121 Spruce St
121 Spruce St is in Cabbagetown-South St.James Town, on the City's Heritage Register. There are 2 planning proposals within 250 m. Streetcars stop 125 m away.
Data as of Nov 9, 2026 · Every item lists its source
- It is in a Heritage Conservation District (Cabbagetown South) (Part V).
- 2 planning proposals within 250 m: two in progress.
- Assaults, break-ins and robberies in Cabbagetown-South St.James Town were above the Toronto rate in 2025.
- Streetcar 506 stop 125 m away; the nearest subway is 1.2 km.
- The nearest elementary school is Sprucecourt Junior Public School, 208 m away.
01What’s planned near 121 Spruce St
2 planning proposals within 250 m (about a 3‑minute walk): two in progress. That's about typical for Toronto (the typical address has 1).
In progress
- 1New house147 Spruce St · 96 m awayCommittee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks
The hearing was postponed. A new date hasn't been published yet.
To alter the existing two-storey semi-detached dwelling by constructing a rear ground floor deck with stairs and a swim spa.File A0188/24TEY · submitted Feb 13, 2024 - 2New house40 Nasmith Ave · 150 m awayCommittee of Adjustment · Minor variance: permission to bend a zoning rule, such as height, size or setbacks
The Committee of Adjustment refused it on Feb 28, 2024. It has been appealed to the Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB), which will hold its own hearing and make the final decision.
To alter the existing two-storey semi-detached dwelling by constructing one and two -storey rear additions (with an unfinished basement), as well as a rear ground floor deck with stairs.File A0887/23TEY · submitted Oct 10, 2023
Development Applications and Committee of Adjustment Applications, City of Toronto. A proposal that covers several addresses is listed once. Decided: development files submitted in the last 4 years; Committee of Adjustment decisions in the last 2 years.
02Safety near 121 Spruce St
Police recorded 146 major crimes within 500 m of this address from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. That's more than at 94% of Toronto addresses. The table compares the neighbourhood's rates with Toronto's.
| Major crime | Near this addressreported within 500 m, last 12 months | Cabbagetown-South St.James Townper 100,000 residents, 2025 | Torontoper 100,000 residents, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assaults | 95 | 1,079 | 768Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is higher |
| Break-ins | 28 | 321 | 190Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is higher |
| Car thefts | 10 | 92 | 225Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is lower |
| Robberies | 4 | 145 | 79Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is higher |
| Thefts over $5,000 | 9 | 23 | 61Cabbagetown-South St.James Town is lower |
Thick bar: Cabbagetown-South St.James Town. Thin grey bar: Toronto. Source: Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, Major Crime Indicators (Oct 2, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026) and Neighbourhood Crime Rates. Reported incidents only; police place each incident at the nearest intersection. Five-year trends for Cabbagetown-South St.James Town
03Getting around from 121 Spruce St
The nearest subway station is Castle Frank Station (Line 2), about a 19‑minute walk (1.2 km). Within a 5‑minute walk there are 4 TTC stops served by the 506 streetcar and the 121 bus, with about 1,801 departures on a typical weekday. The nearest GO train station is Union Station GO, 2.6 km away, with 354 train stops on a weekday.
Source: TTC · Line 2 · about 19 min walk
Nearest stop: Gerrard St East at Sumach St, plus 1 more stop for this route within 250 m.
Nearest stop: River St at Gerrard St East, plus 1 more stop for this route within 250 m.
Source: GO Transit · 354 train stops on a weekday
TTC and GO Transit schedules for a typical weekday (Nov 11, 2026). Walking times are estimates.
04Schools and child care near 121 Spruce St
The closest public and Catholic schools. They may not be the ones assigned to this address; check with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) or Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).
Elementary schools
Share of Grade 6 students meeting the provincial standard. Toronto: 87% reading, 54% math.
Secondary schools
Share of students who passed the Grade 10 literacy test on their first try. Toronto: 84%.
The red tick on each bar is the Toronto average. Source: Ontario Ministry of Education (2026), EQAO results.
Within 500 m (about a 6‑minute walk): two licensed child care centres and two EarlyON centres.
70 Spruce St · 56 spaces · kindergarten, school age · in the $10-a-day program · fee subsidies
237 Sackville St · 79 spaces · toddler, preschool, kindergarten · in the $10-a-day program
101 Spruce St · free programs for children up to 6 and their caregivers
70 Spruce St · free programs for children up to 6 and their caregivers
Source: City of Toronto Licensed Child Care Centres and EarlyON Child and Family Centres.
05The building at 121 Spruce St
Source: Building Construction/Demolition Violations
0 building permits in the last 5 years. Permits show work the City approved; they don't show work done without a permit.
Source: Building Permits · 1 on record
It is in a Heritage Conservation District (Cabbagetown South) (Part V). Exterior changes and demolition may need a heritage permit.
Source: Heritage Register
Permit history: 1 project from 1 permit
- Party Wall Admin Permits · completed Feb 1, 2017
Party wall admin permit for work at 123 Spruce St. See Permit #15-269952 · Permit 16 102550
06Around the block
Stays of less than 28 days, like Airbnb. That's more than at most Toronto addresses (the typical address has 2).
Houses that rent individual rooms with shared kitchens or bathrooms. The City licenses them to enforce safety standards.
Little Bee (take-out or food shop), Hans Convenience (take-out or food shop), The Fade Club (salon or personal services), and 3 more.
All new business licences in Cabbagetown-South St.James Town (6)
- Little Bee · Take-out or food shop · 140 Carlton St · 1132 m · licensed Oct 30, 2026
- Hans Convenience · Take-out or food shop · 213 Wellesley St E · 1018 m · licensed Oct 15, 2026
- The Fade Club · Salon or personal services · 457 Parliament St · 508 m · licensed Oct 15, 2026
- Laundry On Carlton · Laundromat or dry cleaner · 252 1/2 Carlton St · 518 m · licensed Oct 8, 2026
- Fair Trade Jewellery Company · Jewellery or gold buyer · 576 Parliament St · 768 m · licensed Sep 15, 2026
- Jesmin Foods · Take-out or food shop · 405 Parliament St · 515 m · licensed Aug 11, 2026
Source: Short Term Rentals Registration, Multi-Tenant (Rooming) House Licences, Business Licences and Permits (storefront types; owners’ personal names are never shown), POPS, and Daily Shelter Occupancy (Nov 6, 2026). Confidential shelter locations are not published.
07Risks and environment at 121 Spruce St
TRCA's maps show this address is outside the areas that could flood from rivers in a major storm (TRCA plans for a storm like Hurricane Hazel in 1954) and outside lake shoreline hazards. Basement flooding from overloaded sewers can still happen anywhere in the city.
Source: TRCA Regulation mapping 2025
In postal area M5A, 4 of 134 home tap-water samples (3.0%) tested above Ontario's limit for lead (10 micrograms per litre). Across Toronto, 2.0% of samples did, so M5A is about the same as the city overall. Health Canada recommends a stricter limit of 5 micrograms per litre: 9 samples here (6.7%) were above it. These are voluntary tests, mostly from older homes, so they don't tell you about this house. Lead comes from old pipes and plumbing, not the City's treatment plants. If your home was built before the mid-1950s, you can get a free test kit by calling 311.
Source: Non Regulated Lead Sample · 134 tests, May 21, 2014 to Oct 15, 2026
Air Quality Health Index from Environment and Climate Change Canada's Toronto Downtown station, 3.1 km away, measured 8:00 AM EST Monday 9 November 2026. Forecast high for the next 24 hours: 2 (low risk). The scale runs from 1 to 10+; 1 to 3 is low risk.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada · hourly
TRCA mapping is for screening, not site-specific decisions. Lead results are voluntary samples from homes in the postal area, not this address.
08The neighbourhood: Cabbagetown-South St.James Town
Cabbagetown-South St. James Town had 11,020 residents in 2021. The median household income was $76,500, about the same as the typical Toronto neighbourhood ($85,000). 55% of households rent (typical neighbourhood: 46%). 39% of renters spend 30% or more of their income on housing. 27% of workers commuted by transit and 38% walked or cycled (typical neighbourhood: 26% and 5%). The most common first languages other than English and French are Spanish (3.2%), Pilipino, Filipino (2.9%) and Cantonese (1.6%). Source: 2021 Census; the next census was taken in 2026.
Rents aren't published for single neighbourhoods. Across central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation), a two-bedroom in a purpose-built rental building averaged $2,457 a month in October 2025, up 6% from a year earlier. The Toronto average was $2,055. The vacancy rate was 3.2%. These averages include long-term tenants; new listings usually cost more.
| Average rent, October 2025 | Central Toronto | Change in a year | Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,526 | +2% | $1,499 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,914 | +4% | $1,763 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,457 | +6% | $2,055 |
| 3 bedrooms or more | $3,195 | 0% | $2,361 |
Source: CMHC, Rental Market Survey (October 2025), purpose-built rental apartments, central Toronto (the old City of Toronto, before the 1998 amalgamation). CMHC doesn’t publish rents for single neighbourhoods. Adapted by My Address in Toronto.
How Cabbagetown-South St.James Town compares with Toronto’s 158 neighbourhoods →Archive photos from near this address: myaddressintoronto.com/address/121-spruce-st#sec-history
