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Neighbourhood guide

Living in St. James Town, Toronto

A tight cluster of rental towers between Sherbourne and Parliament, with groceries, a library and a community centre at its door and downtown a short ride away. Here is what renting in St. James Town is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
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Rental towers Lower rents Close to downtown Newcomers
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What's it like to live in St. James Town?

St. James Town is the cluster of apartment towers north of Wellesley Street East, between Sherbourne and Parliament streets, with Bloor Street along the top. Much of it was built as a high rise rental district in the 1960s and 1970s, and about 18,500 people live in its towers, with the St. James Town library branch, the Wellesley Community Centre and a run of grocers and restaurants along Wellesley and Parliament.In the City's North St. James Town neighbourhood, 93% of homes are in buildings of five or more storeys, almost half were built between 1961 and 1980, and 62% are studios or one bedrooms. Only 19% are condos, so most units are in purpose built rental towers. The towers south of Wellesley are counted with Cabbagetown, as South St. James Town.Nearly nine in ten households rented in 2021, the median resident was 36, households averaged 2.0 people, more than half of residents were immigrants, and 46% of commuters took transit. It is one of the cheaper places to rent this close to downtown: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,300 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto, and more than one tenant household in five lived in subsidised housing.Food Basics, a Rabba and a FreshCo are within about four minutes of Wellesley and Bleecker, and Parliament Street's shops, cafés and restaurants are a short walk east. The St. James Town library branch and the Wellesley Community Centre, with its pool, are at the corner, and Allan Gardens is about nine minutes south.Sherbourne Station on Line 2 is about nine minutes north on foot, with Bloor-Yonge four minutes further west, and the 94 Wellesley bus reaches Wellesley Station on Line 1 in about six. The trade-offs are ageing towers where elevators, repairs and upkeep vary from building to building, busy common areas, and a longer walk to the subway from the south end.

Best suited for

  • Renters on a tighter budget
  • Renters without a car
  • Newcomers to Canada
  • Downtown workers
  • –Renters who want a new condo
  • –Renters who want a quiet low rise street

Quick facts

  • Population18,500
  • Renter households89%
  • Median age36
  • Studios and one bedrooms62%

Getting around

Line 2 at Sherbourne, a bus along Wellesley to Line 1, and streetcars on Carlton a few blocks south.

90/100

WalkabilityGroceries, the library and a community centre at the door

84/100

Transit accessLine 2 at Sherbourne and buses to Line 1

76/100

CyclingBike lanes on Sherbourne and quick routes downtown
Sherbourne Station, Line 29 min walk
Bloor-Yonge, from Sherbourne4 min by subway
Allan Gardens9 min walk
Wellesley Station, Line 16 min by bus
Union Station, from Bloor-Yonge8 min by subway
Riverdale Park West18 min walk
Line 2 Bloor-Danforth
75 Sherbourne
506 Carlton
94 Wellesley
65 Parliament

St. James Town on the map

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

Schools and childcare

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is about two minutes from Wellesley and Bleecker, Winchester and Rose Avenue public schools are about four and five, and Jarvis Collegiate is the nearby 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 Wellesley Street East and Bleecker Street.
SchoolTypeWalk time
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary2 min
Winchester Junior and Senior Public School
Public · Elementary4 min
Rose Avenue Junior Public School
Public · Elementary5 min
Jarvis Collegiate Institute
Public · Secondary5 min
Canada's National Ballet School
Independent · Ballet8 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from Wellesley Street East and Bleecker Street. Most shops are on Wellesley and on Parliament to the east.

Groceries

  • Food Basics3 min
  • Rabba3 min
  • FreshCo4 min
  • St James Butcher Shop7 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Sweet Addictions2 min
  • Red Rocket Coffee3 min
  • Tasso Baking Company6 min
  • Rooster Coffee House9 min

Food and drink

  • Sarvi Indian Cuisine2 min
  • Tropical Joe's5 min
  • The Keg Mansion5 min
  • Momo Ghar5 min

Parks

  • Bleecker Parkette2 min
  • Winchester Park4 min
  • Dr. Gordon Chong Park8 min
  • Allan Gardens9 min

Fitness

  • Wellesley Community Centre1 min
  • Parliament Street Fitness8 min
  • Mattamy Athletic Centre12 min
  • Orangetheory Fitness13 min

Everyday services

  • TPL: St. James Town Branch1 min
  • Lord's Pharmacy1 min
  • St. James Town Community Corner1 min
  • Shoppers Drug Mart6 min

Rent with confidence in St. James Town

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.
In older rental towers, ask whether the landlord has applied to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an above-guideline increase, since an approved one can raise the rent of every unit in the building. Never send a deposit before viewing the unit, 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. 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

St. James Town rental questions

Is St. James Town cheaper than the rest of Toronto?

On the census, yes. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's North St. James Town neighbourhood paid $1,300 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto, and more than one tenant household in five lived in subsidised housing. A unit listed today asks more than that median. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.

How close is St. James Town to the subway?

Sherbourne Station on Line 2 is about nine minutes north of Wellesley and Bleecker on foot, and Bloor-Yonge is four minutes from there. The 94 Wellesley bus reaches Wellesley Station on Line 1 in about six minutes.

What should I check before renting in a St. James Town tower?

Ask what the rent includes, such as heat, hydro, parking and laundry, how repairs are requested and how quickly they are done, and whether the landlord has applied to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an above-guideline increase. Most units in towers lived in before November 15, 2018 are covered by the provincial rent increase guideline.

Is St. James Town part of Cabbagetown?

They are neighbours. St. James Town is the tower district north of Wellesley, and Cabbagetown is the Victorian neighbourhood east of Parliament. The City's census counts the towers south of Wellesley, South St. James Town, together with Cabbagetown.

Is St. James Town a good area for families?

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is about two minutes from Wellesley and Bleecker, Winchester and Rose Avenue public schools are about four and five, and the Wellesley Community Centre has a pool. Most units are studios and one bedrooms, so family sized rentals are harder to find.

Can I find pet-friendly rentals in St. James Town?

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 St. James Town rentals?

Sometimes. Many towers have underground parking, but a space is often rented separately for a monthly fee, and street parking on the side streets is by permit.
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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 North 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.