Neighbourhood guide
Living in St. Lawrence, Toronto
The St. Lawrence Market at the door, nineteenth century warehouses on Front Street, and condos and co-ops around David Crombie Park, a walk from Union Station. Here is what renting in St. Lawrence is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
St. Lawrence Market Walk to work Condos and co-ops Near the lake
2 rentals available in St. Lawrence
What's it like to live in St. Lawrence?
St. Lawrence is one of the oldest parts of Toronto, east of Yonge Street between King Street East and the rail corridor, centred on the St. Lawrence Market at Front and Jarvis. The blocks around the market keep their nineteenth century warehouses and commercial buildings, and south of Front a neighbourhood built from the late 1970s on mixes co-ops, non-profit housing and condos along The Esplanade and David Crombie Park.The City's census neighbourhood here is St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands, which adds the new towers of East Bayfront, the Distillery District and the Toronto Islands. Across that area, 94% of homes are in buildings of five or more storeys, 81% are condos, more than half were built since 2006, and 56% are studios or one bedrooms. About one tenant household in six lives in subsidised housing, much of it in the co-op and non-profit buildings of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood.It is a young area of small, mostly renting households. In 2021, 60% of households rented, the median resident was 35, households averaged 1.7 people, and about a third of commuters walked to work. Rent runs above the city middle: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,900 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto.The St. Lawrence Market is the local grocer, with butchers, bakeries like Carousel and cheese counters a minute from Front and Jarvis, and a Metro and a No Frills close by for the everyday shop. Front Street has pubs and restaurants like The Jason George and C'est What?, the St. Lawrence library branch is on Front, and St. James Park and Berczy Park are a few minutes west. Sugar Beach and the lake are about 12 minutes south, past the Gardiner.Getting around is mostly a walk. King Station on Line 1 is about eight minutes away, and Union Station, with GO trains and the UP Express, is about 13 minutes on foot. The 504 King and 503 Kingston Rd streetcars run along King, and the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal for the Toronto Islands is about 16 minutes south. The trade-offs are rail and expressway noise near the tracks, weekend crowds around the market, and rents above the city middle.
Best suited for
- Downtown workers who want to walk
- Cooks who shop at the market
- Renters without a car
- Lakefront and Islands regulars
- –Renters who want a house flat
- –Renters on a tight budget
Quick facts
- Population31,300
- Renter households60%
- Median age35
- Homes built since 200656%
Getting around
Line 1 and Union Station on foot, streetcars on King, and the Island ferries a short walk south.96/100
WalkabilityThe market, groceries and downtown offices on foot90/100
Transit accessLine 1 at King, Union Station and streetcars on King78/100
CyclingBike lanes on Sherbourne and the waterfront trailKing Station, Line 18 min walk
Union Station13 min walk
Distillery District15 min walk
Bloor-Yonge, from King7 min by subway
Sugar Beach12 min walk
Jack Layton Ferry Terminal16 min walk
Line 1 Yonge-University
504 King
75 Sherbourne
503 Kingston Rd
501 Queen
121 Esplanade-River
St. Lawrence on the map
The places listed further down the page, around Front Street East and Jarvis Street.Schools and childcare
Downtown Alternative School and St. Michael Catholic School are a few minutes from Front and Jarvis, Market Lane public school is about eight, and George Brown College's St. James campus is around the corner. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from Front Street East and Jarvis Street.| School | Type | Walk time |
|---|---|---|
Downtown Alternative School | Public alternative · Elementary | 3 min |
St. Michael Catholic School | Catholic · Elementary | 3 min |
George Brown College, St. James Campus | Post-secondary | 3 min |
Market Lane Junior and Senior Public School | Public · Elementary | 8 min |
École élémentaire Gabrielle-Roy | French public · Elementary | 12 min |
St. Michael's Choir School | Catholic · Boys choir school | 13 min |
Around the neighbourhood
Walk times from Front Street East and Jarvis Street. The market and most shops are within a few blocks.Groceries
- St. Lawrence Market1 min
- Metro2 min
- No Frills7 min
- Loblaws9 min
Coffee and bakeries
- Carousel Bakery1 min
- Balzac's Coffee2 min
- Fahrenheit Coffee6 min
- Sam James Coffee Bar6 min
Food and drink
- The Jason George1 min
- Paddington's Pump1 min
- Biagio Ristorante2 min
- C'est What?3 min
Parks
- Market Lane Park1 min
- St. James Park3 min
- David Crombie Park5 min
- Berczy Park5 min
Fitness
- F45 Training1 min
- GoodLife Fitness7 min
- St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre8 min
- Ethos Climbing9 min
Everyday services
- Imagine Cinemas Market Square1 min
- Shoppers Drug Mart3 min
- TPL: St. Lawrence Branch4 min
- St. Lawrence Pro Hardware5 min
Rent with confidence in St. Lawrence
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. Co-op and non-profit homes are allocated through their own waiting lists, not private listings, so be wary of any listing that offers one. 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. Lawrence rental questions
Is St. Lawrence expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?
Yes, on the census. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands neighbourhood paid $1,900 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto, even with about one tenant household in six in subsidised housing. A condo listed today asks more than that median. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.
How far is St. Lawrence from Union Station?
About 13 minutes on foot from Front and Jarvis. King Station on Line 1 is about eight minutes away, and from King, Bloor-Yonge is about seven minutes north by subway.
How do you get to the Toronto Islands from St. Lawrence?
The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street is about 16 minutes on foot from Front and Jarvis, and City ferries run from there to Centre Island, Ward's Island and Hanlan's Point.
Is the Distillery District part of St. Lawrence?
It sits just east, across Parliament Street, about 15 minutes on foot from Front and Jarvis. The City counts it in the same census neighbourhood, along with East Bayfront and the Islands, which is why the census figures on this page cover more than the market streets.
Are St. Lawrence 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. Many buildings around the market are older than that, but the newer towers toward East Bayfront and the Distillery District often are not, so ask before you sign.
Can I find pet-friendly rentals in St. Lawrence?
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. Lawrence 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 St. Lawrence rentals1 bed from $1,650
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