This cute little café is about a 3 block walk north up Parliament Street from the streetcar stop. Friendly, quirky, and serving up delicious food, we think this is a great place to make your introduction to Cabbagetown while giving you the sustenance you'll want for the walk. It's located on the east side of the street.

Oh...don't orde... Morer coffee after lunch (unless you're a real caffeine fiend) 'cause you're heading down the block now for some Jet Fuel!

559 Parliament Street, Toronto, ON
(647) 348-0411Less

Jet Fuel rocks! We don't know how else to say it. Feel free to chill for a while if the mood strikes you, but no need to worry about anyone's hurt feelings if you grab a coffee & dash. That's what couriers (bike messengers) have been doing at this uber-cool café for years now.

519 Parliament Street, Toronto, ON
(416) 968-9982

Coffee in hand, head back north to the corner of Parliament & Winchester. If the mood strikes you and the season is right, cross over to the NW corner to Fairway Market and have a quick look through their outdoor garden centre (and check out the Elvis busts in their front window while you're at it!) While you're on that corner, look diagonally oppo... Moresite to the Winchester Hotel, a great old brickpile that's been around since Winchester was the street that led to a bridge over the Don River to the east.

Cross back to the east side of Parliament & follow Winchester St. into the neighbourhood. At the second major street, Sackville St., turn left and head north towards Wellesley St E. Sackville is lined with beautiful old homes.

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When Sackville St. hits Wellesley St. E turn left then take the first right on the north side of the street into a laneway named Wellesley Cottages. You will be led back about 120 years into a little mews of workers' cottages. Remarkable for their feeling of a small village, it's hard to imagine that much of the area must have at one time had this ... Morepeaceful feeling to it.

When you turn to leave, rather than retracing your steps to Wellesley Street, follow the laneway running between the fences on your left (it runs parallel to Wellesley) back over to Sackville Street.Less

When you hit Sackville, turn left and walk a few paces up to Alpha Avenue, a dead end street on your left, and another example of simple little workers' houses that once made up the fabric of the area. Follow Sackville back to Wellesley St E and turn left, heading further east into the neighbourhood.

Follow Wellesley Street E until you reach the corner of Sumach Street, which only runs south (right turn) from Wellesley. Head down Sumach until you reach the corner of Amelia St.

Amelia only runs one more block to the east at this point, and if you're not pressed for time it's worth walking down that block, and taking a closer look a... Moret the row of houses that fronts onto only a sidewalk after the street ends, and which faces pretty Wellesley Park.

Return to Sumach St. and resume your southward march with first Necropolis Cemetery then Riverdale Park on your left. At the corner with Carlton St. continue on past the schoolyard till you reach the cluster of charming English Tudor style buildings built around courtyards.Less

Built a century ago, Spruce Court was one of the first public housing projects in Toronto. It was designed in the English Tudor style in a period when the Arts & Crafts movement was in vogue. The project saw the construction of several buildings housing spacious apartments clustered around a couple of pretty courts. Today the project operates as a ... Morenon- profit Co-op, offering its lucky residents charming & affordable accommodations in a beautiful setting in one of the city's most sought-after neighbourhoods.Less

From Spruce Court, retrace your steps up Sumach to Carlton and turn right along the pretty row of houses facing Riverdale Park. At the end of the block cross into the park. At this point you are on the lip if the Don River Valley- down below you can see the playing fields- but we're staying on high ground.

Follow the path which diagon... Moreally crosses the park. Just past the kiddies' splash pad turn right onto the path that leads into Riverdale Farm. Take a turn around the paddocks with their horses & goats, and pop into the barns to look at some of the unusual fowl. There is a renovated house with washrooms at the entrance to the farm- these are the only scheduled facilities before the end of the tour, so plan accordingly!

When you're ready to move on, leave the farm through the gate behind the facilities house, and head straight across the street to the gate of Necropolis Cemetery.Less

If you've never gone sightseeing in a cemetery before, the idea might creep you out a bit. However, if you're the slightest bit interested in history, anthropology, or even just a fan of a pretty park, then this is a place you'll want to check out.

Necropolis is one of the oldest cemeteries in Toronto (1850), and dates from the time w... Morehen it was prudent to bury your dead outside the town proper. It can be fascinating to look at the dates on the tombstones, study the clusters of generations of families, where they came from, and how old they were when they passed away. Although some of the family names may not have the same significance to visitors as to a Toronto resident, it's still pretty easy to see who were the town's most prominent citizens. As in life, perhaps even more so in death, it was important to some to immortalize their influence.

The cemetery is home to many stately old trees. The beautiful gate house and chapel were added in 1872, almost a quarter century after the cemetery was opened.
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If you're taking this walking tour on a Tuesday after mid-May & before late October, you'll find the Farmers' Market in full swing between the hours of 3:00 & 7:00PM. While you may or may not be in the market for some poultry or meat, you'll probably see some bread, cheese, or fresh tomatoes that would make a tasty snack at some point in your trave... Morels. Or maybe some local honey as a souvenir for friends back home?

The local food movement is going strong in Toronto and this market is a great example of the bounty available within 2 or 3 hours of the city.Less

After taking in the Farmers Market you may already be starting to get a little hungry again, so let's get going on the final stretch before dinner.

Leaving Riverdale Park head west on Winchester St. then turn left to head south down Sackville Street. Along Winchester there are numerous beautiful homes and yards, including several with ... Morehistoric plaques. At the corner with Sackville there is a lovely old walk-up apartment building on your left, and the former church housing the Toronto Dance Theatre on your right.

Continue south on Sackville Street past more beautiful homes and gardens, popping into the picturesque laneway of Sackville Place en route. At the corner of Carlton Street turn right.Less

The block of Carlton Street between Sackville and Metcalfe Streets has some of the most stately homes in Cabbagetown. Whereas on the sidestreets most homes are row houses with postage stamp sized front yards, these babies are set back on lawns, some even with driveways. Mind you, we're not talking about suburban estates, but compared to the neighbo... Moreuring streets they're extravagant. It makes one wonder how this anomoly in the fabric of the neighbourhood came to pass. Why was this a "good" block? (unfortunately, it's a mystery to us!)

At the corner of Metcalfe, turn right again, and head north the four blocks to Amelia Street. Metcalf is lined with more of the lovely renovated homes characteristic of Cababgetown.

Turn left onto Amelia, and F'Amelia will be just ahead on your right.Less

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F'Amelia is the kind of great eating place that everyone wishes they had in their own neighbourhood. It's casual and familiar, it's well patronized by locals, and it serves great food. We've only been in the colder weather, but it also has a knock-out terrace at the front that would be perfect on a summer's evening.

As the name suggest... Mores, F'Amelia Ristorante serves Italian food. Check out their menu by following the link to their website below. Pizza is a specialty, with a central wood-burning oven featured prominently. But we can attest that the pastas aren't too shabby, either! And if you're feeling a little caffeine deprived (it's been a few hours since Jet Fuel, after all) the espressos are wicked.

12 Amelia Street, Toronto, ON
(416) 323-0666

F'Amelia Ristorante is closed on Mondays at the time of writing.

After you've relaxed over a well- earned repast, stroll back down Parliament Street to pick up the 506 streetcar again. This time your stop is on Parliament St. (east side) just south of the traffic light at Carlton St. The front of the streetcar will say High Park.

We hope you had a great afternoon and a lovely dinner!Less