Cabbagetown is Toronto’s version of New York’s Greenwich Village or London’s Soho without the frenzy. There are several restaurants and bars on nearby Parliament and Carlton but people choose to live here because of their appreciation for historic houses, peaceful walking streets and interesting neighbours. The financial district is less than a mile west via bus, subway, or on foot.

The most surprising sight in Cabbagetown is the working farm in the middle of the large park, which is truly the hub of this community. Riverdale Farm (not to be confused with the Riverdale areas to the east) raises pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and several cows! On Tuesdays the bread ovens are fired up and a baker from the Danforth, with several Cabbagetown volunteers, creates the most succulent red fife loaves imaginable! Friends of the Farm have organized an organic market during the growing seasons where farmers truck in their vegetables several days a week.

This park is a meeting place for the community – children at play, dogs galore, and quiet times reading and picnicking under the shady trees. In the summer, ice cream cones are offered at a charming café on the corner of Sumach and Winchester. Beyond the farm, a steep hill runs down into the ravine bordering the Don River – perfect for tobogganing on a bright winter’s day!

Cabbagetown is a unique “village” in downtown Toronto, just below the exclusive neighbourhood of Rosedale, with a variety of 19th century architecture: small, artistic cottages, large detached brick houses with ornate facades, and many charming semi-detached … and the residents are just as varied in their professions and lifestyles. No cookie-cutters here of any type!