Cabbagetown, located in central Toronto, was once written about in the Globe and Mail, circa 1983, as “the epitome of successful labelling. The core of the area—generally defined as being bounded by Parliament, Wellesley and Dundas Streets and the Don Valley, was once Toronto’s skid row. Today, about a decade after the area was invaded by young professionals, speculators and real estate agents, there are still a few derelicts around… The houses, meanwhile, sell for upward of $200,000.”
Wow – can you imagine? $200,000?! Times have certainly changed in this popular area. No longer is it Toronto’s skid row. It’s quite the opposite, with stunning historic homes lining the streets its no wonder why so many young professionals are starting to call Cabbagetown home.
Living in Cabbagetown: Best Things to do
Cabbagetown is home to many artists, musicians, journalists and writers. Other residents include professors, doctors and social workers, many affiliated with the nearby University of Toronto. Proximity to the financial district and downtown core have also made the area popular with other professionals such as lawyers, management consultants and those in financial services.
Cabbagetown is also known as a neighbourhood with a little “edge” to it, so if it’s on your list of places to check out as part of your house-hunt, you need to make sure you’re ok with what is offered. It’s gritty, a bit grungy and if you’re ok with that, it’s the perfect place to call home. We have clients who moved into this area and LOVE it. We also have others who would never consider Cabbagetown. If it’s what you’re looking for, put it at the top of your list because the community that lives there is second to none.
It’s also somewhat of a tourist destination, as you’ll find many options for walking tours that showcase the stunning Victorian and historic homes in the area and offer insights into some of the popular names to have called the neighbourhood home.
Living in Cabbagetown is like living in a small village without being too far out of touch from downtown Toronto. There are plenty of mom-and-pop shops to be found here, and those owners take incredible pride in their stores. It will feel good to give back and shop within your community and see familiar faces each and every weekend in the same cafes and shops.
Being super dog-friendly and family-focused focused neighbourhood, in Cabbagetown, you’ll always find strollers sliding down the sidewalk with parents smiling with their fresh cup of coffee. Dogs running at the park are a mainstay, as are weekend yoga and boot camp classes. Brunching is a Sunday sport in this neighbourhood, and a good cup of espresso is never to far to find in Cabbagetown.
Cabbagetown Real Estate & Historic Homes
Cabbagetown’s name derives from Irish immigrants who moved to the neighbourhood beginning in the late 1840s, said to have been so poor that they grew cabbage in their front yards.
Cabbagetown largely features semi-detached Victorian and heritage houses and is recognized as “the largest continuous area of preserved Victorian housing in all of North America”, according to the Cabbagetown Preservation Association.
Thanks to the early Irish immigrants, Cabbagetown homes are Victorian style, beautifully-constructed, brick row houses and massive historical-status homes. If you’re looking at one of these stately heritage homes, you are sure to be charmed by all of the fine wood carved banisters, the colourful original stained-glass windows, front porches and soaring high ceilings.
Due to the rich history of Cabbagetown and restrictions on buildings from the Cabbagetown Preservation Association, most of the beautiful homes have remained original (built between 1860 and 1895). The streets look like they are out of a historical film set and those that have been restored, are usually done so with the utmost care – therefore the hefty price tags you’ll usually see.
Few condos have come up within this neighbourhood, but you’ll most likely see either a major project home for sale, or a fully renovated home with interior design flair on the market. The fully updated homes are obviously at the highest end of the scale, but if you’re looking for a major project in one of Toronto’s hottest neighbourhoods, don’t shy away from flipping a home here, that would send most running.