The lakefront isn’t all hippo buses, artfully buckled boardwalks and throngs of shutter-happy tourists. Nor is it the barren stretch of stinky marinas buried behind a wall of blasé condos that locals who haven’t braved crossing under the Gardiner Expressway in a decade remember.
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Yes, chartered party boats blasting deep bass beats still cruise the shoreline, and the Island airport is a lot busier than it used to be, but Queens Quay between Bathurst and Jarvis is – dare we say it? – finally feeling kind of homey.
It’s a dense, maturing neighbourhood thanks to all those high-rises, and the population surge is slowly translating into a nice mix of shops and restaurants.
The store that’s closest to our local design-loving heart has to be Bounty (235 Queens Quay West, 416-973-4993). The bright boutique has occupied this site for over 30 years, originally focusing on craft products and pieces produced in Harbourfront Centre’s glass, metal art, ceramic and textile studios. It still stocks studio work like Clayton Haigh’s hexagonal tumblers and Dawn Petticrew’s icing-glazed butter dishes, but now that merch is mixed with design finds from around the world.
Those items, from sleek Tkaro water bottles to colourful Husque bowls made from ground up Macadamia nut shells, are all documented on Bounty’s CreativeGeniusWorld.com blog. That’s where you’ll also find info on Shiner’s Knockout lamps made from recycled styrofoam and corrugated cardboard, and sweet Ninutik maple sugar cakes.
The Harbourfront Centre complex is also home to the Sirius Stage, the Power Plant contemporary art gallery (416-973-4949, thepowerplant.org) and the Enwave Theatre (both 231 Queens Quay West, 416-973-4000). Look for more home finds in the outdoor International Marketplace just west of York Quay Centre throughout the summer.
To the east is Queens Quay Terminal (207 Queens Quay West), a landmark art deco warehouse that was converted into shops, offices and residences in the early 80s. Its mall includes boutiques like Toy Terminal (416-203-3385) and Tilley Endurables (416-203-0463), plus the Fleck Dance Theatre (416-973-4000) and restaurants Il Fornello (416-861-1028), Watermark (416-214-2772) and Pearl (416-203-1233). From June 30 to July 4, tall ships from Canada, the United States and Germany dock around the Terminal building, part of the annual Toronto Waterfront Festival (towaterfrontfestival.com).
More tall ships are on display at Harboufront Antiques (249 Queens Quay West, 416-408-3323), though the store’s model schooners are better for propping on your mantle than sailing the Great Lakes. Other retro finds include gilt-framed art works, old electronics and smaller antique furniture.
Just up Rees in the restored John Street Roundhouse is a rare urban sight, a downtown Leon’s store (255 Bremner, 416-642-0630). Forget big-box sterility and sectionals that seat 17 in the suburbs. The LEED-certified, 40,000-square-foot industrial space has been outfitted with condo-scaled sofas and sideboards. Where size still matters is in televisions, and Leon’s stocks mammoth flat-screens that only pale in comparison to the Rogers Centre Jumbotron across the street.
Back south of the Gardiner, the resto options include sushi at Ichiban (262 Queens Quay West, 416-204-1799) or Gui Rei (600 Queens Quay West, 416-977-6111). Harbour Sixty Steakhouse (60 Harbour, 416-777-2111) was recently redesigned to celebrate a 10th anniversary, but its private dining rooms and bar remain sufficiently swanky. For a more laid-back meal, hop on the Ward’s Island ferry for a short ride to the Rectory Café (102 Lakeshore, 416-203-2152) overlooking Lake Ontario.
Further west on Queens Quay is Kalena Aroma Boutique & Spa (458 Queens Quay West, 647-349-5010), where aromatherapy is added to facials and massage services. If your pooch needs pampering, too, Cosmopawlitan (478 Queens Quay West, 416-598-4700) offers baths and grooming and sells pet accessories like brass dog beds and zebra-print carriers.
What the neighbourhood lacks in clothing shopping options, it makes up for with its own Joe Fresh Style Studio (10 Lower Jarvis, 416-703-4865). Outside, the neighbouring store lines the sidewalk with overflowing flower carts. Inside, the Joe collection is blooming with colourful summer dresses and bathing suits. A halter tunic is available in various bright plaids, and a bikini in a fine floral print has a retro high-waisted cut.
Don’t leave without a pair of the season’s standout clogs, available in slip-on and strappy sandal styles, perfect for a summer day on the water.
Photos by Michael Watier
