Cabbagetown

By Donna Burton, SLA Toronto Chapter

Cabbagetown or Old Cabbagetown as the locals know it, is Toronto’s best-preserved Victorian neighbourhood.  It is located east of Parliament Street, between Wellesley and Gerrard.  Within view of the downtown skyscrapers, the tree-lined streets house the largest collection of Victorian homes in North America.  A stroll through the area provides a perfect escape from downtown and is pleasurable in any season.

Originally a working-class neighbourhood on the outskirts of town, according to popular belief, the name originated in the mid-19^th century when local immigrants grew cabbages in their front yards.  Most of the homes were built in the 1880s and 90s, and by 1910 labourers’ cottages were mixed with houses of the well to do and middle class. Cabbagetown was originally much larger, extending south to Queen Street. Many homes fell into decline after WWII and some were divided into rooming houses. By 1965 all of Lower Cabbagetown south of Gerrard was wiped out to make way for redevelopment. The area north of Gerrard was saved, and starting in the 1970s homes were extensively renovated, and it is now one of Toronto’s most fashionable neighbourhoods.  

Parliament Street is the local main street and contains an eclectic range of stores, restaurants and services. It was so named because the first parliament buildings of Upper Canada were built near its foot in 1794-1797.  Cabbagetown residents frequent area establishments to do their errands and on weekends can be found brunching in local restaurants, reading the New York Times.  Look for the neighbourhood flag flying proudly on local businesses, a green cabbage on a white background.

Restaurants

You might want to grab a drink or snack before exploring the area. There are over 50 food shops and restaurants representing a wide range of appetites and ethnic tastes, many of which are along Parliament or Carlton. Check out the Jet Fuel Coffee Shop for some java (519 Parliament) or the desserts at Daniel et Daniel Catering (248 Carlton).  For meals, I enjoy the home cooked food, sumptuous desserts and blueberry biscuits at the PearTree  (507 Parliament). It also has an all-season solarium and backyard patio. Ben Wicks Pub (424 Parliament) features pub fare with live entertainment on weekends. Walls are decorated with original artwork by the late Toronto cartoonist Ben Wicks.  For more relaxed dining, the Town Grill  (243 Carlton) is a good choice.

Cabbagetown Walking Tour

Cabbagetown is proudly a neighbourhood and is best appreciated by walking since driving and parking are often a problem on its narrow streets.  Start your visit at the Old Cabbagetown BIA office on the corner of Parliament and Carlton and pick up an excellent local heritage walking tour map.  http://www.oldcabbagetown.com/Heritage_walk_intro.htm

From Parliament, walk east along Carlton, noting the beautifully restored Victorian houses with their distinctive Toronto “Bay-n-Gable” architecture and gingerbread trim, complete with well-manicured front yards and gardens.  Many have Toronto Historical Board plaques outlining their historical significance.

Carlton ends at Riverdale Park and Farm, site of Toronto’s first zoo in 1894 and now a turn-of- the-century working farm. Always a pleasure to visit at any time of year, the resident horses, sheep, and other animals are popular with all ages and educational and craft activities are regularly run for children.  In spring you often see young lambs and goats in the historic barns. The farm pathways lead to ponds that are being rehabilitated as natural wetlands and are habitat for turtles, ducks and herons. You can also connect to the Don River pathways and the extensive City of Toronto park system, a favourite spot for longer walks, bicycle enthusiasts, and of course for many local canines and their owners.

Upon exiting the Farm, stroll through the Necropolis Cemetery, the final resting place of many of Toronto’s pioneers including the city’s first mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie, and George Brown, founder of the Globe Newspaper. Its grounds and gothic chapel (1872) provide a quiet break from city life. 

Walk back towards Parliament along Winchester Street, which like Carlton, contains some of the area’s most impressive homes. For a longer walk, detour north along Sackville for several blocks and just past Wellesley Street you’ll find a small laneway leading to the Wellesley Cottages.  Built between 1886-1887 as labourers’ homes and now restored, they remain fine examples of working class 19^th century Toronto.

Return to Parliament along Wellesley and walk south to Carlton, or head back down Sackville for 1 block, turn right on Amelia, and take Metcalfe to Carlton, to explore another beautiful tree-lined street with unbroken terrace rows and fenced-in front yards.

Festivals

In May, Cabbagetown hosts the annual Forsythia Festival to celebrate the return of spring as evidenced by the many blooming forsythia bushes that decorate yards in the area.  During the second week of September the Cabbagetown Festival takes over the neighbourhood and is marked by festivities at the farm as well as a large outdoor craft show.  The closing of Parliament Street for a daylong street fair and parade and a tour of historic homes also highlight the event.  Many visitors stroll the neighbourhood looking for bargains from the many local garage sales. 

Getting There

Cabbagetown can be reached by taking the Carlton 506 streetcar from the College subway station over to Parliament Street, or by a 15-minute walk east on Carlton from the corner of Yonge and College. 

Nearby Places of Interest

Notable buildings along the way include several examples of Art Deco and Moderne style. College Park at College and Yonge was built in the 1930’s as Eaton’s flagship department store and is now an apartment/commercial complex. Its recently restored Carlu theatre on the 7^th floor is a National Historic Site and provides a spectacular venue for concerts and special events Maple Leaf Gardens at Carlton and Church, the famous former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, was built in 1931 as one of the “original six” hockey rinks.  It is currently being converted for retail purposes. The Gardens was the recent site for filming Cinderella Man, directed by Ron Howard and staring Russell Crowe and Rene Zellweger. The movie due out in June 2005 is about boxer James Braddock and is set in New York during the Depression. 

Allan Gardens at Carlton and Jarvis, with its glassed-in botanical gardens and greenhouses, is one of Toronto’s treasures and a must visit for plant lovers. The conservatory with its Palm House (1910) houses a fine botanical collection from around the world. Some floral displays change seasonally, with the most spectacular occurring during the Christmas season when the greenhouses are decked with poinsettias and bathed in candlelight.  I particularly enjoy visiting on a snowy February day when the steamy greenhouses are filled with fragrant hyacinths and other spring flowers. Admission is free. http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/parks/parks_gardens/allangdns.htm

The Gay Village at the intersection of Church and Wellesley, one block east of Yonge, 3 blocks north of Carlton, hosts Canada’s largest gay community and has many shops, lively restaurants, bars, and open-air patios. Its location serves as a handy stop after your tour for dinner or a drink.  Catch the subway one block west at Yonge and Wellesley. The National Ballet School is on Jarvis north of Carlton while Ryerson University is centred at Gerrard and Church, a block south of Carlton.

Additional Information

For more on Cabbagetown visit the Old Cabbagetown BIA website at www.oldcabbagetown.com or check out the Toronto Convention and Visitors’ Association website.

Cabbagetown Biz has an extensive list of businesses, services and attractions in the area, as well as a list of favourite local cabbage recipes.