Queen West, between University and Bathurst,
is a consumer carnival of shopping, eating and drinking. Over the last two decades, Toronto’s rapid commercial growth-rate, transformed this area from a gritty punk playground into the nearby Eaton Centre shopping mall’s sidewalk sequel.

As it developed, high end stores started
to crash the Queen West party and invited their friends, all of whom would eventually drive the rent up, causing many businesses to head
further west. But a few holdovers from Queen West’s punk and experimental arts have
managed to survive, and there are still plenty
of independent shops supplying innovative,
trendy garments and goods. Additionally, the presence of hot dog carts, crusty street characters, gussied-up shoppers, and sidewalk vendors selling art and jewelry keeps things lively. Even further west on Queen, Spadina
and Bathurst, the street resumes its roots with vintage clothing and bohemian fabric shops, places for beads, indie record stores, dirty,
nasty bars, and an accompanying population
for scenesters, artists, and musicians who
inhabit the surrounding residential neighbourhoods.