The character that truly is Kensington Market started to take shape in the early 1900’s when Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe as well as some Italian immigrants started to settle here. These new immigrants bound together as a community and as such they opened many stores here and sold goods out of stalls. Because of this, the Kensington area started to develop its own flare and it was dubbed “the Jewish Market”. By the 1930’s, more than 60,000 Jews lived in Kensington Market and the surrounding area.

Following World War II, many of these original Jewish families moved out of Kensington Market and headed north to the more prosperous areas of Toronto. As the Jewish population mostly left this area, other immigrants moved in to take their place. At first, many immigrants for the Azores moved here followed by new Caribbean, East Asian, African and Latin immigrants. Today, Kensington is still an eclectic mix of cultures, food and people.