Cabbagetown, named after the cabbages Irish settlers grew in their front yards, has long been a low-income community. The area has been experiencing a cultural and economic boom since the 1970s, barely avoiding the fate of neighbouring Regent's Park and St James's Town and being redeveloped into housing projects. Today, it is home to white-collar workers, artists, and the largest continuous area of well-preserved Victorian housing in all of North America. Perhaps because of this, the area has several antique and home improvement stores, as well as amazing restaurants and even an urban farm. Here's our guide to what to do when visiting this fascinating neighborhood.

If you like Victorian architecture, art and design, then the Winery factory is definitely worth a visit. In the meantime, to continue exploring east, cross the bridge over the Dun River Valley and enjoy the sights of Riverside and Lesleeville.

For more fun ideas, check out these amazing events in Toronto!

Walk the streets lined with Victorian houses

Cabbagetown Home Toronto Cabbagetown Home Toronto

Much of the area's original architecture has been preserved, creating a cohesive and charming streetscape full of large trees, landscaped enclosed courtyards and, of course, charming buildings. As you walk, notice how cramped some of these houses are and all the various architectural styles that can be found. While the Gothic Revival and Bay gable styles dominate with their steep, spiky gable roofs and decorative wooden finishes, there are plenty of other styles - including the Second Empire with sloped roofs and tiger Windows, Romanesque revivals such as the famous Toronto Dance Theatre, and some charming one-story workers' cottages are also tucked away there. Start the walk on Amelia, Winchester, Carlton or Spruce Streets, then turn into Metcalfe or Sackville as you wind through the block.

See a show in Phoenix

Not only can you watch some amazing artists perform live at this concert hall, but it's a complete entertainment hub with three different environments, perfect for hosting events and dancing with the city's hottest DJS. The main hall boasts an amazing sound system and excellent acoustics, with one of the largest dance floors in the city and five bars, but you'll still feel like you're up close when your favorite band plays. Musical performances cover all genres, including Owl City, Nazareth, Japanese Breakfast and FIDLAR (next month only). See if there is an event coming up that interests you!

Back in time at Riverdale Farm

At the more family-friendly end is Riverdale Farm, which is reminiscent of the earliest settlement in the area. The farm is open daily and admission is always free, so it's always a good idea to go with family, partner, friends or even yourself! The farm is also connected to trails in Toronto's beautiful canyon system, making it the perfect gateway to escape city life. During the daily 11:30 a.m. presentation, visit the garden and learn about their livestock, they have cows, pigs, sheep, goats and chickens, as well as some friendly cats prowling around the hotel!

Eat in a delicious restaurant

For a relatively quiet area, Cabbagetown's food scene packs a punch. Here's our pick of the places not to be missed:

Kanpai Snack Bar
This place brings a taste of Taiwanese street markets to Toronto. They serve dim sum sized dishes such as Hotline Bling (sweet and sour chicken) and A Tribe Called Hakka (Hakka style stir-fried pork) and are obsessed with old-school hip-hop music and a variety of cocktails and local drinks, including sake.

Familia
F'Amelia has some of the best Northern Italian cuisine in the city, including a vegetarian menu of specialty pastas, pizzas and more! The restaurant is located in a small, cosy converted house with a spacious solarium and patio. It's joined by Extended F'Amelia, a bar with bar snacks next door.

Sukhothai
This cabbagetown restaurant in the south serves authentic flavors brought straight from Thailand by its owner. Sukhothai isn't glamorous, but it's certainly delicious, making it a favorite Thai spot for many Cabbagetowners and Torontonians. See for yourself what the buzz is all about!

Zakkushi Carlton (Zakkushi Carlton Hotel)
Another Asian-inspired cuisine in the area: Zakkushi is a yakitori izakaya that serves charcoal kebabs and other Japanese cuisine in a bustling authentic atmosphere, perfect for dinner and drinks with a few friends. For a taste of exquisite izakaya cuisine, nearby Kingyo is also worth a try.

Visit the city's best antique and design shops
Perhaps because of its focus on old architecture and the accompanying interior design, this area is full of some amazing antique and design shops. Put on your hat. There's a lot of it.

Labor of love
A charming little gift shop filled with paper products, jewelry and household items (especially kitchen items) as well as other gifts. It's basically a space full of cute and exciting novelties and indulgences. While you're there, we won't tell you if you just want to shop for yourself.

Provenance and salvage
The shop is a one-man operation specializing in recycled antiques, which the owner, Darius, repairs and often converts and repurposing. Some of the tables started out as tables, some became tables, but they are all works of art. While it is open from 12pm to 5pm on weekends, weekday hours are "by appointment or chance".

eclectosaurus
They have a range of quirky and curious vintage items, including Mid-century Modern and other 20th-century style antiques. "Objects" here can actually mean anything, including "furniture, lighting, art glass, clothing, accessories, jewelry, textiles, art, books, ephemera, ceramics, metalware, kitchenware, appliances, wine, vintage techniques, and miscellaneous." Bring your sense of humor with you when you visit the store!

spruce
In the store, you'll find a carefully selected selection of stylish vintage furniture, artwork and other eclectic old and new household items. They also have a range of books on food, drink and plant care, as well as candles and a mobile pizza oven...... Therefore, this shop is ideal for buying gifts.

lantern
Dean, the owner of Lamp Cage, makes and sells his own unique lighting pieces made from scrap, antiques and other found objects in modern shapes made from vintage metal and glass. The store is a gallery of his work - stop to find the perfect lighting solution and see some creative designs.

Mi Casa (Hotel Micasa)
Another design-oriented furniture and home accessories store, but this one launches new pieces in stylish and modern silhouets that draw on mid-century modern and other influences. They have invested in furniture and other bits and bobs that will definitely add interest to any space.

Green's Antiques
The highlight of this week's visit is this antique shop run by a grandmother, also located in Toronto's dt Cabbage Town.
A stop at the entrance reveals a classic antique shop run by an elderly owner, still specializing in furniture, crystal lamps, China, knives and forks, jewelry and a few pieces of clothing. The air of obsolescence and history hit me.
Walking along Carton St from Allan Garden, the scenery is beautiful enough in the middle of summer, much more peaceful than Queen Street, with beautiful green spire churches, small houses, coffee shops and restaurants on both sides. And the antique shop as the end of the journey became less important.
To get to the point, in addition to the extremely beautiful bone China figures, silver knives and forks, back to the jewelry field I am familiar with, the jewelry price ratio of about 3 display cases is extremely high in downtown Toronto.
For $10, I got a Trifari earrings necklace set with the crown label (but it looks very different from the trifari brand style), while the purple rhinestone earrings are also marked with brand and number, and the details are exquisite, and the sun simply shines to my heart. Silver belt chains look great with jeans of the day, and lifelike animals are a favorite. And the total cost of all three was no more than $50. This is my pursuit of beauty and cost-effective balance!

Express your love for the region at the Cabbage Festival
Well, now that you no longer have to look for a design shop, it's time to celebrate.

Cabbagetown Festival is held annually in the area to celebrate community, people, culture and enterprise. Over the course of a weekend, it features amazing activities such as arts and crafts vendors, restaurant and bar crawlers, wine walks, walking Tours of historic houses, yard sales and Cabbagetown Short Film and Video Festival. The festival is selected by a jury of video works made up of experienced filmmakers and up-and-coming filmmakers, bringing a unique experience to the festival. The weekend also features the Riverdale Farm Fall Harvest Festival, opening and closing ceremonies, street fairs and more! There's a lot to do and you can't miss the festivities this weekend.

Cemeteries in Toronto with a historical connection

While a cemetery may sound like a grim place to recommend, it's actually a sight to behold. It boasts stunning natural landscapes and architecture, including ornate stained glass Windows, sculptures and its distinctive Victorian and Gothic arches and architecture. The cemetery is also the resting place of Toronto's first mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie, former NDP leader Jack Layton, and many other figures from Toronto's settler history. The cemetery is one of the oldest in the city, so it's also a historic site that connects visitors to stories from Toronto's early years.