As one of the planet's most diverse cities, Toronto is oddly clean and orderly. Sidewalks are spotless, trolleys run like clockwork and the locals are polite almost to a fault. That's not to say that Torontonians are dull -- far from it. With a population that is now half foreign-born -- fueled by growing numbers of East Indians, Chinese and Sri Lankans -- the lakeside city offers a kaleidoscope of world cultures. Sing karaoke in a Vietnamese bar, sip espresso in Little Italy and catch a new Bollywood release, all in one night. The art and design scenes are thriving, too, and not just on the bedazzled red carpets of the Toronto International Film Festival, held every September. Industrial zones have been reborn into gallery districts, and dark alleys now lead to designer studios, giving Canada's financial capital an almost disheveled mien.

FRIDAY

4 p.m.

WEST ENDERS

Toronto's cool scene seems to migrate west along Queen Street West every few years. It started out at Yonge Street, with punk rockers and art students pouring into sweaty clubs. Then, when mainstream stores such as the Gap moved in, the scenesters fled west, past Bathurst Street, to a district now called West Queen West (www.westqueenwest.ca), where old appliance stores are still being carved into rough-hewn galleries and hunter-chic boutiques. Start your stroll along Toronto's art mile at Bathurst Street and go west. Raw spaces that showcase young Canadian artists include Paul Petro Contemporary Art (980 Queen St. W.; 1-416-979-7874; www.paulpetro.com).

8 p.m.

DESIGNER MEAT

For a taste of hipsterdom, put on a T-shirt and squeeze into OddFellows (936 Queen St. W., 1-416-534-5244, www.oddfellows.ca), a boutiquelike bistro where the area's beard-and-flannel posse gathers nightly. The corner restaurant, which opened last fall, is run by Brian Richer and Kei Ng, partners in a maverick design firm, Castor Design (www.castordesign.ca), known for elevating mundane materials into clever objects. The menu follows similar sleights of hand. Manly cuts are skillfully turned into Canadian comfort dishes such as bison meatloaf and venison burgers (both $18 Canadian, or about $15 at 1.21 Canadian dollars to the U.S. dollar). The long communal table, made of polished limestone and random legs, encourages chitchat.

10:30 p.m.

TREND NORTH

Let the frat boys have College Street. And West Queen West has been overrun lately with 905ers, slang for out-of-towners with suburban area codes. The cool kids, it seems, are now migrating north along Ossington Avenue, which some Toronto bloggers are already calling "Next West Queen West." Bookending the district are Sweaty Betty's (13 Ossington Av.; 1-416-535-6861), a hole in the wall with a brash jukebox, and Communist's Daughter (1149 Dundas St. W.; 1-647-435-0103), an understated lounge that attracts the skinny corduroy and high-top-wearing set. A trendy bar crawl is emerging in between, tucked among old Portuguese bakeries and kitchen supply stores.

SATURDAY

10:30 a.m.

EGGS AND EGG CHAIRS

Brunch is serious business in this town, and discerning eaters are making their way these days to Leslieville, a once grimy neighborhood in East Toronto now packed with smart-looking cafes and midcentury-modern stores. Still buzzing is Table 17 (782 Queen St. E.; 1-416-519-1851; www.table17.ca), a country-style French bistro that serves lovely Neapolitan eggs ($11). Afterward, peruse the neighborhood's amazingly well-priced and well-curated antiques shops such as Machine Age Modern (1000 Queen St. E.; 1-416-461-3588; www.machineagemodern.com), which carries teak dining tables, George Jensen clocks and other vintage modern treasures.

2 p.m.

O CALCUTTA

This is a city of minority neighborhoods, from the souvlaki joints in Greektown to the rainbow-hued windows of Gay Village. There are even two Chinatowns. But for color and spice, hop a taxi to Little India. The hilltop district spans just six blocks along Gerrard Street East, but it's jammed with more than 100 stores and restaurants. Sparkly silks are piled high at Chandan Fashion (No. 1439; 1-416-462-0277; www.chandanfashion.ca). Dubai Jewellers (No. 1407; 1-416-465-1200) has a dazzling assortment of Indian-designed gold pieces. And for a midday snack, Udupi Palace (No. 1460; 1-416-405-8189; www.udupipalace.ca) is a bright restaurant that makes delicious dosas, chaats and other South Indian treats.

New, Star Tribune
Leslieville was once a grimy neighborhood in East Toronto now packed with cafes and stores.

4 p.m.

MADE IN CANADA

Local fashion is disappointing, even in West Queen West. A handsome exception is Klaxon Howl (recently relocated to the rear entrance of 694 Queen St. W.; 1-647-436-6628; www.klaxonhowl.com), a homegrown men's label that blends vintage military gear with its own rugged work shirts, selvage denim jeans and waxed cotton jackets. The design scene, on the other hand, is flourishing. Commute Home (819 Queen St. W.; 1-416-861-0521; www.commutehome.com) is a cavernous showroom that mixes industrial objects with neomodern furniture crafted from solid woods. For clever housewares, take a slight detour to Made (867 Dundas St. W.; 1-416-607-6384; www.madedesign.ca), a gallery store that represents young product designers with a fresh and playful eye.

8 p.m.

NOMADIC TASTES

A new culinary confidence has taken hold of Toronto. Not only are kitchens updating traditional Canadian fare such as charcuterie and wild boar, but young chefs are tapping Toronto's global roots in ways that transcend standard fusion. Asian-fusion chefs such as Susar Lee have gotten much of the attention; his latest restaurant, Madeline's (601 King St. W.; 1-416-603-2205; www.susur.com), is packed. But also making a mark are hotspots such as Nyood (1096 Queen St. W.; 416-466-1888; www.nyood.ca), a pan-Mediterranean restaurant with big chandeliers and frilly molding. Dishes such as the Malta braised short ribs ($14) are a hit, while tasty cocktails such as the berry mojito ($14) keep the party going.

11 p.m.

GET WIGGY

OK, College Street is not all bad, especially if you're single and in your mid-20s to 30s. A chill place to start is the unimaginatively named College Street Bar (No. 574; 1-416-533-2417; www.collegestreetbar. com). The dim space has brick walls, a woodsy patio and a refreshing microbrew that draws a good-looking crowd of Web designers and writer types. Afterward, catch the 1 a.m. drag show at El Convento Rico (No. 750; 1-416-588-7800; www.elconventorico.com). The low-rent, high-octane club still attracts an exuberant mix of bachelorettes in plastic tiaras and muscular men with high voices.

SUNDAY

11 a.m.

DIM SUM LUXE

For inventive dim sum you won't find anywhere else, make a beeline for Lai Wah Heen (118 Chestnut St.; 1-416-977-9899; www.laiwahheen.com), a white-tablecloth restaurant on the second floor of the Metropolitan Hotel. Hong Kong chef Terence Chan serves fanciful creations such as crab dumplings that resemble purple crabs and tofu paired with truffles and mushroom. About $40 a person.

1 p.m.

TROPHY MUSEUM

The CN Tower notwithstanding, Toronto has impressive architecture by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Santiago Calatrava and Thom Mayne. But work by its favorite son, Frank Gehry, was missing until November when the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W.; 1-416-979-6648; www.ago.net) reopened with a bold renovation by Gehry, who grew up just blocks from the 109-year-old museum. He wrapped the original Beaux-Arts structure in sheets of billowing glass and swaths of Douglas fir, and added a spiraling wood staircase that pierces the glass roof to a new contemporary-art wing. It's a stunning homecoming for an architect credited with helping other cities flourish, not that Toronto needs a hand.

If you go

• The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W.; 1-416-531-5042; www.thedrakehotel.ca) helped put West Queen West on the hipster map. Weekends can be a zoo, but the 19 guest rooms, which evoke a midcentury modern yacht with wooden ladders and flip-down nightstands, are cozy and quiet. Service is warm and attentive, even when the entrance is mobbed. The cafe and restaurant are also worth a visit. Rooms start at $189 Canadian, about $156 at 1.21 Canadian dollars to the U.S. dollar.

• Housed in a Victorian landmark, the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W.; 1-416-531-4635; www. gladstonehotel.com) reopened in 2005 as a modern boutique hotel at the edge of West Queen West. The wood-paneled bar and galleries are also a popular hangout for the local arts and gay scene. It has 37 artist-designed rooms starting at $185 Canadian.