One great thing about a city Toronto’s size is that there’s no shortage of hidden gems. There’s also no shortage of lists about our hidden gems, which is why I canvassed a wide swath of in-the-know Torontonians to put this one together. I’ve also included a few personal favourites.
From oddball theaters and deer-filled cemeteries to witchy shops and cult clothing stores, these lesser-known Toronto attractions should keep you busy and entertained in the months ahead.
Photo courtesy of https://www.gloomth.com/doll-funeral-by-gloomt
Doll Funeral
You know your clothing store is a hidden gem (emphasis on ‘hidden’) when there are multiple TikToks explaining how to find it. Doll Funeral (222 Spadina, Unit 212) is located down a winding hallway on the second floor of the Chinatown Centre at Spadina and Dundas. Founded under the banner of Toronto artist Taeden Hall’s Gloomth clothing label, Doll Funeral is a small shop whose eclectic contents include Gloomth clothing (think fashion-forward Goth girls raised on anime), handmade jewelry, and second-hand alt fashion. They are open weekends or by appointment, and, yes, there are many creepy dolls scattered about.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Park Lawn Cemetery
While the Necropolis and Mount Pleasant Cemetery are better-known, Park Lawn Cemetery, located a five-minute walk west of Old Mill subway station in Etobicoke, is a peaceful resting place for the city’s departed souls (including guitarist Jeff Healey) and a beautiful spot for cemetery lovers. Its 73 acres back onto the Humber River Valley and it is frequented by local deer, foxes, and coyotes, which can be spotted throughout the year. (Warning: as per the signs scattered throughout the cemetery, don’t feed the animals, no matter how cute.) Psst! Don’t tell anyone but there are several tasty berry trees that bloom here in the summer.
Photo courtesy of https://redsandcastletheatre.com/
Red Sandcastle Theatre
Deep in the heart of Leslieville is the Red Sandcastle (922 Queen Street East). This inconspicuous store-front theatre in Toronto’s east end is home to Eldritch Theatre, whose many acclaimed productions tend towards the absurd and the macabre. There are also a lot of puppets. Managing Director Eric Woolfe has been the driving force behind such imaginative Eldritch plays as Madhouse Variations, The Harrowing of Brimstone McReedy, and A Tale Told By an Idiot, an upcoming comic reimagining of Macbeth. Red Sandcastle is also a creative hub for community artists of all kinds to come together to work on their projects.
Photo courtesy of https://www.meeplemart.com/
Meeplemart
Toronto-area gamers and geeks in the know make it a habit to stop by Meeplemart (247 Spadina Avenue) whenever they come downtown.
Located in Chinatown down a flight of steps, this vast subterranean gaming mecca contains rows of board, car, and war games, as well as paintable D&D miniatures, toys, books, and all sorts of pop culture paraphernalia.
It also houses a pinball arcade (with 29 modern machines), where you can buy a bucket of coins to keep playing. There is also an open play space for boardgames, RPGs, and card games. Bonus: Meeplemart’s prices are consistently lower than their competitors.
Photo courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/ kingstonroadvillage/
Kingston Road Village
Several downtown friends have moved east in recent years to Kingston Road Village. Located between Hannaford Street and Victoria Park Avenue, this scenic neighbourhood houses a number of one-of-a-kind shops filled with collectables, handmade items, and vintage finds – making it a destination for unique gift-giving.
A new addition to the village is the “eclectic emporium” (their words) Ram & Rebirth (1047 Kingston Road) which keeps local witches well-stocked with their altar & ritual supplies, candles, and various tarot decks.
There are also a number of tasty restaurants like The Porch Light (982 Kingston Road), which boasts a locally-sourced menu and a kids’ playroom in the back.
Photo courtesy of https://www.littleghostsbooks.com/
Little Ghosts Books
Toronto has its own horror book store? Lucky us! The first of its kind in Canada, Little Ghosts Books (930 Dundas Street West) haunts a small storefront just east of Trinity Bellwoods Park. Their carefullycurated collection of creepiness favours indie authors over Stephen King and sells a variety of works by BIPOC and queer writers. They also host book launches and signings for local writers, and are rightly lauded for their great coffee and atmosphere. Their prices are also affordable and their staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They have also branched out into publishing and ship their wares worldwide.
Photo courtesy of https://thecaledonian.ca
The Caledonian
It’s probably never crossed your mind to order takeaway haggis, but you can from The Caledonian (856 College Street). Located in Little Portugal, The Caledonian opened about 14 years ago and remains Toronto’s only Scottish pub. But while it started out primarily attracting ex-pats and Torontonians of Scottish descent, its lively atmosphere has won it a wide range of regulars. Many of them are fans of its vast collection of award-winning whiskeys, while wannabe-Scots like myself have become devotees of traditional fare like haggis, neeps & tatties for dinner and a deep-fried Mars bar for dessert.
Sean Plummer | Contributing Writer
