Dear reader,

The above-the-shop lifestyle is a lot of fun. Like eating a fresh Jamaican patty or having a meltdown on the TTC, living above a store is something you should experience at least once if you want to understand Toronto’s pulse. I got to live above two—a shawarma joint in Parkdale and a bakery in the Beaches—and I loved it. The people working downstairs became my neighbours, and seeing their shop lights on, past last call or first thing in the morning, always made me feel warm.

But this lifestyle is becoming rarer and rarer. The unprecedented demand for density has transformed Toronto’s rowhouse-rich main streets into major throughways lined with glass towers.

So imagine my surprise (and joy) to see Curb Appeal’s top post this week: a stylish 1,800-square-foot Weston–Pelham Park walk-up with a retail opportunity at street level, listed for $1.5 million. It’s a blank canvas on a prime stretch of St. Clair West, and I’m excited to see what its eventual buyer does with the space.

Also in today’s newsletter: $775,000 to live in Queen East’s Knitting Mill Lofts. Plus, a farmhouse in Aurora sitting on acres of protected woodland. Visit torontolife.com for all our real estate coverage. 

Here’s a two-bedroom, three-bathroom walk-up nestled between the Junction and Corso Italia. The property comes with a ground-floor retail space—ideal for a storefront or an artist’s studio—along with original exposed brick, heated floors, two parking spots, industrial design and recovered art. And it’s currently going for $1.5 million.

This 1,000-square-foot hard loft in Moss Park comes with its own freight elevator, an egg chair, an open fireplace, exposed wood beams, a surface-level parking spot and a bar made for parties.

What house in the countryside would be complete without a three-season room, soaring wood trusses, a home theatre, a staircase–wine rack combo and a winding private driveway?

In the latest issue: an optimist’s guide to surviving every doomsday scenario imaginable. Plus, obsessed with Barbie (and other weird collections), a harrowing memoir about postpartum psychosis, the best places to eat in the burbs, and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.