Contributed by Victoria Hadden. For many obvious reasons to those of us who live here, Cabbagetown is one of the most popular destinations in Toronto for those seeking alternatives to hotels. Cabbagetowners are renting out rooms, apartments and entire units in record numbers, facilitated by two of the most popular online platforms, Airbnb and VRBO. Together they list almost 250 properties in Cabbagetown alone.
As an owner/ manager of a short-term rental property, most often my guests are families attending weddings and reunions, business travellers, celebrities and artists wanting a quiet, private, home-like setting. I was delighted to host Barbara Hershey over five months while she was in Toronto shooting a TV series.
As a host, a big part of the booming short term rental business is guiding guests to establishments and experiences that best meet their needs and those of my community. I’m proud of Cabbagetown’s high quality food, shops, and services that make our historical village so personal and unique.
I’ve created a guidebook to help steer visitors to the high quality offerings of our local restaurants, stores, and essential services. An Australian gent left his glasses on the plane and optician closest to me was able to have the prescription faxed and ready in no time. Guests can sometimes have problems with a broken tooth, a sick child, or unruly hair and require the services of our local professionals which I always have ready at hand.
An experience I encourage all guests to take part in is the Cabbagetown People self-guided tour and the Cabbagetown Preservation Association’s walking tours.
I am quick to emphasize to all of my visitors that there isn’t anything they could want or need that isn’t within walking distance. That’s a splendid reason to keep guests in the ‘hood’ and close to their temporary ‘away from home, home’.
