Queen-4-a-Day with West Queen West

by shadeydave, August 13, 2015

For Mother’s Day, the West Queen West Business Improvement Area association held a contest to win a shopping spree! I was fortunate enough to be the grand prize winner of $1000 to spend at some of Toronto’s finest shops with my mom!

For those that aren’t aware, West Queen West is a 2km stretch that runs from Bathurst Street to Gladstone Avenue. In fact, in 2014 it was ranked one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods according to Vogue Magazine!

Our shopping spree was scheduled for July 24th, coincidentally what would have been my Grandma’s 98th birthday! Upon arrival, we were greeted by Rob Sysak the Executive Director of the West Queen West BIA. He took us on a tour of the neighbourhood including graffiti alley where street art is legal!

From there, we had a brunch and tour of the Gladstone Hotel; the oldest continuously operating hotel in Toronto. It’s 125 years old and has plenty of character! All of the rooms are unique and artist-designed.

Finally, the shopping spree began! It’s impossible to name all of the businesses in the area but we had an incredible time exploring the different stores and shopping to our heart’s content. It was a memorable day that we’ll never forget!

Fun fact, 30 years ago my dad worked at Sanko for a short time after moving to Toronto from Japan. We told the owner and he still remembered “Komori-san”!

At the conclusion of our spree, a successful day of shopping!

Thanks again to the West Queen West BIA!

Source: Queen4Day with West Queen West | Winning! A Free and Fabulous Life!