A TORONTONIAN’S GUIDE TO QUEEN WEST
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According to Vogue Magazine, a short walk north of 505 Richmond Street West is home to one of the hippest districts in the world. A never ending selection of Queen Street West’s restaurants, shopping and entertainment have helped put “The 6ix” on the map as one of the most diverse cities in the world. Here are some of the must-see places you’ll find when perusing the street – giving a the true Toronto experience just around the corner from Waterworks.
Zane – 753 Queen Street West (750m from Waterworks)
A former pop-up shop and now Queen West staple, Zane by owner Zane Aburaneh carries brands from all over the world including Rebecca Minkoff, Daniel Wellington, Vevetine, and Amanda Lee Kew to name a few. The store specializes in a curated selection of accessories, handbags, sunglasses, socks, jewelry and some innovative products such as touch screen gloves that prevent fingerprint smears on your smart accessories
416 Snack BaR – 181 Bathurst Street (500m from Waterworks)
From food blog to Friday night line-ups out the door, 416 Snack Bar resides on one of the trendiest corners of the city located at Queen and Bathurst. Where some may call it tapas, owners Dave Stewart and Adrian Ravinsky hold true to the idea of aiming to represent the quality and diversity of Toronto with each snack they serve – whether a $7 Steak Tartar or the $6 Spicy Tuna Handroll. If you don’t like eating with your hands you’ll have to bring your own cutlery as they believe a good snack should only be eaten with your hands.
Crown Flora Studio – 1233 Queen Street West (3.3k from Waterworks)
With winter around the corner, make gardening easy with the return of the terrarium trend. Create your own interior design jungle with the florist’s duo of Davis Khounnoraj and Adam Mallory, just down the street from Waterworks. With floral arrangements appealing to a wide range of customers from craft show goers to some of Toronto’s well-known storefronts, Crown Flora Studio combines a love for botanicals and textiles offering the perfect way to bring style and the outdoors inside.
Nomad – 819 Queen Street West (1.3k from Waterworks)
This downtown menswear staple is known for their unique and contemporary brands including being one of the only retailers in Canada to carry the highly popular Supreme line. Since 2010, this shop featuring boutique and online shopping, has been a go to source for catching up on the latest product launches and designer collaborations. From skaters to the more nomadic of men, check out their Instagram for daily style inspiration.
Design Republic – 639 Queen St. West (400m from Waterworks)
While searching for that perfect living room statement piece you’ll want to check out Design Republic located at Queen and Bathurst – in the heart of the Queen West design district. Designing and building their own collections, you’ll be sure to discover something here you won’t find anywhere else in Toronto.
Offering interesting and unusual home furnishings, you’ll get a true taste of Toronto design as much of you see in the store they manufacture in Toronto. Design Republic specializes in a variety of materials and products including solid wood and steel tables, sofas, sectionals and sofabeds in hundreds of fabrics and leather. If you’re looking for something specific they also offer a huge range of customizable seating, dining, sleeping and storage solutions for your home and office.
