5 Things to know about living in Distillery District

Toronto has so many amazing neighbourhoods that it can be hard to choose which one is right for you & your lifestyle!

The Distillery District is one of the cities most desirable downtown areas to live in & for good reason.

Here are the 5 things you need to know about living in the Distillery District:

1.) Access to some of Toronto's best restaurants, bars & cafes

If you love going out for food, coffee & alcoholic beverages, you will absolutely love the Distillery District as there are so many great options to choose from!

This includes:

• Arvo (Fantastic coffee & food selection ~ also sell plants)
• Arena Coffee Bar (Cafe w/ snacks & sports memorabilia)
• Balzac's (One of the best known cafes in Distillery situated in 1895 Fire Pump House)
• Brick St Bakery (Home-made breads, baked goods, sandwiches + more)
• Boku (Japanese Food & Drinks w/ a great patio)
• Cacao70 (Cafe w/ specialty in chocolate desserts)
• Cluny's (French restaurant & patisserie w/ super instagram-able patio)
• District Pizza (Great selection of pizza & wings)
• El Catrin (Mexican restaurant & bar ~ my favourite place in Distillery)
• Izumi Brewery (Japanese Sake Distillery made w/ Muskoka Spring Water)
• Madrina (Spanish Tapas & Bar ~ Beautiful patio in middle of Distillery)
• Mill St Brewery / The Beer Hall (Restaurant, bar & retail store)
• Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill (Oyster, Seafood & Meat ~ large patio)
• SOMA Chocolate maker (Chocolate-lovers dream ~ try the Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate)
• Spirit of York (Gin & Vodka Distillery ~ Working on a Whisky as well)
• Wildly Delicious (Great selection of food, coffee, drinks & gifts)

2.) Great location with easy access to Downtown, East-end & Highways

One of the best things about living in the Distillery District is the amazing location that you get to enjoy.

Only a 15-20 minute walk from the Downtown core, you have all of the conveniences of city-living in a slightly quieter neighbourhood which gives you the best of both worlds.

You can easily access Harbourfront, St. Lawrence Market, King St E & the Financial District and if you go east, you can quickly be in Corktown, Leslieville & The Beaches.

Another major benefit of the location is easy access to both the Don Valley Parkway & Gardiner Expressway which allows you to leave the city in either direction.

3.) It can get super busy with events like the Christmas Market & Lights Festival

In non-COVID times, there are a number of large events that are hosted in the Distillery District including the annual Christmas Market & the Lights Festival.

While it's really great to have these events essentially in your backyard, it does come with several downsides that you should be aware of.

Firstly, traffic can get really hectic as there are far too many cars on the limited number of roads. They have tried to address this in recent years with some varying degrees of success but it still impacts your ability to easy access your parking.

Second thing to be aware of is that the TTC streetcars & buses servicing the Distillery District get a lot more packed during these events. The 504 King streetcar is the primary route for many people to get to the area so you can expect to have increased ridership & occasional delays (something to keep in mind if you're commuting).

The third thing you need to know is that parking is extremely difficult. There are only a limited number of underground & street parking spaces which are typically filled in non-event times, so things get way worse when all of the event guests show up as well. This will become worse in the coming years as one of the biggest parking lots at Trinity St is now being turned into condos.

Lastly, there are long line-ups for pretty much everything during these events. With more people coming to the area, you'll find accessing your favourite cafe or restaurant a lot more difficult and typically have to wait in line.

4.) Extremely bike-friendly area

One of my favourite things as a cyclist is how bike-friendly the Distillery District is.

You have a wide selection of dedicated bike trails to choose from, several public bike rental locations along with various bike lock-up places so you can pop in for a coffee or food at one of the many cafes or restaurants.

Some of the bike trails around the Distillery District include:

• Martin Goodman Trail
• Don Trail system
• Bayview Ave
• Sherbourne St
• Richmond St
• Mill St/Esplanade (future)

With access to these trails, you can tour all around Toronto and experience the natural beauty of our amazing city.

5.) Relatively low # of condo sales (compared to Downtown Core)

With the Distillery District area being fairly small, there aren't that many condo buildings which results in less inventory compared to the Downtown core.

This means that you might have to wait a bit longer for the right unit to come along but things should improve a bit in the future with several new construction projects coming to the area.

Here are all of the condo sales stats from January to June 2021:

1-bed

• Average price = $617,308
• # of units sold = 13

1-bed + den

• Average price = $653,088
• # of units sold = 17

2-bed

• Average price = $976,400
• # of units sold = 15

2-bed + den

• Average price = $1,045,450
• # of units sold = 10

Overall, the Distillery District is a truly fantastic neighbourhood with a lot to offer for those who want a more vibrant downtown-living experience but also enjoy green space & quieter streets.

What are your favourite things about the Distillery District?

Let me know in the comments section below!

Rylie C.