Oooo...I could write pages. Toronto is actually often describe as "a city of neighbourhoods". The current City of Toronto is actually an amalgamation of smaller former Cities, including (among others) Toronto, East York, North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough (what am I missing, Gramsci?).
Each of those is also very 'regional' in nature. I, for instance, live in Toronto, but I also live in Scarborough, West Hill and Rouge Hill.
Cabbagetown used to be where the Irish working class lived when they arrived. It reeked of boiled cabbage at dinnertime, since that's generally a staple of poor-Irish meals. The name has been attached to that little (very beautiful and desirable) section of Toronto. There's also The Danforth (Greeks), Little Italy, Little Portugal, The Beach (NOT The Beaches), Kensington Market, Riverdale, Leslieville, The Junction, and about a hundred others. Among residents, pitched arguments can erupt over exactly where one (desirable) neighbourhood ends and another (less so) begins.
I love Property Virgins. Especially the aspect where two wide-eyed Jr Bankers making a combined $60,000 want to live in a $750,000 fixer-upper in Rosedale, and nothing less will suffice.
Are they all distinctly different? No, but the residents would have you believe as much. Many have a unique flavour and their own charm, but not that you couldn't find in other equally nice areas.