As a Toronto real estate agent, I like to educate myself about the history of the many neighbourhoods home to the six. In today’s blog, we are talking about the history of Cabbagetown; its rise, its fall and its gentrification process.
Toronto is full of unique neighbourhoods with varying architecture, landscapes, and other key features. Cabbagetown is no exception with its beautiful and highly sought-after semi-detached Victorian homes. In fact, Cabbagetown is a Toronto real estate agent’s dream, known to be the largest continuous area of Victorian housing in North America. But, what’s the backstory to this area of the city? Was Cabbagetown always a desirable area of Toronto real estate? And of course, where did the name Cabbagetown come from? Let’s take a look at the history to find out!
Cabbagetown is prime Toronto real estate located on the east side of central Toronto. The parameters of the area are considered to be Queen Street on the south, Gerrard Street on the north, Parliament Street on the west and the Don River on the east. The river is one of the main reasons that people initially settled in this area.
Origins of Cabbagetown
Did you know before the 1850s, Cabbagetown was an area mainly consisting of farmland and vegetable plots with a few cottages? However, towards the end of the 19th century, the area became home to many Irish immigrants who fled Ireland due to the potato famine. As a result, they built many small cottages and brick Victorian-style houses throughout the area. The neighbourhood was predominantly working-class as over 50% of the inhabitants were renters.
How Did Cabbagetown Get Its Name?
Above all, times were not easy for the influx of Irish immigrants who settled in the east end of Toronto in the 1850s. Unfortunately, many were forced to flee Ireland during the Great Famine. To help provide food, residents would turn their front yards into gardens growing many vegetables, including cabbages. Hence, the area’s nickname of Cabbagetown was born.
The Rise of Cabbagetown
Prior to the First World War, Cabbagetown saw a lot of growth. Quintessential Cabbagetown-style Victorian semi-detached homes were built in a Gothic Revival style. Public land was set aside in Cabbagetown in which two cemeteries were opened: St. James Cemetery and Necropolis Cemetery. Toronto’s first zoo was built in Riverdale Park West but closed in the mid-70s and moved to Scarborough.
The Decline
Cabbagetown became increasingly impoverished following the First World War. Many low-income families moved into the area and had multiple families living within one house. Landlords stopped maintaining the homes which quickly turned the neighbourhood into one of Toronto’s largest slums. In the late 1940s, a large part of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood was destroyed to make room for the Regent Park housing project.
The Gentrification of Cabbagetown
In the 1970s, Cabbagetown locals banded together to stop the construction of housing projects. A bylaw was passed which prohibited buildings any higher than four storeys to be built in the area. This prevented high-rise housing projects similar to the ones being built in St. James Town from being built in Cabbagetown. Around the same time, affluent professionals began gentrifying Cabbagetown by restoring Victorian-style row houses that are now prime Toronto real estate. Also, many businesses including health food stores, therapy clinics, and farmer’s markets moved into the area. Today, the neighbourhood is home to many professionals, doctors, artists, and musicians.
In conclusion, the next time you are in the Cabbagetown area, enjoy the beautiful architecture in a new light. The area has had its ups and downs but has triumphed as a culturally rich, historically dense, and highly desirable area to reside in.
Sources:
https://shorturl.at/bmoyX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbagetown,_Toronto
https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/12/cabbagetown-toronto-history/
https://shorturl.at/fCGQ2
