Raffi Tutundijan/Raffi Tutundijan
27 Callender St., Toronto
Asking price: $1,279,000
Taxes: $6,521.56 (2022)
Lot Size: 25 by 113.75 feet
Agents: Alex Brott, Sage Real Estate Ltd.
The backstory
Beth-Anne Perry moved to Toronto from Newfoundland 22 years ago and quickly came to enjoy the diversity of the city in neighbourhoods such as Cabbagetown and Regent Park.
Eleven years ago, she purchased a detached, two-bedroom house in Toronto’s vibrant and multicultural Parkdale neighbourhood.
Ms. Perry immediately felt a connection to the Victorian-era home the first time she visited.
“The energy there was so good.”
She appreciated the quiet cul-de-sac, the short stroll to Queen Street West and the camaraderie of the neighbours, who often got together to play music or hold impromptu gatherings in their backyards.
Ms. Perry purchased the Callender Street home from a couple who lived there with their identical twin boys.
A few years after moving in, Ms. Perry gave birth to Harley and Walker, her own identical twin boys.
“I don’t know what it is about this house,” she says with a laugh.
The house today
Home of the Week, 27 Callender St., TorontoRaffi Tutundijan/Raffi Tutundijan
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Much of the renovation work had been done when she purchased the property, Ms. Perry says.
The house provides 1,694 square feet of living space above grade, with high ceilings and many original details, including antique stair rails, a bay window and a traditional front porch with a balcony above.
The main floor has been opened up to create combined living and dining areas at the front of the house. There’s a kitchen and a cozy family room with a skylight at the rear.
Ms. Perry says the white kitchen was in place when she took over the house, but she updated the space with new butcher block countertops and a backsplash. Over the years, it has been the spot where friends and neighbours like to gather.
“It’s hosted lots of dance parties and karaoke,” she says.
Upstairs, there’s a primary bedroom with a bay window and private balcony at the front of the house and a bedroom for the twins at the back.
In between, a spacious bathroom has an alcove for the clawfoot tub, a stand-alone shower and lots of room for storage.
Outside, there’s a deck for relaxing and barbecuing and a backyard sheltered by cedar trees. The two-car garage connects to the laneway at the rear.
Ms. Perry says the street has become more kid-friendly over the years as more families have moved in.
Her own boys took part in film and television production when they were young, with appearances in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Saving Hope, among other vehicles. Now seven, they’ve taken a break from the entertainment business while they attend nearby Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School.
The twins have also been helpful with home renovations too, she adds, pointing to their handiwork in painting the front porch and replacing the caulking in the shower.
“They painted the bathtub by hand themselves.”
Ms. Perry says the neighbourhood is great for children, with drop-in centres and Sorauren Park and High Park nearby. She also likes to spend time visiting the artists’ studios and independent coffee shops of Queen Street West.
“There’s such an incredible community here,” she says. “I think the right person is going to walk in and say, ‘I’m home’.”
The best feature
Raffi Tutundijan/Raffi Tutundijan
The boardwalk, Martin Goodman Trail and shoreline of Lake Ontario are also a short walk from Callender Street.
On Saturdays in the summer, Ms. Perry would gather towels and sand shovels and the family would head to the beach at Sunnyside.
“We are water people. I was born and raised in Newfoundland and always want to be around the water,” she says. “It was close enough that we could pack the wagon and go and be back in time for dinner.”