A week ago, the New York Times has published online this amazing looking longform article called 52 Places to Go in 2016. The famous newspaper publishes this list annually, pointing out mainly the places that have not been on the radar of the tourist masses for some reason and are worth visiting. The reasons vary from being overshadowed by other, more popular places in the region, city or a country having a former bad reputation that has changed recently, or simply just the fact that some places are just too small to be known the general public.

This year is special, because our beloved Toronto was listed in the top ten - as #7 to be exact! The reasons of this great news are many, but one pointed out the most is probably the gentrification of the Junction neighbourhood, that has been happening since the beginning of this millennium.

The Junction has gone a long way from a former industrial neighbourhood, that was most well known for meat processing and prohibition. That changed in 1998, when the prohibition was challenged and after that, first bars and restaurants started to open. The housing prices were still low and the affordable rents in combination with many former industrial spaces available for renovation lured in young artists and the neighbourhood started to enter a new era. Now it’s considered one of the most hip areas in Toronto because of the chic restaurants, coffee shops, live music and other cultural institutions.
Read more about the Junction in our Neighbourhood Guide.

Other reasons of listing our town are the reopening of the Queens Quay on Lake Ontario, cultural diversity and events like TIFF and the upcoming NBA All-Star game.

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