Independent bookstores are thriving, wired headphones are suddenly cooler than AirPods and everyone seems to own a record player, forgoing a Spotify subscription for hand-selected used vinyl.
In 2026, when social media, generative AI and Zoom calls feel nearly inescapable, Gen Z and millennials seem to be experiencing a collective desire to go back to life before the Internet.
But Instagram time limits and an impulsive swapping of your cellphone for a flip phone can only go so far in escaping digital technology. In a culture-rich city like Toronto, there are plenty more ways to ditch screens in favour of offline experiences. Whether you’re striving for the aesthetic of a used book with your morning coffee, or you just love the feeling of thumbing through the yellowing pages of a paperback instead of tapping your Kindle screen, there’s something for everyone.
From used bookstores and quirky vintage clothing shops to a coffee spot that turns into a vinyl cocktail bar at night and a century-old cinema, Toronto’s West End is full of places to time travel to life pre-social media and the Internet.
Put your iPhone on airplane mode, plug in your wired headphones and stroll through these spots in the West End to go back in time, if only for the afternoon.
mrs. huizenga
This vintage store feels like a grandmother’s well-loved apartment if it had 10-feet ceilings and an impossibly comprehensive collection of antique dishware, furniture, vintage clothing and even retro copies of Playboy magazine. Owned by Catherine Huizenga and her partner Dave Amer, the shop has been open for 21 years. If you want to amble back in time, stumbling through gem after gem for hours, then this spot is for you.
- Address: 2906 Dundast St. W.
- Prince range: $10 – $300
- Hours: Sunday – Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Address: 2906 Dundast St. W.
- Prince range: $10 – $300
- Hours: Sunday – Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
📸: Enid Kohler/The Green Line.
THE ARTS MARKET JUNCTION
One block west of Mrs. Huizenga is The Arts Market’s Junction location (it also has a storefront in the Danforth). At first glance, the shop looks like an ordinary artisan crafts store, with handmade jewelry and stationery designed by Canadian artists on the top floor. But turn left and you’ll find a steep stairway leading to the basement. With a creaky floor, retro posters, dainty tea cups from the 1950s and an ample supply of vintage denim and maxi skirts, The Arts Market’s basement feels like a portal to decades past.
- Address: 2978 Dundas St. W.
- Price range: $5 – $120
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Wednesdays.
- Address: 2978 Dundas St. W.
- Price range: $5 – $120
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Wednesdays.
📸: Enid Kohler/The Green Line.
PANDEMONIUM
Continue along the Junction strip to find Pandemonium, a used bookshop that also has an extensive collection of used CDs, vinyls and DVDs. Founded in 2000, this shop caters to customers of all ages, with a generous stash of children’s books and genres ranging from history to science fiction to philosophy. If you’re looking for a beach read to take to Toronto Island or a vinyl for your record player, don’t miss this Junction institution.
- Address: 2920 Dundas St. W.
- Price range: $5 – $40
- Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday – Friday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Address: 2920 Dundas St. W.
- Price range: $5 – $40
- Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday – Friday: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
📸: Enid Kohler/The Green Line.
ROOMS COFFEE — 915 DUPONT
You may know Rooms for its cozy coffee shop on Ossington, but its 915 Dupont location is something else entirely, simultaneously a Hi-Fi lounge, cocktail bar and coffee shop. Tucked away in a warehouse on Dupont Street, 915 has warm brick walls, enough plants to feel like a greenhouse and a fantastic sound system. Come for 915’s event nights — like a Monday chess night or a Sunday jazz performance — and stay for their small bites, craft cocktails and retro vibes.
- Address: 915 Dupont St.
- Price range: $3.70 – $20
- Hours: Coffee shop: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., bar: 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.
- Address: 915 Dupont St.
- Price range: $3.70 – $20
- Hours: Coffee shop: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., bar: 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.
📸 Interior of rooms coffee – 915. dupont : 915dupont instagram.
COURAGE MY LOVE
Kensington Market will forever be Toronto’s go-to for thrifting. Founded in 1975, Courage My Love is a classic. Its rows of brown and red cowboy boots catch your eye from across the street. This spot feels like it hasn’t left the 1970s, with a hippie, flower-power vibe, from its flowy skirts and beaded jewelry to its circular racks of corduroy flare pants.
- Address: 14 Kensington Ave.
- Price range: $5 – $50
- Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.
- Address: 14 Kensington Ave.
- Price range: $5 – $50
- Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 1 – 5 p.m.
📸: Enid Kohler/The Green Line.
PUBLIC BUTTER
While you’re at Courage My Love, turn the corner and walk four minutes to get to Public Butter’s Kensington location. It’s another vintage mecca with a second store in Parkdale. The space is massive, with vintage biker jackets, denim cut offs, retro bathing suits, racks of Y2K tees and, yes, cowboy boots. It’s also unusually bright and spaced out for a thrift store, which makes the experience more enjoyable while still feeling like you’re transported back in time. The prices are definitely higher, but you don’t have to make a purchase to have a good time. Wander aimlessly through the racks to trapeze from the ‘60s into the ‘90s in seconds.
- Address: 250 Augusta Ave.
- Price range: $10 – $150
- Hours: Monday – Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday and Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday to Saturday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Address: 250 Augusta Ave.
- Price range: $10 – $150
- Hours: Monday – Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday and Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday to Saturday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
📸: Enid Kohler
LAKEVIEW DINER
This 24-hour West End diner first opened its doors in 1932, making it a must for a quick time travel to nearly one century back. With leather-backed booths, classic bar stools and a vintage jukebox, Lakeview Diner makes you forget you’re only steps from Ossington’s modern strip of trendy coffee shops and cocktail bars. Although the diner may be almost one hundred years old, the menu and space recently got a revamp. Check out this spot for a Sunday brunch, afternoon milkshake or late night snack.
- Address: 1132 Dundas St. W.
- Price range: $10 – $30
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Address: 1132 Dundas St. W.
- Price range: $10 – $30
- Hours: Open 24 hours
📸: Enid Kohler/ The Green Line.
REVUE CINEMA
Last but not least, what better way to go back in time than to enjoy a film at Toronto’s oldest operating cinema? Opened in 1912 on Roncesvalles Avenue, this movie theatre has seen every era of the past century. After an eviction scare in 2024, the Revue Cinema is back and thriving. Check out its showtime schedule on their Instagram page to plan your retro movie night this summer.
- Address: 400 Roncesvalles Ave.
- Price range: $15 for a general admission ticket; $12 for children, seniors and students
- Hours: Varies based on showtime schedule. See @revuecinema on Instagram for details.
- Address: 400 Roncesvalles Ave.
- Price range: $15 for a general admission ticket; $12 for children, seniors and students
- Hours: Varies based on showtime schedule. See @revuecinema on Instagram for details.
📸: Enid Kohler/The Green Line.
Did I miss your favourite spot to time travel in the West End? Message me and tell me what to check out next. Email me at hello@thegreenline.to, so I can add your recommendation to the next list. And if you end up giving one of these places a try, tag @tglhelps on Instagram to be reposted on our story.
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