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Natasha Negovanlis’s Guide to Toronto for Gay Women

The T-Dot. Hogtown. Hollywood North. The Six. Whatever you call it, Toronto is by far, one of my favorite queer-friendly cities. Okay, so I might be a little biased because it is my hometown after all, but as the host-city of last year’s World Pride (which brought in over a million visitors) and home to one of the largest annual Pride weeks in the world, most queer people who have also spent time in this colorful, bustling town will agree that Toronto is definitely a metropolis worth checking out.

Best known for its open immigration, cleanliness, and polite residents, Toronto is a place where diversity is celebrated and all are welcome. It is a mosaic of vibrant neighborhoods that are rich in culture, green space, and history, and it has become one of the most progressive cities in the world when it comes to queer rights. It has been a decade since same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada, and several decades since queer people in Toronto have felt confined to The Village. Today, queer business owners have spread across the city and most lesbian bars are now-well, they’re just bars.

Integration is a huge part of the Toronto’s evolution and reputation. So much so that rainbow flags are proudly displayed on the doors and windows of all kinds of establishments. What most people outside of Canada don’t realize though, is that Toronto is actually the fourth most populous city in North America. So unfortunately, I couldn’t list all my favorite hangouts without writing a novel, but here is my abridged tour of Toronto.

Starting with the West, the Roncesvalles/High Park area is by far one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city. Roncesvalles is a street that runs North-South, in what used to be considered Polish Town, and is still home to tons of great Polish delis, plus third-wave cafés, bookstores, and unique gift shops like Another Story, with its huge feminist book collection, and Scout with its selection of same-sex wedding cards. It’s also home to The Revue Cinema (Toronto’s oldest standing cinema and a designated heritage site) which hosted this year’s Queer West Film Festival. And if you ever get a chance to visit in the spring, grab a sandwich from Dundas Park Kitchen and bring it to High Park where the cherry blossoms are breath-taking when in bloom.

Moving slightly South/East of Roncesvalles, Parkdale often reminds me of a smaller Brooklyn. Part of it’s charm is that it’s not completely gentrified yet, and it has tons of great antique shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants to offer. One of my favorite Parkdale restos is Grand Electric for their tacos, and if you’re looking for cheap and stylish vintage finds, check out Public Butter or Common Sort. And if you’re traveling with a bicycle or looking to purchase one while you’re here, right next door to Common Sort is Bike Pirates which creates a safe space by hosting workshops for women and trans people only on Sundays.

Parkdale is also part of the “Queer West” area, which branches East of the hood, further East on Queen Street West. It has one of the highest lesbian populations in the city, so if you’re traveling alone and looking to meet someone new, grab a picnic blanket and hit up Trinity Bellwoods Park for babe-watching, or skip over to a karaoke or DJ night at The Beaver (yep, beaver) or The Gladstone Hotel. For sexy stuff, continue moving East on Queen Street West to Come As You Are; Toronto’s co-operatively owned, not-for-profit sex shop. And if you keep heading East, eventually you’ll hit the Entertainment & Fashion districts where you can attempt to stalk your favorite band at the Much Music HQ or check out The Black Market across the street, where there is an entire rack dedicated to shirts with LGBTQA slogans.

Once you pass Yonge Street (I generally bypass King Street West and The Financial district on the weekends in an attempt to avoid bros and general club-district douche-baggery) you’ll find The St. Lawrence Market on Front Street East, which is one of Toronto’s oldest and largest food markets. Beside the market on Sundays, there is also a massive antique market that runs from 5am to 5pm. And if you’re feeling adventurous you can always hop on a ferry at the nearby Toronto Harbourfront to one of Toronto’s small islands or Hanlan’s Point-one of two nude beaches in all of Canada. (Though, be warned: You’ll see many-a-shrinky-dink!) Close to the market is also one of Toronto’s most historical areas, The Distillery District, which I personally only find fun when I’m feeling bougie.

If you choose to continue East however, there are many lovely neighborhoods to explore. The Village is located near Church Street & Wellesley street and is home to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Company on Alexander Street, which is a unique space that focuses on the creation and development of queer theatre. The Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives on Isabella Street also has some neat collections and exhibitions, and the remaining part of the East End has cute neighborhoods like Cabbagetown, Corktown, Riverdale, and Leslieville, where many queer families often purchases houses and settle down. You’ll usually find them eating ice cream together at one of the famous Ed’s Real Scoop locations, where I like to weep into a cup of house-made chili chocolate gelato as my ovaries explode over the adorableness.

A stone’s throw away from Leslieville, is also one of the lushest parts of Toronto’s waterfront, simply called “The Beaches” or “The Beach.” If you’re brave enough to take the 501 Queen Streetcar of Despair Eastbound towards the end of the line, it’s definitely worth checking it out. Especially if you travel with fur babies, because it is known for having some of the best off-leash dog parks in town. Or hit up Tori’s Bakeshop for gluten-free treats, and if you’re into ogling rich people’s houses or want to play some beach volleyball, take a long walk along the quaint boardwalk. You’ll be sure to feel like you’ve been transported to the ocean… or at least feel like you’ve been sucked into a Dawson’s Creek episode.

From there, you can take a bus North on Woodbine Avenue or on Greenwood Avenue to The Upper Beaches and Little India for some late-night traditional Pakistani food, or to see the incredible lights if you’re visiting around Diwali. Eventually, if you keep heading North-West of there, you’ll make it to The Danforth area also known as Greektown. This is where one of my favorite queer-owned and queer-friendly cafés, Red Rocket Coffee, is located. (They have a second location in The Village as well, and some of the best scones in the city!) Greektown is also a super fun place for a date night. Grab some loukamades, hang around Carrot Common, scour the shelves of Re-Reading (a used bookstore) and end the evening with a concert at The Danforth Music Hall where artists like St. Vincent have played.

Just a little South/West of Greektown is the Chinatown/Kensington Market area near Dundas Street West & Spadina Avenue, which is another one of my favorite neighborhoods. Kensington is one of the most eclectic and safe spaces for hippy-dippy folks to be. Located near the Ontario College of Art and Design and The Art Gallery of Ontario, it’s full of shops that sell things like art supplies and costumes. I could spend hours in The Blue Banana Market on Augusta; an emporium for local crafts and jewelry. And although Kensington is always filled with stimulating sights, sounds, and smells, on the last Sunday of every month, it gets even better when the streets are shut down for a pedestrian-only festival where you can do things like play a giant game of Scrabble or watch fire-spinners. One of the most convenient things about Kensington is that it’s also tucked behind Chinatown which is an awesome place for shopping, trying new foods, or buying weird trinkets you probably don’t need, but will treasure forever.

Just North and/or West of there, are tonnes of cool hoods like The Annex, Christie Pitts, Korea Town, and Little Italy. The Dundas West (or DuWest) area, around the Ossington Avenue strip (known for having an active night-life) is full of novelty bars like the The Get Well, where you can enjoy local craft beer while playing Dolly Parton pinball and vintage arcade games. And then there’s Bloor Street West or Bloordale, which is still developing, but also has a few gems. If you’re an omnivore with a vegan girlfriend, The Hogtown Vegan on Bloor has cruelty-free Southern comfort food that she’ll love, but will also satisfy your meat-loving soul. And just across the street from there, The Steady (a café and bar) hosts wicked queer events and some of the hottest dance parties in the city. Plus, there’s Ransack The Universe, a little further West on Bloor Street near Landsdowne, that offers great deals on records, antiques, and hosts crafting workshops.

After that, if you continue traveling West on Bloor, you’ll eventually hit Roncesvalles again, concluding the circle of Toronto through the eyes of this little lady. But again, Toronto is far too large for me to cover everything, and there is so much more to explore, so if you want to do some more research before you jet set, The Pink Pages and Queer West Toronto have great lists of different queer services and events around my beloved motherland. And of course, if you have any suggestions or favorite spots, please do leave them in the comments!

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