THERE’S something happening in Toronto. While so many cities lament the global economic crisis and the dulling effects of globalization, boutiques and restaurants seem to open every week in Toronto, and immigrant neighborhoods still feel linguistically, gastronomically, gloriously, distinct. The cultural diversity and urbanity seem limitless. But it’s hardly an urban jungle. Toronto is filled with lush, insistent greenery and an abundance of parks. It’s hard to imagine a better city to explore in summer.

Friday

4 p.m.

1. TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Toronto is full of food havens, but the market everyone talks about is Kensington, actually a series of cool coffeehouses, organic fruit stands and bars on the edge of Chinatown, a bustling sea of shops filled with Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. Start there, and make your way to the market. Check out the books and high-end kitchen paraphernalia at Good Egg (267 Augusta Avenue; 416-593-4663; goodegg.ca), then try a vegan muffin at Urban Herbivore (64 Oxford Street; 416-927-1231; fressenrestaurant.com; 2.44 Canadian dollars, about the same in United States currency), or a coffee at the Sublime Cafe (219 Augusta Avenue; 416-732-0431; thesublimecafe.com), which doubles as a vintage soul record shop. From there, wander into Bellevue Park. At the edge is the gorgeous Byzantine Revival Kiever Synagogue (25 Bellevue Avenue; 416-593-9702; kievershul.com), built in 1927 by Ukrainian Jews, evidence that the area was once a center for Jewish immigrants.

7 p.m.

2. APERITIF

Quench your thirst with an Augusta Ale (5.50 dollars) at Thirsty & Miserable (197 Baldwin Street; 647-607-0134,), which opened in February on the site of a former punk bar. It still feels pretty punk, with red walls and punk-hero photos on the walls. Or have a Duggans No. 9 pale ale (6.75 dollars) around the corner at Embassy Bar (223 Augusta Avenue; 416-591-1132), where the atmosphere is low-key and the red vinyl booths are filled with those who love the random D.J.-spun auditory mix, from the Cure to old ’60s to reggae.

8:30 p.m.

3. NOURISH

Queen Street West has recently witnessed an explosion of restaurants, all serving excellent food and all trending toward a rustic-hipster design, with filament lights and hardwood floors. The most avant-garde is the modern Canadian locavore cuisine at Ursa (924 Queen Street West; 416-536-8963; ursa-restaurant.com). The dining room — dark stained wood and sexy intimacy — serves dishes like exotic mushrooms with a sherry broth (13 dollars) and whey-brined Niagara pork loin with kale, lentils and sunchoke purée (24 dollars); tofu is made on site. One partner at Ursa comes from popular Terroni (720 Queen Street West, 416-504-1992; terroni.com), known for thin-crust whole-wheat pizzas and homemade raviolis; the black-stained back deck is filled with model types.