Features

ScreeningMarketingLeasesAutomationManagementSponsored ListingsSee all features

Use case

LandlordsProperty ManagersBrokerages

Features

Browse ListingsVerified ListingsAutomationBitcoin PaymentsSee all features

Rent Reports

VancouverTorontoMontrealAlbertaWinnipeg

Learn

AboutRenter ResourcesLandlord ResourcesFAQ
Book a demoContact support
Neighbourhood guide

Living in the Distillery District, Toronto

Car free brick lanes of Victorian distillery buildings filled with restaurants, cafés and theatres, ringed by condo towers and new parks. Here is what renting in the Distillery District is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
Check availability
Car free lanes Condo towers Restaurants and theatres Near the waterfront
1 rental available in the Distillery District
Check availability

What's it like to live in the Distillery District?

The Distillery District is the cluster of Victorian brick industrial buildings between Parliament and Cherry streets, south of Mill Street, that once made up the Gooderham and Worts distillery. Its lanes are closed to cars and lined with restaurants, cafés, galleries, a brew pub and theatres, and the complex is a national historic site. Condo towers have gone up in and around it, and the Canary District, with Corktown Common and Underpass Park, lies just to the north east.No public figure isolates the Distillery's population or rents. The City's census counts it inside its St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands neighbourhood, which also takes in the St. Lawrence Market streets, East Bayfront and the Toronto Islands, so this page quotes no census figures as the district's own. Rentals here are almost all condo units in the towers, and units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from Ontario's rent increase guideline, so ask when the building opened.Expect condo rents above the city middle. The live listings on this page are the most direct guide to what a unit costs. For comparison, CMHC's October 2025 average for an occupied purpose built apartment across the City of Toronto was $1,916, and condos listed today ask more than that.The district has cafés and bakeries like Brick Street Bakery and Balzac's, restaurants like Archeo and El Catrin, and the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, but no supermarket. For groceries, Marché Leo's in the Canary District is about seven minutes away, a No Frills about eight and the St. Lawrence Market about 15. The Cooper Koo Family YMCA on Cherry Street is about five minutes away, and Corktown Common about 11.There is no subway nearby. The 504 King streetcar starts at the Distillery Loop on Cherry Street and reaches King Station on Line 1 in about 16 minutes, the 121 bus reaches Union Station in about 15, and the 65 Parliament bus runs north to Castle Frank Station on Line 2. The trade-offs are crowds of visitors, especially at weekends and during events, groceries outside the district, and a longer trip to the subway than most of downtown.

Best suited for

  • Renters who want a condo near downtown
  • Food and arts lovers
  • Renters without a car
  • Runners and cyclists
  • –Renters on a tight budget
  • –Commuters who want a subway at the door

Quick facts

  • Nearest streetcar504 King
  • Union Station by bus15 min
  • Nearest supermarket7 min walk
  • Census neighbourhoodSt Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands

Getting around

The 504 King streetcar from the Distillery Loop, a bus to Union Station, and the waterfront a short walk south.

82/100

WalkabilityCafés and restaurants at the door, groceries a short walk away

70/100

Transit accessA streetcar and buses, no subway nearby

80/100

CyclingCar free lanes, with the Don and waterfront trails nearby
King Station, Line 116 min by streetcar
Castle Frank Station, Line 217 min by bus
St. Lawrence Market15 min walk
Union Station15 min by bus
Corktown Common11 min walk
Sugar Beach16 min walk
504 King
75 Sherbourne
503 Kingston Rd
65 Parliament
121 Esplanade-River

The Distillery District on the map

The places listed further down the page, around Mill Street and Trinity Street.

Schools and childcare

Market Lane Junior and Senior Public School is about six minutes from Mill and Trinity, St. Paul Catholic School about nine, and Inglenook Community School is a small public alternative secondary nearby. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Mill Street and Trinity Street.
SchoolTypeWalk time
Market Lane Junior and Senior Public School
Public · Elementary6 min
Inglenook Community School
Public alternative · Secondary6 min
St. Paul Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary9 min
Nelson Mandela Park Public School
Public · Elementary13 min
George Brown College, St. James Campus
Post-secondary13 min
Downtown Alternative School
Public alternative · Elementary14 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Mill Street and Trinity Street. There is no supermarket inside the district, so groceries are a short walk away.

Groceries

  • Marché Leo's7 min
  • No Frills8 min
  • Rabba10 min
  • St. Lawrence Market15 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Brick Street Bakery1 min
  • Balzac's Coffee2 min
  • Arvo Coffee2 min
  • Roselle6 min

Food and drink

  • Archeo Trattoria1 min
  • El Catrin1 min
  • Mill St Brew Pub2 min
  • Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie2 min

Parks

  • Parliament Square Park4 min
  • Percy Park8 min
  • Underpass Park11 min
  • Corktown Common11 min

Fitness

  • Cooper Koo Family Cherry St YMCA Centre5 min
  • Area Fitness6 min
  • Body+Soul Fitness6 min
  • St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre7 min

Everyday services

  • Young Centre for the Performing Arts3 min
  • Canadian Stage5 min
  • St. Lawrence Pro Hardware10 min
  • TPL: St. Lawrence Branch11 min

Rent with confidence in the Distillery District

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.
Most rentals here are condos let by individual owners, and fake condo listings copied from real ones are a common downtown scam. 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

Distillery District rental questions

How expensive is it to rent in the Distillery District?

Above the city middle, though no public figure isolates it. The City's census counts the district inside its larger St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands neighbourhood, and CMHC's nearest zone covers most of downtown, so the live listings on this page are the most direct guide. For comparison, CMHC's October 2025 average for an occupied purpose built apartment across the whole City of Toronto was $1,916, and condos listed today ask more than that.

Is there a subway station near the Distillery District?

No. The 504 King streetcar starts at the Distillery Loop, about four minutes from Mill and Trinity, and reaches King Station on Line 1 in about 16 minutes. The 121 bus reaches Union Station in about 15, and the 65 Parliament bus runs north to Castle Frank Station on Line 2.

Where do Distillery District residents buy groceries?

Outside the district. Marché Leo's in the Canary District is about seven minutes away on foot, a No Frills about eight, and the St. Lawrence Market about 15.

Is the Distillery District busy?

Often. The lanes draw visitors to the restaurants, shops and theatres, especially at weekends and during events, so units facing the lanes can be busy and noisy. Towers on the edge of the district and in the Canary District are quieter.

Are Distillery District condos covered by rent control?

It depends on when the unit was first lived in. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the provincial guideline, so the owner can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Several towers in and around the district are newer than that, so ask before you sign.

Can I find pet-friendly rentals in the Distillery District?

Often, yes. In Ontario a "no pets" clause in a lease is void, and a landlord cannot charge a pet deposit. A condo building can still restrict pets in its own rules, and those apply to tenants too, so ask for the building rules before you sign.

Is parking included with Distillery District rentals?

Often not. Many condo units have no parking space, and where one exists it may be rented separately at a high monthly cost. Street parking is scarce and expensive, and most renters here do without a car.
Ready to look? Browse Distillery District rentalsCondo units in and around the district
Check availability

Nearby neighbourhood guides

Nearby cities

Search Distillery District rentals

More Toronto reading

Methodology

Places, parks, schools and transit routes on this page come from OpenStreetMap. Walk times are approximate. 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, CMHC, Open Government Licence – Toronto. Last updated October 2026.