Cabbagetown
Cabbagetown, once one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Toronto, is now a much sought-after enclave boasting restored Victorian homes, friendly neighbourhood pubs and one of the best cafes in the city. For the local gossip head to Jet Fuel, where they're so hyped on caffeine they refuse to stock decaf. Nearby Riverdale Park is home to the Riverdale Farmers' Market, one of Toronto's best, each Tuesday from May through October. And if talking to the farmers doesn't feel like you're close enough to the source, there's always the family friendly Riverdale Farm which affords a more intimate encounter.
Comments (10)
How can you say Cabbagetown is a sought after neighbourhood to live in? I had to get out of there due to the Jamacian gang violence. Even the local school "Park" was renamed after an African terrorist to please the now third world people who live in Cabbagetown.
Maybe you're referring to "South Cabbagetown". Anyway, just look at the home prices and you'll see there's plenty of demand.
umm yeah i've lived near the top all my life and i've never,(knock on wood) ever run into even the slightest confrontation. the whole place is filled with newlyweds and gays- and i feel blessed to call it home :D
I grew up in Cabbagetown when it was "poor" in the 60's 70's I liked it the way it was back then, we had rules on the street back then, screw with us we screw you back ie the Cross Gang and later The Satans Choice. Then the real estate speculators moved in and took over, hard not to feel resentment at times as we just got pushed out of our neighbourhood so a bunch of trendies could call it home as if they'd owned it all along. In trying to take over a poor area what did you expect for us all to just disappear? Didn't you all move there because it had character? But when that "character rips you off because you're rich it's not funny is it" maybe you shouldn't have come here in the first place. Hey who knows it may end up being poor again at the rate we're going, wonder how many of you who jacked house prices to the ridiculous will now be able to remain there. All I can do is laugh at all you suckers now. Quit whining and enjoy the character you came to here to enjoy, pretty condo-scending (pun inteneded) of you. Crime doesn't go away just because you think you own a hood. Ghetto Chic is not all it's crack-ed up to be is it now.....
I am the biggest proponent of Cabbagetown! I've only lived here for two years, so I can't speak to what it used to be like, but I think it is a perfect microcosm of what a city should be. You have your gentrified yuppies in the middle, high rises full of immigrant families and gay couples at the top, and the occasional crackhead making their way up from the south.
The result is a fascinating mix of people and cultures. There are great restaurants, lots of cheap "ethinic" stores, everything you need is right there, within easy walking distance for everyone. The TTC service is mostly good. And best of all, it seems to work perfectly! I have never heard of a violent death in this neighbourhood. I never feel unsafe walking home late at night.
The best time to witness everyone coming together to celebrate our fantastic community is at the Cabbagetown Festival in September.
LR, you sounds like a real estate agent, geez. Ain't it quaint how people living hard lives add character to your neighbourhood? How good of them.
I assure you "jameasmallon" that I am no real estate agent!
And I certainly wasn't trying to imply that I find people living hard lives "quaint". Especially because I AM one of those people!
My point is just that people usually try to keep their neighbourhoods divided by economic class (no poor people in Rosedale, no rich ones in Parkdale) but in Cabbagetown we're all squished together and it works great! More neighbourhoods should be this economically and ethnically diverse.
With the visionary master plan of the Regent Park 10 year phased mix-used redevelopment with Daniels group and Toronto Community Housing, South Cabbagetown will only get better.