Townhouses For Sale in Cabbagetown-South St. James Town, Old Toronto

Bay-and-gables, Second Empire rows and High Victorian terraces

Most Cabbagetown homes are brick semi-detached houses and rows from the late nineteenth century. Styles include bay-and-gable fronts, Second Empire mansard roofs and High Victorian terraces. Many small rows were restored by owners from the 1970s onward, after decades in which the area was seen as run-down.

The original Cabbagetown was larger. Much of its southern part was demolished in the late 1940s for the Regent Park housing project. The survivors north of Gerrard are what you're buying into today.

Heritage district rules and the four-storey limit

Most of Cabbagetown sits inside heritage conservation districts. Inside them, changes to the street-facing parts of a house usually need a heritage permit: replacement windows, doors, porches, roofing and sometimes paint colours on original trim.

The height of new buildings has been restricted since the 1970s, when a by-law limited new buildings to four storeys, partly in reaction to the towers going up next door in St. James Town. That's helped keep the streetscape intact.

For a buyer, the practical point is to budget for heritage-appropriate materials and allow extra time for permits on any exterior work. Interior renovations are usually much freer.

Riverdale Farm, the Necropolis and the valley edge

The eastern edge of Cabbagetown opens onto the Don Valley. Riverdale Farm, a working Victorian-style farm on the site of the former city zoo, sits beside Riverdale Park West and hosts a weekly farmers' market in season. The Toronto Necropolis, founded in 1850, is just north.

Homes near the valley get more green space and trails, but sloped lots, older retaining walls and drainage are worth checking. Lots backing onto the ravine may be in a regulated area, which affects additions and decks.

What a restored Victorian row hides

Cabbagetown rows often look pristine from the street, thanks to heritage-led restoration. Inside and underneath, they're still a century and a half old.

• Foundations and basements. Rubble or brick foundations are common, and many basements were dug out later to gain height. Ask whether underpinning was permitted and engineered.
• Shared chimneys and rooflines. On a continuous row, a leak or chimney problem may start next door.
• Rear additions. Many houses gained kitchens and bathrooms at the back over the years. Check permits, because unpermitted additions can complicate insurance and resale.
• Wiring and plumbing. Original systems may still be partly in place behind walls that were restored for appearance.

A detailed inspection is worth more here than almost anywhere else in the city.

Getting around from Cabbagetown

Castle Frank and Sherbourne stations on Line 2 are a short walk from the northern streets. The Carlton streetcar runs across the middle, and the Parliament bus links north and south. Parking is mostly on the street, so a row with a rear pad or garage stands out.

Shops along Parliament Street cover daily needs, and the downtown core is a long walk or short ride west. The valley trails connect north to the Brick Works and south toward the lake for anyone who cycles. Driving out is slower than the map suggests: the Bayview extension and the DVP are close, but getting to them at rush hour through Parliament and Gerrard can take time.