Originally developed in the 1900s, St James was a wealthy neighborhood consisting of large mansions and single family homes spanning across the town. However, things took a downturn in the 1960s, when development projects began to replace the lavish single family homes with high rise buildings to accommodate the growing demand for housing in downtown Toronto. Change of such a magnitude in the St James housing caused an increase in population density in the area as the number of residents in St James rose from 4000 to a whooping 25000 living today in the 19 apartment buildings, most of whom are new immigrants with low to middle incomes.
In the past few years, efforts by the residents have led to the improvement in quality of housing, with numerous run down buildings receiving renovation, repairs and even replacement with a new furnished building. Along with improved housing, new parks, community centers and public spaces have been established to enhance the overall living conditions and lifestyle of the residents.
Housing development summary of St James
St James has undergone several phases of development in recent years. After world war II, Toronto underwent a rapid population growth that led to the conversion of grand victorian homes to high rise apartment buildings in St James. During this time, public housing projects accommodated the surging population, including the construction of the 19 story St James Town West building. With the rapid upswell in the population, St James town struggled to manage quality housing for the residents and those seeking to preserve their spot in the town, which in turn caused a rise in the crime rate and poor maintenance of the apartment buildings.
Towards the end of the 1990s, efforts began to improve the living conditions of residents in St James town, which included the renovation and upgradation of apartment buildings, and the addition of parks, and new amenities. Despite various efforts to revitalize the delinquent conditions of St James town, in present day, those belonging to low to middle income families still form the majority population living in the town.
To this day, St James strives to exceed the limitations brought about by the dense population. Numerous social and economic challenges in the St James neighborhood made residents looking for an improved quality of life to shift to other parts of the city and country, causing a decline in the population, leaving behind a remainder of low to middle income families in the town.
Lifestyle, adjacent neighborhoods and amenities
St James is a diverse community predominantly made of low to middle income families, young professionals, students and new immigrants. Due to it being so heavily populated, St James does not lack the availability of amenities like grocery stores, cafes, restaurants and small businesses, along with a farmer’s market that is arranged in the summer. Residents belonging to several different religions, ethnicities, and backgrounds live in harmony despite the compromised living conditions in St James town. However, the town enables those with limited resources with a roof over their head. The neighborhood has a mixture of young professionals, seniors, families, and students studying in nearby graduate colleges. Though the neighborhood has a variety of residents from a range of ethnicities, the most common languages spoken are Mandarin, English, Spanish and Cantonese.
Due to being located in the central part of Toronto, the neighborhood is active with new entrants working in nearby financial districts and other downtown areas adjoining St James, including Cabbage town situated east of St James and famous for its lavish Victorian home and treelines, Regent Park, Church and Wellesly, Yonge and Dundas having numerous restaurants and shopping centers, and the Distillery District equipped with art galleries and known for its cobblestone streets and Victorian era buildings, all of which can be visited by the St James residents. And though being heavily urbanized with high rise apartment buildings, the St James neighborhood has green spaces, one of which is the Winchester Park. Other parks located in the neighborhood include Allan Gardens, and the Riverdale park.
When it comes to educational institutions, St James only has one public school. Rose Avenue Public School is an elementary school in St James town that devotedly undertakes the responsibility to educate kids from kindergarten to grade 6. For post secondary education, the neighborhood is home to George Brown College that caters to the graduate education in the fields of business, health, science and hospitality.
