Most Torontonians are well aware that downtown Toronto condos are among the most in demand units in the entire city. With that knowledge in mind, it would be easy to assume that every neighbourhood in the downtown core would be in demand as well. However, while much of the city has been swept up by an unstoppable wave of gentrification, some reputations are particularly hard to shake.
Tucked away in the north-eastern reaches of downtown Toronto lies a neighbourhood unlike any other: St. James Town. What sets St. James Town apart from other downtown neighbourhoods isn’t the high density nature of the area, rather it’s the massive gap between the aspirations for the high-rise community and the reality of what transpired.
Today St James Town condos can be almost as pricey as their nearby counterparts in Yorkville and more so than suites in The Village but the neighbourhood still carries a heavy stigma, and unlike areas like Regent Park and Cabbagetown, developers have been hesitant to dip their foot in the water.
Much of that can be attributed to the history of developments in the area, and the dramatic failure that occurred in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. But St. James Town wasn’t always undesirable; it was actually upper-middle class.
Prestigious Beginnings
St. James Town was at one time known by a different name: Homewood Estates. The area was packed with Victorian houses, many of which were occupied by Toronto’s upper-middle class. The neighbourhood owed much of its prominence to a lack of transportation options, as residents who worked downtown couldn’t stray very far from the cities’ core.
But as transportation improved and the automobile became common, residents began to leave the area for larger lots in the suburbs. Neighbourhoods likes Rosedale and Lawrence Park become popular landing spots and in the wake of this exodus as did neighbouring towns like Scarborough, North York, and East York. As more of these houses were sold, a new neighbourhood took shape, most of which was made up of apartment buildings and boarding houses.
At this point in time the area resembled the slums of nearby Cabbagetown and Regent Park, but an enormous undertaking was planned to redevelop the area into an upscale high density neighbourhood, the only problem was, it failed almost from the word go.
Redevelopment
Beginning in the 1950s, planning began to redevelop St. James Town into a high density neighbourhood inspired by Le Corbusier’s “Towers in The Park”. The city envisioned a high density neighbourhood for “swinging singles”. That terminology is incredibly dated by modern standards, but in looking at neighbourhoods like King West and Liberty Village, one can see how St. James Town might have succeeded as a high density neighbourhood for young professionals.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here. A number of developers came in and began building apartment towers — communication and planning wasn’t at the forefront of everyone minds. The green spaces which were supposed to create natural barriers in the neighbourhood never came to be and, in their place, stood a wall of concrete.
The young professionals who were supposed to flock to the area sought large, single family homes instead. Luxurious apartments might not have appealed to the young working class Torontonians, but new immigrants and less affluent buyers saw the neighbourhood as a great starting point.
Over time, these previously luxurious properties began to fall into disrepair, and because the neighbourhood failed to attract the kinds of people — those with large incomes — facilities began to decline as well. By the 1970s the neighbourhood had acquired a bad reputation, and neighbouring areas rose up while St. James Town remained undesirable.
St. James Town failed in so grand a fashion that the neighbourhood is often used as a cautionary tale when referencing the condo boom and growing high-rise communities like CityPlace and Fort York. But the story doesn’t end there and one can only hope that it will have a positive outcome.
Revitalization
In 1997 the city approved plans to begin revitalizing the neighbourhood — parks were improved, a library was built, and some new towers were constructed as well. A limited selection of luxury townhomes can be found in the neighbourhood and also a small number of modern towers. But for the most part, St. James Town’s reputation remains unchanged.
St. James Town is the most densely populated community in all of Canada, though few Torontonians would shout their desire to call this neighbourhood home. Despite its location next to the Mink Mile and the mansions of Rosedale — next to some of the best real estate in the city — many still look at St. James Town with disdain. The Rosedale Ravine Lands is nearby, transit options are plentiful, the Eaton Centre and Yonge-Dundas square are walkable, but none of this seems to matter when it comes to opinions.
In the end, the neighbourhood might be one of the best case studies for how a bad reputation can sink a community. With real estate prices at all time highs and the neighbourhood enjoying such a prime location, one would think that St James Town would have already been transformed.
In all likelihood, it’s only a matter of time until the neighbourhood changes in meaningful way, but in the meantime, it remains one of the best examples of developers overestimating the potential of a community.
