Real Estate Guide › Central
North St. Jamestown
- Average 2008 sale price:
- $330,441
- Property crime:
- very high
- Crime against people:
- average
- Neighbourhood map:
- See map
The skyline here is pockmarked with huge, aging apartment towers, home to a large population of new Canadians. (Renters, according to the latest figures from the city, occupy 96 per cent of the area.) Though Sri Lankan and Southern Indian joints abound, there’s a serious lack of cafés, bars or shops, making North St. Jamestown less appealing to retail traffic. What little housing stock exists, say agents, is mostly large rooming houses that would require significant investment to be turned into single-family homes. However, with a couple of either recently completed or in-the-works high-end condo projects—Tridel’s Verve building on Wellesley and the Times Group Corp.’s The 500 on Sherbourne—the neighbourhood is hopeful for change. Most agents, however, say the area’s only real selling point is its proximity to Cabbagetown and Yorkville.
HOUSING STOCK: New condominium projects are slowly popping up. Rooming houses as large as 3,000 square feet and the occasional Victorian in need of repair—usually on Earl or Howard—lie in the shadows of massive apartment towers.
BARGAIN ZONES: Buyers are likely to find deals anywhere they look here, although the lowest prices are to be found on streets closer to Jarvis, such as Earl and Huntley, and on streets closer to Allan Gardens.
THE VERDICT: New condo projects are attracting young professionals and first-time buyers looking for deals. Interest in houses in the area is practically nil.
NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Gabby’s It’s one of the only patios for pub-goers in the neighbourhood to enjoy a drink or a meal on a sunny day. 556 Sherbourne St., 416-515-2000.
The Keg Mansion Located in a heritage building built in 1867, it’s the best (and probably only) place in the neighbourhood to get a great steak. 515 Jarvis St., 416-964-6609.
Mr. Jerk It may not look like much, but Mr. Jerk’s spicy West Indian cuisine more than makes up for its lack of ambiance and frills. 209 Wellesley St. E., 416-961-8913.
Nearby Restaurants
Groundhog Pub
THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED.
Staff serve up unpretentious fare at this spacious family-owned pub ... (0.36 km away)
Commuting
- King and Bay:
- 2.3 km
- 401 and 400:
- 12.6 km
- Gardiner and 427:
- 15.2 km
- Subways:
- Sherbourne Station 0.4 km
- Castle Frank Station 0.6 km
- Wellesley Station 0.8 km
Commuting and subway distances measured from neighbourhood centre.
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