“Cabbagetown stands out as a neighbourhood in Toronto with a community made up of people from various backgrounds who share a deep sense of unity and take great pride in their local area.”
The sense of community shines through each September at the Cabbagetown Fall Festival that spans a weekend and includes activities such as a marathon, historic walking tours, a parade and a neighbourhood wide yard sale.
History Of Cabbagetown, Toronto
The history dates to the 1840s when numerous Irish immigrants arrived and settled in the area following the potato famine in Ireland. To sustain themselves during those times the residents of Cabbagetown cultivated cabbages in their front yards giving rise to the neighbourhood’s distinctive name. The working class community of Cabbagetown faced hardships during the 1930s Depression period.
According to Cabbagetown historian Hugh Garner this era transformed Cabbagetown into “the Anglo Saxon neighbourhood in North America.” The most run down areas were mainly located to the south of Gerrard Street back in the day when these homes were demolished during the 1950’s. Replaced with the Regent Park housing project. The Cabbagetown district saw a resurgence in the 1970’s. In the 1980s new homeowners came in and worked to restore many of its Victorian houses. This transformation has now positioned Cabbagetown as one of Toronto’s neighbourhoods.
Lifestyle
The shopping area known as ‘Old Cabbagetown’, along Parliament Street is home to a variety of shops and numerous dining options to explore. Over on Carlton Street lies a shopping district with a vibe to Parliament Street. Additionally you can find clusters of shops, on Gerrard Street, Sherbourne Street and Wellesley Avenue in the neighbourhood of Cabbagetown. View homes currently for sale in Cabbagetown, Toronto
Cabbagetown, Toronto Parks & Facilities
The recreational hub in Cabbagetown is known as Riverdale Park. House Riverdale Farm—a replica of a 19th century Victorian farm complete with a variety of animals like horses and chickens that visitors can enjoy for free every day of the week! Not that; the park also features sports fields. Provides access to the Lower Don Recreation Trail for outdoor enthusiasts to explore nearby nature trails while, on Parliament Street resides the Cabbagetown Community Arts Centre offering music and arts programs tailored for kids to unleash their creativity!The youth centre, in Cabbagetown on Lancaster Avenue provides sports activities and arts and crafts programs for people to enjoy while the public library, in Cabbagetown can be found at the intersection of Gerrard Street and Parliament.
Having a time is quite simple, with the abundance of parks and recreational amenities here in this area! The parks located in Cabbagetown South St. James Town offer spaces dedicated to dogs and nature lovers. There are a total of 5 parks in Cabbagetown South St. James Town that house a combined total of 15 facilities for everyone to enjoy. The average number of facilities per park amounts to, around 3.
- Number of Parks: 5
- Number of Recreation Facilities: 15
Recreation Facilities in Neighbourhood Parks
- Playground – 1
- Dog Park – 1
- Volleyball Court – 1
- Ball Diamonds – 5
- Sports Field – 1
- Splash Pads – 2
- Community Garden – 1
- Trails – 2
- Nature Centre – 1
Cabbagetown, Toronto Transit
The Sherbourne bus and Parliament streetcar provide transportation, for passengers to reach the stations along the Bloor Danforth subway line.The Wellesley and Carlton Street buses offer commuting options to access the Yonge–University–Spadina subway line.For drivers the Don Valley Parkway is a five minute drive away and Toronto’s bustling downtown business and entertainment hubs are within a quick ten minute drive, from Cabbagetown.
In the Cabbagetown South St James Town area there are 53 transit stops including Dundas Station and a variety of commuting options, with residents traveling within the city and having commute times.
Commute Destination for Residents
- Commute within the city – 92%
- Commute to another city – 7%
Commute Types
- Vehicle – 22%
- Transit – 33%
- Walk/bike – 41%
Commute Times of Residents
- 15 to 29 minutes – 40%
- 30 to 44 minutes – 28%
- 45 to 59 minutes – 8%
- 60 minutes and over – 8%
- Less than 15 minutes – 15%
Cabbagetown, Toronto Elementary, Secondary, High schools
In Cabbagetown South St. James Town area you can find elementary and secondary high schools, along with special programs for students of all ages available in both public and Catholic schools in the neighbourhood. These special programs range from International Baccalaureate, to Fine Arts and French Immersion options.
- Public Schools: 12
- Catholic Schools: 4
Public
- ÉÉ Gabrielle-Roy
- Rosedale Heights School of the Arts
- Jarvis Collegiate Institute
- Riverdale Collegiate Institute
- Church Street Junior Public School
- Earl Grey Senior Public School
- Winchester Junior and Senior Public School
- Collège français secondaire
- Sprucecourt Public School
- Jesse Ketchum Jr and Sr Public School
- Lord Dufferin Junior & Senior Public School
- Rose Avenue Junior Public School
Catholic
- ÉSC Saint-Frère-André
- ÉÉC du Sacré-Coeur-Toronto
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School
Cabbagetown, Toronto Homes
The New York Times once praised Cabbagetown as having the assortment of homes in North America at one point in time. The houses in Cabbagetown were constructed from 1860 to 1895. It has since been meticulously restored with guidance from the Cabbagetown Preservation Association—a group of residents dedicated to preserving the charm of the neighbourhood by overseeing renovations and new projects to maintain its heritage.