We hear it all the time. A client has driven to our showroom for a design presentation, or has come to
spend an afternoon browsing, and before leaving asks us the same question: Where should we go for
lunch? Is there anywhere nearby to do a little shopping?
The answer is yes. Quite a few places, actually.
Newmarket and Aurora may be north of the city, but they are far from simply being suburbs to pass
through. Between our historic main streets, thoughtfully curated boutiques, independent restaurants,
cafés, galleries and beautiful new cultural spaces, this area has become a destination in its own right.
We decided to spend a day visiting some of the local businesses we love and a few newer discoveries
we think you should know about. If you are coming to Niche Decor from Toronto or elsewhere in the
GTA, consider this your invitation to stay a little longer. If you already live nearby, perhaps it will inspire you to rediscover what is right outside your door.
We began on Main Street Newmarket at Metropolis Mercantile + Café, a place that is difficult to describe as simply a coffee shop. On the main floor, the café shares space with a small mercantile
filled with gifts, cheeses, chocolates, spreads and other lovely things you did not necessarily arrive needing but may leave with anyway.
The café is lively throughout the day, with people meeting friends, working quietly or settling in with one of their specialty coffees. Their focaccia is something of a local treasure and often sells out, so if you see it, do not deliberate for too long. Just order it.
Upstairs is The Cabin, a warm, rustic lounge that leans fully into its Canadiana character. Tufted cognac leather furniture, vintage inspired details and playful Canadian art give it the feeling of a retreat tucked into Main Street. Both floors have their own personality, yet each feels busy, welcoming and made for lingering.
From there, we crossed over to Conscious Find, Kelly’s curated secondhand fashion shop. This is not the kind of store where you have to dig endlessly in the hope of finding one good piece. The selection is edited, current and fashion forward, with everything from children’s clothing to elevated pieces that can anchor your entire outfit.
Kelly is warm, personable and a stylist herself, so the experience feels more like shopping with someone who understands how to pull a wardrobe together. She can help clients rethink what they
already own, identify what is missing and shop with greater intention. It is proof that buying secondhand can still feel polished, personal and completely current.
A short walk along Main Street brought us to Replenish General Store, where sustainable essentials, refillable favourites and consciously made goods offer a more considered approach to everyday living.
Thai, the owner, is passionate about featuring local products and supporting the people behind them. That philosophy can be felt throughout the store. Replenish makes it easier to make more responsible choices without turning the experience into a lecture or sacrificing the pleasure of discovering something useful and well designed.
Tucked at the back of Replenish is one of Main Street’s newer additions, The Crossing on Main. Owner Amanda is full of life and an absolute joy to talk to, and her shop has quickly become our first stop whenever we are looking for unique gifts.
The Crossing is filled with elevated essentials, including small décor, kitchen pieces, textiles, garden goods, specialty foods and gifts. The collection feels thoughtful without being overly precious, and there is almost always something that would make the perfect hostess gift. Of course, there is also a very good chance you will find something for yourself while you are there.
We continued to Tommy’s Toys & Treasures, where owner Diana showed us around her children’s shop built on imagination, curiosity and the simple pleasure of play.
The toys are chosen to encourage creativity, exploration, storytelling and time spent together. Many have the enduring quality of the toys we remember from childhood, the kind that can be kept, passed along and loved by more than one generation. In a world full of screens, noise and things designed to be quickly replaced, Tommy’s feels like an invitation to slow childhood down and preserve a little more wonder.
From Newmarket, we made our way to Aurora Town Square. Rooted in the town’s history, this new 32,000 square foot cultural destination connects contemporary architecture with the historic Church Street School and brings together the Aurora Cultural Centre, Aurora Museum & Archives and Aurora Public Library.
The space includes galleries, a flexible performance hall, arts programming rooms and public gathering areas designed for concerts, exhibitions, workshops, community events and celebrations. It is impressive not only as a building, but as a sign of investment in arts and culture close to home. We love that Aurora now has a place where history and contemporary community life can exist side by side.
Inside Town Square, we stopped at My Indie Coffee for an afternoon reset. We usually visit their Newmarket roastery, but the Aurora café offers the same locally roasted coffee along with sandwiches, smoothies and other light options. We shared a sandwich, had another coffee and gathered enough energy to continue. A carefully paced shopping day requires strategy.
Our next stop was Summerhill Market, a boutique grocery experience and a real gem for Aurora. The
market is known for its extensive selection of house made prepared foods, along with scratch baked goods, fresh florals, produce and specialty groceries.
It is the kind of place where picking up one thing for dinner can easily become a full browse. Whether you are assembling an easy meal, bringing something to a gathering or simply want ingredients that feel a little more special, Summerhill makes grocery shopping feel less like an errand and more like part of the day out.
At Lemonberry, manager Tanya showed us around the independently owned boutique that opened in 2004. The store carries clothing, denim, jewellery and accessories, with a strong selection of Canadian brands as well as a small assortment of beauty, bath and home products.
The style is easy and wearable, but still personal and well curated. It is the kind of boutique where you can find the piece that quietly changes everything else in your wardrobe, and the team can help you see how to wear it beyond one occasion.
We then visited Micak Contemporary Art Gallery, founded by Katie Micak in her hometown of Aurora after years of experience working in galleries, exhibitions, digital art and curatorial practice. The gallery represents emerging and mid career professional artists and brings an exciting range of original contemporary work to the community. Depending on the exhibition, visitors may encounter painting, photography, ceramics, glass, textiles, art books or digital work. Katie also hosts events and curator talks throughout the year, giving people an opportunity to engage with art rather than simply view it from a distance.
For us as designers, access to original art and knowledgeable art advisory is especially valuable. When a project needs a piece with the right scale, feeling and story, Katie is someone we can speak with about sourcing work that belongs in the space rather than merely filling a wall.
While at the St Andrew’s Plaza in Aurora, La Jolie Cheese Shop is an essential stop. Many of our clients already know and love this specialty boutique, and with good reason. Its cases are filled with cheeses from Canada and around the world, including favourites from France, Italy, Spain and England, alongside more unexpected discoveries.
What makes the experience especially enjoyable is the team’s knowledge and genuine enthusiasm. They are happy to explain what they carry, suggest something new or help assemble a selection for dinner, entertaining or gifting. You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what you want. In fact, it may be more fun if you don’t.
As the afternoon moved into evening, we returned to downtown Newmarket for cocktails at The Postmark Hotel. The transformation of the town’s historic post office into an upscale boutique hotel has added something truly special to Main Street, attracting weddings, corporate events and visitors while bringing new energy to the surrounding businesses.
The Lobby is beautifully designed and comfortable enough for a coffee, breakfast, lunch or a quiet hour with a laptop during the day. For cocktails, dinner and the full experience, head upstairs to Overlea. The rooftop restaurant offers sweeping views of historic Newmarket, floor to ceiling windows and terraces that wrap the dining space in greenery. Its seasonal menus draw from the farm fresh ingredients surrounding the region, creating a polished Canadian dining experience that still feels connected to place.
We ended the day at Bar Locale, one of the newest additions to Newmarket’s dining scene. The
restaurant describes itself as a seamless fusion of restaurant and bar, but what makes it memorable is
the complete experience: the space, sound, food, cocktails and social energy all feel considered
together.
The menu has a Spanish influence and is designed around shareable plates, which is exactly how we
like to dine. A table filled with tapas gives everyone a reason to reach, taste and talk, while the
elevated cocktails make it easy to extend the evening.
The interior has been completely transformed and the design is exceptional. It has the mood and polish
you might expect to find downtown Toronto, yet here it is overlooking the water at the foot of Main
Street Newmarket. In warmer weather, the large patio becomes a destination of its own. It is an
exciting addition to the area and a fitting final stop for a day built around good design, local character
and lingering over the table.
There is something very satisfying about spending an entire day close to home and still feeling as though you have discovered somewhere new. What stood out to us was not only the quality of each business, but the care behind it. These owners know what they are offering and why. They are creating gathering places, introducing us to artists and makers, giving old things another life and making our towns feel more interesting, connected and alive.
Supporting local is not only about where we spend our money. It is about preserving the places that give a community its personality.
So, if you are travelling to Niche Decor for a presentation or a showroom visit, do not be too quick to head home afterward. Have the coffee. Browse the shops. Visit the gallery. Order the cocktail. Stay for dinner.
And if you already live in Newmarket, Aurora, Markham, Richmond Hill or one of the surrounding communities, consider this your reminder that some of the best days out may be much closer than you think.
Hours, menus and offerings may change. We recommend checking with each business before planning your visit.
