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 Chinatown at night by rsilva
What I found most appealing were all the different colours and lights, not only the street signs but also the food that was on display everywhere.
If you are lucky you might find yourself in Chinatown at night after the rain and it will look even more spectacular.
Any shop will offer you a million things you probably have never seen before, there was a huge amount of strange-looking (and smelling) food. How can you not love the caramelized ducks/chicken hanging at the restaurant windows?
It was fun to see that this is a community where you don't have to speak English to get around. The staff at many places (restaurants included) could not speak English and even the police station has (what I guess are) Chinese writings on the wall.
In any case it makes it a very special place and I am sure you will not be dissapointed. Leave a Comment Address: Spadina Ave and along Dundas St. West
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I consider this avenue as the chinatown of Toronto. It is a combination of residential but mostly businesses in the area like real estate and insurance brokers, travel bureaus, bakeries, banks, pharmacies, physicians, lawyers, architects, book shops, garments, housewares, and a lot of restaurants.
I do not consider the avenue as a trendy or fashionable area but rather a place for bargain hunters. Streetcar is a means of transportation in Spadina Avenue plying frequently to and from various subway stations.
Nowadays, Spadina is not for chinese anymore. You will see people of different background shopping and haggling with the other bargain hunters. And you will not get hungry as there are restaurants in almost every corner - not only chinese but Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese restaurants.
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You can't miss entering into Chinatown ..... you begin to notice different scents ... then you notice a change in lighting ...... THEN you notice you must really be drunk, for the signs make no sense! Oh, I'm not drunk!
On second look ....... one realizes the hustle, bustle, and surroundings are actually Chinatown. A thriving Asian community in the heart of TO proper. One can find nic-nacs, Asian art, beads, jewelry, foods, spices, and special little eateries with wonderful grub for only a few dollars.
Bright, busy and up all night - my first experience was at 2am looking for an after pub meal .... Easy to find, hard to leave, Chinatown is a wonderful excursion while in the great city of Toronto :) Leave a Comment Directions: Along Dundas West and up Spadina Avenue. A few blocks from the Queen streetcar line .... but also directly on the Spadina streetcar line, just set out and explore
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 Hustle and bustle by Wendy67
The smells and sounds of Chinatown are, in my opinion, what make it what it is. Roasted pig, fresh/cooked/dried/salted seafood, coconut drinks, produce I've never seen in my life but would love to try. All this amongst local vendors haggling over the sounds of music coming out of restaurants and store fronts. It's definitely energizing.
The Toronto area has six Chinatowns, the largest being the one in downtown Toronto. It boasts as the second largest Chinatown in North America. My guess would be that the largest is in San Francisco, but don't hold me to that. If you know what is it, email me. Leave a Comment Address: Corner of Spadina and Dundas St. WestDirections: Catch the Spadina/Harbour trolley and get off at the Dundas Street stop.
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 Toronto - Dragon in Chinatown
(2005) by Kaspian
Chinatown runs along Spadina Street in downtown and is one of North America's largest Chinese districts.
Try to find a resturant that's packed with locals--that way you'll get to sample the "real" cuisine and not stuff prepared for tourists. Buy some of the imported DVDs that have subtitles, many of the Asian movies are way better ours lately (especially the horror ones).
Toronto's original Chinatown was located at Dundas and Bay St., but when construction began on the City Hall, it moved west to its current location at Dundas St. W and Spadina Ave. It began to really boom in the 1960s. Chinatown has grown to reflect a diverse set of cultres including Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean.
It stretches for several blocks in every direction. Leave a Comment Address: Corner of Dundas St. W and Spadina Ave.Directions: Take 505 streetcar W (or walk) from St. Patrick subway station.
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 Chinatown @ Daytime by coolpanda87
Other Chinese shopping & entertainment areas in the Greater Toronto Area include Scarborough (Cultural Centre, restaurants), Markham (Pacific Mall, Market Village, First Markham Place & more), & Richmond Hill (concentrated at a part of Hwy. 7, 16th Ave). The new areas of Markham & Richmond Hill are highly populated with Hong Kong residents that just came to Canada right before 1997, so the restaurants there are more H.K. and international style & less Chinese.
Like Vancouver, Toronto has Chinese listed as its third most spoken language in the city. Also interesting to note is the Chinese attraction to money, for Chinese people have flocked to "Richmond" in Vancouver & "Richmond Hill" in Toronto. Coincidence?
Though Chinatown has a lot of Chinese people, there are also many other minorities including Vietnamnese and even South Asians. The Chinese @ Chinatown have also changed from mainly Cantonese & Fuken people to Mandarian people from throughout the Mainland. Now it is easier to get around knowing a couple of phrases of Mandarin like "Zhe shi shum mall ?" (translated: What is this?)
There is a huge selection of cuisine for you to pick from, & though many places are very dirty, many times it is worth it! From Thai to Shanghainese...you could never leave with an empty stomach. There are also a lot of hawkers and mini-vendors throughout Chinatown that offer bargain offers. From Chinese calligraphy to pyjamas, there is a lot for eagar shoppers to sift through!
On the newly reconstructed Spadina Ave, you could see a sculpture two red dragons wrapping around poles. The whole structure forms the Chinese word door, pronounced "moon" in Cantonese. Leave a Comment Address: Spadina & Dundas Ave.Directions: Take Spadina or Dundas streetcar. Streetcar accessible from Union subway station, & Eaton Centre (Dundas & Queen subway station).Website: www.torontotourism.com
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As you can see, Toronto's Chinatown is nearly in the shadow of the CN Tower! So, as a landmark, I guess you could say it is Northwest of the Tower. Sorry, but I don't recall the specific street where you will find the greatest amount of activity. There are many sights to see, restaurants to choose from, shops to roam, and things to do that we don't have in Hickory, NC!
There are lot's of fruit and vegetable vendors and I thought I had a picture of the infamous durian, but I can't seem to find it now. Surely worth a visit for the sheer diversity of sights, sounds, and smells not to mention Dim Sum! Yum! Leave a Comment
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 Large neon signs are common in
Chinatown by mim95
There are many restaurants in the neighbourhood as well, most are Cantonese, serving a large varieties of food such as bbq pork, seafood, noodles and rice. There are also hot pot restaurants, where you cook your food in a big pot of soup bases, and Sichuan restaurants if you like hot and spicy food.
In recent years, there are many Vietnamnese restaurants in Chinatown as well. Their specialities include Vietnamnese noodles in soup and Vietnamese buns (hot dog shaped buns filled with meat and veggies). Leave a Comment Directions: Chinatown spans a few blocks from Dundas & Spadina
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 by Imaniac
You could easily spend a whole afternoon just walking around Chinatown and tasting the atmosphere. Go shopping for spices and clothing in one of the many shops. Or have dim sum for lunch in one of the many restaurants. And you may also want to visit a Buddhist Temple. Leave a Comment Directions: Chinatown is located on the corner of Spadina and Dundas Street West.
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 Watching people in
Chinatown by sim1
I've visited one of Toronto's chinatowns so far, the one at Spadina Avenue. It's one of the chinatowns in Toronto, but I think the most likely one that you will visit. It's wonderful to walk around here and watch the different culture and the people.
I am not used to making photos of people, hahaha, but after some encouragement of a VT-friend (you know who you are!) I gave it a shot. And here is the result, one of my people photos :-)
Leave a Comment Directions: Spadina Ave. (Queen to College) and Dundas St. (east and west of Spadina)
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