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Palmerston Boulevard has a wealth of
spacious, sturdy late-19th- to early-20th-
century homes

Real Estate Guide › Central

Palmerston - Little Italy

Average 2008 sale price:

$550,060

Property crime:

very high

Crime against people:

very high

Neighbourhood map:

See map

Black-clad nonnas may still shuffle along with the day’s groceries, and elaborate tile shrines to the Virgin Mary may still bless many of the houses, but the tide of Italian and Portuguese immigrants from whom this neighbourhood derives its soul has ebbed over the years. In their place came professionals hankering for a foothold in the core, and 20-somethings eager to live within stumbling distance of the bars along the College strip. It’s a real estate ecosystem in which all parties thrive: the bar kids lend the area a cachet that attracts affluent homebuyers, who, in turn, fund the retirements of the blue-collar immigrants. Bracketed on the east and west by the million-dollar-plus digs along Palmerston and Dovercourt, the typical semi-detached Victorian in between will still run about half that—as long as the new buyer is willing to undertake a serious project. Prices start around $500,000 for a fixer-upper, often escalating well above $750,000.

HOUSING STOCK: Palmerston Boulevard looks like an outpost of Victorian England with its spacious, sturdy homes, almost entirely from the late 19th and early 20th century. Sadly, many houses no longer have the original mouldings and woodwork that made them so distinctive.

BARGAIN ZONES: Opportunities are made, not found here, especially by people willing to coax the promise out of a rundown building.

THE VERDICT: There’s something for every taste: peaceful residential streets bordered by the lively nightlife of the Bloor and College strips; proximity to the subway and streetcars; four large green spaces (Bickford, Christie Pits, Trinity-Bellwoods, Dufferin Grove), all easily within walking distance.

NEIGHBOURHOOD HOT SPOTS:
Bickford Park The place to see and be seen by the canine cognoscenti. 400 Grace St.
Chiado The only true fine-dining restaurant on the College strip, Chiado offers artful renditions of classic Portuguese dishes. 864 College St., 416-538-1910.
Tacos el Asador Diners pack the picnic tables in the minuscule dining room to feast on some of the city’s best cheap eats, especially delectable tacos and tamales. 690 Bloor St. W., 416-538-9747.