their buffet is reminiscent of the scene in Hook where Pan and the lost boys use their imagination to create a grand feast. There is quite literally every type of food you can possibly imagine. SO GOOD!

6. Proximity to the Beach: I love the beach, and love to play volleyball there every weekend. I’m going to miss having it a 10 minute drive from my house – but wont hesitate to jump on my bike for an extra 20 minutes to get there.

East side, I bid you farewell.. West end here I come!

I have always believed that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Since the time I was young, I would join my mom in garage sale hunting and spend hours pouring over other peoples unwanted goods. From these trips, I learned to negotiate, haggle with vendors, sniff out deals, and find diamonds in any ruff. Garage sales, yard sales and flea markets still excite me to this day, which is why on many Sundays I can be found wandering around the Sunday Antique Market at the St. Lawrence Market.

The SAM, open from 5am to 5pm,  is housed in the North building at Front St. and Jarvis St. During the warmer months there are  vendors along the sidewalks and also in the smaller fountain area just West of Jarvis.  I usually spend most of my time visiting with the outdoor vendors. They sell beautiful silks, jewellery, vintage designer items, and even some new designer items (like the Dior shades I got this weekend for half the” in-store” price).  The vendors are very friendly and love to chat with their customers, but don’t let that fool you, they are also fantastic sales people.

Aside from clothing and jewellery, you will also find an endless supply of household items: shelving units, antique glassware, fondue sets, pottery, and  collectibles like comic books, stamps and coins. There is no shortage of selection or diversity. Whatever you might be looking for, you will find some variation of it here – guaranteed!

All of the vendors are local to Toronto and the surrounding area, and many own shops around town as well. Most have a story to tell and will engage you as long as you are willing to listen. This is definitely one of my favourite Sunday morning or afternoon pastimes and I rarely leave empty handed.