135 JAMES STREET

135 James St, a detached three-bedroom home in downtown's Inner Harbour neighbourhood, sits so far back from the road the kids can head for the street and not make it back until lunchtime. There is a covered porch strong as a bunker, and a full-width living room with modern hardwood floors. There is a formal dining room and an old kitchen tucked away at the back.

There is also a covered breezeway between the house and the double-deep block garage in which you can build your airship or your go-karts. The three smallish bedrooms gather around the upstairs bathroom. The house was renovated in the 1980s is my guess, and much loved, but it's about due another go.

Another unit above the garage would make an awful lot of sense. Something to house the in-laws or help with the mortgage. But you could also just bring the family and call it home pretty much as-is, build vegetable gardens out front, make friends with the marvellous neighbours, walk every morning to the Elm Cafe and Daughters Grocery, or head straight up Pine to the Sunday market.