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10 Cute Neighbourhoods in Toronto to Explore

10 Cute Neighbourhoods in Toronto to Explore

Looking for the best and cutest neighbourhoods in Toronto to wander around and explore?

Whether you’re looking to go café hopping in a new part of the city or snap some cool photos for the ‘Gram, Toronto’s filled with adorable neighbourhoods and areas to explore!

Wandering around new areas of the city is one of my fave activities to do – it’s sort of like traveling without actually traveling!

Here are some of the cutest and most beautiful Toronto neighbourhoods to explore.

Be sure to also follow me on Instagram and TikTok – I share a lot more content on those platforms that don’t make it to the blog!

More things to do in Toronto

If you’re looking for more fun things to do in Toronto, you might enjoy these posts:


Cute neighbourhoods in Toronto


Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts in the Annex, Toronto

The Annex

The Annex is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Toronto, and it’s now filled with trendy restaurants and cool shops.

Take a walk around the neighbourhood and you’ll find Victorian buildings and gorgeous older houses.

Since U of T is located right in the Annex, you’ll also see plenty of students in the neighbourhood.

Cool photo spots in the Annex:

  • University of Toronto
  • Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts
  • Hokusai mural beside Kinka Izakaya (one of many cool Toronto murals!)

Cute restaurants in the Annex:


Yorkville, Toronto

Yorkville

Yorkville is known as a more chic and upscale neighbourhood in Toronto, and it’s home to the “Mink Mile” on Bloor Street.

You’ll also find more cute Victorian homes and cool storefronts in the Yorkville neighbourhood.

There are also plenty of fun things to do and fantastic restaurants and cafés you can visit in Yorkville!

Cool photo spots in Yorkville:

  • Old York Lane (a cute pedestrian-only street)
  • Village of Yorkville Park
  • Chanel store

Cute restaurants in Yorkville:


The Walton in Little Italy, Toronto

Little Italy

Mainly known for its classic Italian spots, Little Italy is another Toronto neighbourhood filled with adorable storefronts and amazing restaurants.

There are more multicultural restaurants nowadays, and the food scene here is just great!

Also, if you need to get changed while taking photos, stop by the Toronto Public Library!

Little Italy in Toronto
In front of an apartment at 795 College Street.

Cool photo spots in Little Italy:

  • 795 College Street (cute exterior)

Cute restaurants in Little Italy:


Cocktail Emporium in Kensington Market, Toronto
FIKA Cafe in Kensington Market, Toronto

Kensington Market

Kensington Market was where my parents first lived when I was born, but I never actually explored the neighbourhood until I became an adult.

There are all kinds of ethnic stores and cool vintage shops, and it’s the perfect area to spend a whole day exploring!

It’s a colourful and vibrant neighbourhood that’s also perfect for your Instagram feed.

Cool photo spots in Kensington Market:

Cute restaurants in Kensington Market:

  • FIKA Café (a cute Toronto café)
  • Wanda’s Pie in the Sky (nice patio)

Dundas West, Toronto

Dundas West

Dundas West is a hip neighbourhood in Toronto to explore, and it’s part of Little Portugal.

You’ll find plenty of unique stores and trendy restaurants in the Dundas West area.

Cool photo spots on Dundas West:

  • Dundas West mural (located at Dundas and Sheridan)
  • Trinity Bellwoods

Cute restaurants on Dundas West:


Toronto Carpet Factory in Liberty Village, Toronto

Liberty Village

Liberty Village is one of my absolute fave neighbourhoods in Toronto, and I’d totally live here if I wasn’t planning on leaving Toronto in the hopefully-somewhat-near future.

It sort of feels like it’s in its own little world, which is what I like most about the neighbourhood.

They’ll be building a bridge to King Street eventually, so it’ll become easier to access Liberty Village in the future.

If you’re looking to visit, I’ve got blog posts all about the best restaurants and things to do in Liberty Village!

Cool photo spots in Liberty Village:

  • Toronto Carpet Factory (for the cool mural!)
  • “Hustle” mural

Cute restaurants in Liberty Village:

  • School (a cute brunch restaurant)
  • Brodflour (an adorable bread shop with a café)

Crown Flora Studio on Queen Street West, Toronto

Queen West

Queen West is your spot for the best shopping and food in the city.

Besides Kensington Market, Queen West is one of my fave neighbourhoods to do vintage shopping in Toronto!

Cool photo spots on Queen West:

  • Graffiti Alley
  • Trinity Bellwoods
  • The Great Hall

Cute restaurants on Queen West:


Sugar Beach, Toronto

Waterfront

The Harbourfront is another one of my favourite neighbourhoods in the city, and there’s plenty to see and do around the area.

It’s located right by the water, so it’s filled with cute city beaches and scenic lake views.

You can even do some fun water activities while you’re here, like stand up paddle boarding or canoeing!

If you’re looking for more fun things to do in the area, I’ve got a blog post all about the best things to do at the Harbourfront.

I’ve also got a blog post all about the best Harbourfront restaurants!

Cool photo spots along the Waterfront:

  • Sugar Beach (pink umbrellas)
  • Harbourfront
  • The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (a completely free under-rated gallery)
  • HTO Park (yellow umbrellas)
  • Toronto Music Garden (especially pretty during summer with all the flowers)

Cute restaurants along the Waterfront:

  • Boxcar Social (one of my favourite Toronto cafés)
  • BeaverTails (housed in a cool red building)

Old Town, Toronto

Old Town

Fun fact: the Old Town neighbourhood is where the City of Toronto originated, and it’s the therefore the oldest neighbourhood in Toronto!

You’ll find this reflected in the historical buildings and architecture located in the area.

Cool photo spots in Old Town:

  • St. Lawrence Market
  • Gooderham Building
  • Toronto Post Office Building (located on Toronto Street)
  • The Omni King Edward Hotel
  • Novotel Toronto Centre

Cute restaurants in Old Town:

  • Biagio Restaurant (pretty exterior)
  • Rooster Coffee House (watch my TikTok video here!)

Fall outfit in the Distillery District, Toronto

Distillery District

And of course, we can’t forget the Distillery District, probably one of the most visited tourist destinations in Toronto.

It was originally a distillery (if you couldn’t already tell by the name), and it’s now a pedestrian-only neighbourhood filled with trendy shops, restaurants, and galleries.

It’s absolutely adorable all year-round, but it’s probably the cutest for photos during the winter with the Toronto Christmas Market going on.

If you’re looking to visit, I’ve got blog posts on things to do in the Distillery District and the best Distillery District restaurants!

Cool photo spots in the Distillery District:

  • Red heart installation
  • Love lock installation

Cute restaurants in the Distillery District:

  • Balzac’s Coffee (a Toronto café with a gorgeous interior)
  • Cluny Bistro (a beautiful French bistro with a stunning outdoor patio)

The best & cutest neighbourhoods in Toronto:

  1. The Annex
  2. Yorkville
  3. Little Italy
  4. Kensington Market
  5. Dundas West
  6. Liberty Village
  7. Queen West
  8. Waterfront
  9. Old Town
  10. Distillery District

In such a big city full of so many diverse cultures, we’ve got plenty of cute neighbourhoods to explore in Toronto.

I love just spontaneously visiting new areas of Toronto I haven’t explored before and wandering around the neighbourhood checking out all the best spots!

Have you visited any of these Toronto neighbourhoods? Where are your favourite neighbourhoods to explore in Toronto? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!

More things to do in Toronto

If you’re looking for more fun things to do in Toronto, you might enjoy these posts:

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Jessica Lam | Toronto lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and travel blogger | Diary of a Toronto Girl, a Canadian lifestyle blog


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Cute Toronto neighbourhoods

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