Airbnb says Kensington Market is one of Canada's trendiest neighbourhoods. The people who live there aren't so sure

Lynn Harpell knows all about trends. Since opening her vintage clothing shop Exile in Kensington Market in 1976, she has seen the neighbourhood shift with the times like the hemlines on her retro dresses — from immigrant market to countercultural headquarters, from in-the-know student hang-out to a global food destination.

So she wasn’t exactly surprised to hear that Airbnb declared Kensington Market one of the 10 trendiest neighbourhoods in Canada for bookings this summer — sixth on the list, part of a group where year-over-year bookings are up nearly 180 per cent, at an average daily rate of $290 a night. More like bemused.