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Neighbourhood guide

Living in Cabbagetown, Toronto

Restored Victorian row houses on leafy side streets, a Parliament Street of grocers, cafés and pubs, and a City run farm at the edge of the Don Valley. Here is what renting in Cabbagetown is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
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Victorian houses Heritage streets Riverdale Farm Close to downtown
33 rentals available in Cabbagetown
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What's it like to live in Cabbagetown?

Cabbagetown is the Victorian neighbourhood east of Parliament Street, running to the edge of the Don Valley between Gerrard Street East and the Rosedale Valley. Its streets of restored brick row houses and semis, many with small front gardens, sit largely inside heritage conservation districts, which control what owners can change on the outside. Parliament Street is the main street, and Riverdale Park West and Riverdale Farm, a working farm run by the City, are on the east side.The census paints a mixed picture, because the City's Cabbagetown-South St. James Town neighbourhood also includes the apartment towers west of Parliament. Across that area, 52% of homes are in buildings of five or more storeys, 46% are studios or one bedrooms, and about a quarter of tenant households live in subsidised housing. East of Parliament, rentals are mostly flats in Victorian houses, basement and upper floor apartments, and the occasional whole house.It is an older, quieter crowd than most of downtown. The median resident was 45 in 2021, against 40 for the city, households averaged 1.8 people, and 55% rented. Rent comes in under the city middle: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,330 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto, pulled down by the subsidised units.Parliament Street covers the errands: Lennie's Whole Foods, Cabbagetown Organics and a No Frills within two minutes of Carlton, cafés like Jet Fuel and La Gloria, Tasso and Bluet for bread and pastry, pubs and restaurants like House on Parliament, a hardware store, and the Parliament Street library branch at Gerrard. Allan Gardens is about nine minutes west, and Riverdale Park West, beside the farm, is about 11 minutes east.There is no subway stop in Cabbagetown itself. The 65 Parliament bus reaches Castle Frank Station on Line 2 in about six minutes, with Bloor-Yonge five minutes further west, and the 94 Wellesley reaches Wellesley Station on Line 1 in about nine. The 506 Carlton streetcar runs west along Carlton toward College Station. The trade-offs are a small supply of rentals on the heritage streets, where good flats go quickly, and old houses where heating and upkeep vary.

Best suited for

  • Renters who want a Victorian flat
  • Couples and downsizers
  • Walkers and runners near the Don Valley
  • Renters without a car
  • –Commuters who want a subway at the door
  • –Renters who want a new building

Quick facts

  • Population11,000
  • Renter households55%
  • Median age45
  • Studios and one bedrooms46%

Getting around

Buses to Line 1 and Line 2, a streetcar on Carlton, and Yonge Street about 20 minutes west on foot.

90/100

WalkabilityGroceries, cafés and the library along Parliament

74/100

Transit accessFrequent buses to two subway lines, no station inside

72/100

CyclingBike lanes on Sherbourne, and Don Valley trails nearby
Castle Frank Station, Line 26 min by bus
Wellesley Station, Line 19 min by bus
Allan Gardens9 min walk
Bloor-Yonge, from Castle Frank5 min by subway
Union Station, from Wellesley7 min by subway
Riverdale Farm10 min walk
506 Carlton
505 Dundas
75 Sherbourne
94 Wellesley
65 Parliament

Cabbagetown on the map

The neighbourhood outline, and the places listed further down the page.

Schools and childcare

Winchester, Sprucecourt and Lord Dufferin public schools are all within about six minutes of Parliament and Carlton, and Jarvis Collegiate is the nearest public secondary. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Parliament Street and Carlton Street.
SchoolTypeWalk time
Winchester Junior and Senior Public School
Public · Elementary5 min
Sprucecourt Junior Public School
Public · Elementary5 min
Lord Dufferin Junior and Senior Public School
Public · Elementary6 min
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary9 min
Canada's National Ballet School
Independent · Ballet12 min
Jarvis Collegiate Institute
Public · Secondary13 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Parliament Street and Carlton Street. Most shops are on Parliament between Gerrard and Wellesley.

Groceries

  • Lennie's Whole Foods1 min
  • Cabbagetown Organics1 min
  • No Frills2 min
  • Food Basics8 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Jet Fuel Coffee2 min
  • La Gloria2 min
  • Tasso Baking Company4 min
  • Bluet Bakery5 min

Food and drink

  • House on Parliament1 min
  • Johnny G's Cafe1 min
  • Stout Irish Pub1 min
  • The Golden Pigeon Beerhall3 min

Parks

  • Anniversary Park4 min
  • Allan Gardens9 min
  • Riverdale Park West11 min
  • Wellesley Park12 min

Fitness

  • Parliament Street Fitness1 min
  • Wellesley Community Centre10 min
  • Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre10 min
  • F45 Training12 min

Everyday services

  • Shoppers Drug Mart1 min
  • Home Hardware1 min
  • Cycle Solutions2 min
  • TPL: Parliament Street Branch4 min

Rent with confidence in Cabbagetown

What Ontario tenancy rules protect, and how liv.rent keeps the process safe from first message to signed lease.

Deposits are limited

A landlord in Ontario can ask for a rent deposit of up to one month of rent, and it can only be used for your last month. Damage and pet deposits are not allowed, and the landlord owes you interest on the rent deposit every year.

Rent increases are limited

Most rents can go up once every 12 months, by no more than the provincial guideline, with 90 days of written notice. Units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, though the landlord still has to give that notice.

Every listing is verified

Landlords complete ID verification before they can post, and you can sign the lease and pay rent through liv.rent, so there is no e-transfer to a stranger.
Flats in Cabbagetown's Victorian houses are scarce and go quickly, and scarce, popular listings are the ones scammers copy. Never send a deposit before viewing the unit and meeting the landlord, and never pay outside a platform that keeps a record. A room where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so ask before you sign. The tenancy points above are general information about renting in Ontario, not legal or financial advice. For guidance on your own tenancy, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.How liv.rent verification works

Cabbagetown rental questions

Is Cabbagetown expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?

The census makes it look cheaper than average, but that is partly the towers. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's Cabbagetown-South St. James Town neighbourhood paid $1,330 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto, and about a quarter of tenant households there lived in subsidised housing. A flat in a Victorian house listed today asks well above that median. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.

Is there a subway station in Cabbagetown?

No. The 65 Parliament bus reaches Castle Frank Station on Line 2 in about six minutes, and the 94 Wellesley reaches Wellesley Station on Line 1 in about nine. From Wellesley, Union Station is about seven minutes south.

What does a heritage district mean for a renter?

The rules are aimed at owners: changes to the outside of a house, such as windows, porches or additions, need a heritage permit from the City. For a tenant that mostly means the street keeps its look, and that some repairs to the outside of the house can take longer.

Is Cabbagetown a good neighbourhood for families?

Winchester, Sprucecourt and Lord Dufferin public schools are all within about six minutes of Parliament and Carlton, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is about nine, and Riverdale Farm is free to visit. Family sized rentals are rare, though, since most units in the old houses are one or two bedrooms.

What should I check before renting a flat in a Cabbagetown house?

Ask whether utilities are included or split with the other units, whether there is laundry you can use, and how the space is heated. Basement units should have proper windows and a second way out. If you would share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, the Residential Tenancies Act may not cover the arrangement.

Are Cabbagetown rentals covered by rent control?

Most flats in the Victorian houses are, as long as the unit was lived in before November 15, 2018. A unit first occupied after that date, such as a newly created basement apartment, is exempt from the provincial guideline, so the landlord can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Ask before you sign.

Is parking included with Cabbagetown rentals?

Rarely. Most of the row houses have no driveway, and street parking is by permit, so ask whether a space comes with the unit before you count on one.
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Methodology

Places, parks, schools and transit routes on this page come from OpenStreetMap. Walk times are approximate. Population, age and how many households rent come from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, as the City of Toronto publishes it for its Cabbagetown-South St. James Town neighbourhood. Rent and vacancy come from CMHC's Rental Market Survey for October 2025, for the City of Toronto. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Toronto.Listing counts and prices come from liv.rent, so they show what's on the platform rather than the whole city.OpenStreetMap, Statistics Canada, CMHC, Open Government Licence – Toronto. Last updated October 2026.