St. Lawrence Market: Bringing the Farm to the City
Visitors from rural communities seem to be drawn to the St. Lawrence Market, an ancient Toronto institution, first established back in 1803. It is situated at the intersection of King and Jarvis streets, in an area which used to be fairly grubby, but in recent years has turned into a haven for upscale condo-dwellers, intimate bistros and high-end furniture boutiques. While the market has two main buildings, offering permanent food vendors in the south building, along with many workshops and exhibits during the week, it is the Saturday Farmers’ Market in the north building which is the biggest draw. Starting at 5 a.m. (a difficult time to conceive for many city-dwellers, but seasoned regulars make a point to arrive early for the most selection) and ending at 5 p.m., the farmers’ market runs every Saturday year-round. The market is packed with 50 vendors (or more, when the market spills out onto the surrounding sidewalks during the summer months) from farms around the GTA and across the province. Seasonal produce is cheap, excellent and abundant, something which can’t be said for the selection in many downtown grocery stores. Of course, the greatest variety can be found in the summer, when the growing season is at its height, but even during the winter and early spring, a wide variety of produce is available. There are also meats, preserves, jams and baked goods offered, with aromatic sausage, fresh baked bread, and fruit pies of every description. Cross over to the south building for some of the best cheese and fresh fish in the city. There are a number of parking lots around the market, but locals tend to take the TTC, riding the subway to the King St. station, and then hopping on the 504 King streetcar heading east.
Location: corner of Jarvis and King
Hours: South Market; Tuesday --- Thursday 8am-6pm, Friday 8am-7pm, Saturday, 5am-5pm
Farmers Market (North Building); Saturday 5am-5pm
Website: http: www.stlawrencemarket.com
