Vogue names West Queen West world's second coolest neighbourhood

If you're one of those Debbie Downers who likes to complain that Toronto has no style, you might want to change your tune, because Vogue likes us just fine. Yep, that Vogue. In a story published on the magazine's site earlier this week dedicated to mapping out the world's 15 coolest street style neighbourhoods, West Queen West took the number two spot, behind Tokyo's Shimokitazawa district, beating out neighbourhoods in Paris and Milan. Somehow, we even trounced Silver Lake and Bushwick.

According to the piece, our city is "currently enjoying newfound prominence - and desirability - amongst globe-trotting tastemakers" (the best kind of tastemakers, IMO). West Queen West, meanwhile, is singled out as a "verifiable artery of indie patisseries, homegrown labels, and hidden-from-view galleries."

If you're really trying to keep your finger on the pulse, areas like Dundas West, Ossington and the Junction are seeing far-faster growth in many of those categories - but it's undeniably neat to see the international arbiter of style cred give a nod to what may be Toronto's best-established hub for fashion and art. (If there's one stereotype about our city that may hold some water, it's that we love ourselves some external approval.)

Photo by Connie Tsang