Search Results for: aura tower toronto pictures
Art flourishes in old buildings, while chains hold condo neighbourhoods in bondage
The franchise economy and condo culture combine to create a sameness on our city streets.
Christopher Hume – Toronto Star
One of the most interesting shows in Toronto right now is on display in one of the most interesting neighbourhoods in Toronto right now.
The exhibition in question is a fascinating collection of photographs of the Model Operas performed in China under the patronage of Jiang Qing, the notorious Madame Mao. Shot by Zhang Yaxin in the 1960s and ’70s, the pictures can be seen at the Stephen Bulger Gallery on Queen Street west of Ossington,
Housed in a late 19th-century hardware store across the road from the newly rebuilt campus of CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), the gallery is part of small complex designed, brilliantly, by Toronto architect Siamak Hariri in 2004.
Back then, this was not the sort of place you’d expect to find an art gallery. But the Drake Hotel had just reopened blocks away, followed by the Gladstone, and West Queen West was suddenly one the city’s newly cool neighbourhoods.
Nearly a decade later, it still is. Unlike Queen West, which emerged as a cultural/commercial hotspot in the late 1970s and early ’80s, West Queen West remains relatively unspoiled. The franchised forces of urban homogeneity – Shoppers Drug Mart, Tim Hortons, Subway and so on – have yet to make their deadening presence felt.
They will, of course, as inevitably they must. And as Toronto’s streets are taken over by the officially sanctioned mixed-use condo complex – commercial at grade, residential above – this process of retail sterilization has reached into almost corner of the city.
“The city wants commercial at grade, in all buildings,” says Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher. “That’s basically a requirement in mixed-use areas – you want commercial on main avenues, and above it, residential. That’s the street pattern that exists.”
That’s the theory, and it’s a good one, even if it doesn’t always achieve the intended purpose. Recently, for example, the owners of the Real Jerk on Queen St. E. thought they had found a new location for their landmark eatery in the ground floor of a condo a few blocks west of the original site (an old bank) at Broadview Ave. But then residents said no; they didn’t want a restaurant serving food and alcohol in their building, thank you very much; bad for sleeping and property values.
These condo towers, each one a NIMBY fortress, speed the deadening effects of globalization and corporate hegemony. Years ago in an interview with the Star, a Queen St. W. landlord, who had turned out a popular yoga studio in favour of a national coffee-and-doughnut outlet, claimed that he had no choice: The banks, he explained, liked big chains they’d heard of, not small ones that haven’t.
As these trends play out, Toronto is fast becoming a shopping desert, a retail wasteland where only heavily advertised global brands are on offer.
“New ideas,” Jane Jacobs famously opined, “need old buildings.”
What happens when the supply of old buildings runs out? Before that occurs, the search will have moved beyond the traditional city core. One day, the Stephen Bulgers will have moved to Hamilton or, perhaps, operate out of strip malls in Scarborough and North York where space is available, rent low and parking plentiful.
That’s hard to imagine, but so was Queen St. W. once upon a time, not to mention Ossington, DuWest (Dundas St. W.), St. Clair Ave. W., Lansdowne … . Sadly, though, distances and differences in built form will be hard to overcome. The transit network that knits downtown into a seamless whole doesn’t extend much beyond the core.
Maybe one day it will; but by then it will likely be too late. The city will be bound in chains and fully franchised.
—————————————————————————————————–
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416−388−1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
King Charlotte Condos
Robyn Urback – blogTO
King Charlotte Condos is “based on a series of designed boxes, all of different types and sizes.” What’s that? You want to know about the units?! “The boxes stack upon each other, and not necessarily in a fashion that one might initially imagine.” Never mind the floor plans. Check out these squares. “It is all very playful, yet incredibly clean and crisp.” Hooray, boxes! This new King West condo has all sorts of nifty rectangular shapes… and some other details like boring deposit structures that aren’t as fun to talk about teetering squares. Here’s a closer look at King Charlotte Condos.
SPECS
Address: 11 Charlotte Street
Total number of units: 232
Number of storeys: 32
Number of elevators: 2
Types of units: One bedroom, one-plus-den, two bedroom, three bedroom
Unit sizes (in square feet): 422 – 962
Ceiling height: 9 feet
Prices from: $311,900
Parking: $39,900
Storage: $3,950
Maintenance fees: $0.52/sf
Developer: Niche Development, Lamb Development Corps.
Architect: architects Alliance
Interior Designer: ii x iv Interior Design
Amenities: 24-hr concierge, outdoor pool, lounge, party room
Expected occupancy: Spring 2014
THE GOOD
I really thought I had written about this one before. But no, I must’ve been thinking of any of these other, seemingly identical King West-area condos. A novice mistake. Nevertheless, King Charlotte has been touted as “The Most Anticipated Addition to King West” (by its developers… who are also behind other King West projects… so take that as you wish), but I assume there must be some sort of very good reason. Stone countertops, maybe?
Well, to begin, this condo distinguishes itself from the King West crowd in that it is not actually on King West. Charlotte Street is a short little north-south route with pretty much nothing but condos, but ample room for the delivery guy to pull over to drop off your late-night Thai food. Steps from the streetcar but not right beside, residents will be treated to a little breathing room when it comes to that inevitable King/Spadina track repair, rush hour traffic, and other fun that comes with living right on an urban downtown route. Essentially right between King and Adelaide, King Charlotte will be steps from great cafes, shops, and restaurants, yet clear of those horrible Entertainment District beats that have a way of resonating into your psyche (and condo unit).
Another King Charlotte plus is that the building is rather narrow (that’s what happens when you take a warehouse and attempt to turn it into a home for hundreds of people), meaning that the floor plates are relatively small. Residents can anticipate sharing their floors with five to nine other units, which is not terrible considering some of the more girthy towers rising up across the city. And standard gas stoves are nice. It’ll stop here, lest my weariness of this category really start to show.
THE BAD
You know what’ll really push me over the edge when I finally buy a condo? Pictures of models in Victorian crowns. A whole wallpaper of them! I can see it now:
“Hmm, I think I can do better in terms of my mortgage rate. And I know a unit on a higher floor might facilitate easier resale, but I really can’t afford it right now. Then again, Mandy is wearing the shit out of that crown. You know what – I’m going for it.”
Yes, developers are persistent in their “selling a lifestyle” tactic, which explains the marketing materials brimming with crowned models, shiny renderings, and ostentatious wordage. Granted, it must work or else developers would change their approach. Nevertheless, I, personally need a little more than a promise of an “entertainment oasis” to look past the lack of balconies (for many suites), tiny kitchen walls, and layouts that barely lend themselves to a dining table or kitchen island.
You can get a little more space and a functional kitchen in King Charlotte if you’ve got the cash, though you’ll end up spending the equivalent of what would get you a semi-detatched with a yard (green?! what is green?!) in another neighbourhood. King Charlotte says its floor plans are great examples of “modern, clean simplicity.” I say they’re bare bones at best. And with so many options in the area and with few distinguishing features, King Charlotte units seem just a dime a dozen.
And I understand why developers of such narrow building would want to maximize livable space ($$$) at the expense of elevator wells – but really, only two elevators for 32 storeys!? I know anecdotally (the best type of evidence) that I would sometimes have to wait five minutes or more when I lived on the 22nd floor in a building with four elevators. So good luck to you, King Charlotte residents, on move-in day or those weeks when one elevator is in service. Some advice: go to the bathroom before you leave for home.
THE VERDICT
I’m still of confused as to which King West condo we’re talking about…
—————————————————————————————————–
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416−388−1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
Yorkville
The Mink Mile. Toronto’s Rodeo Drive. These are names coined for the Yorkville area, Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhood. It’s where the stars come out to play and the beautiful people mingle. The luxurious condos built here attract people with an eye for quality and the money to pay for it.
Here you’ll find one of North America’s most expensive retail enclaves. Bloor Street, Yorkville, Hazelton Lanes, Cumberland Terrace: this is where the well-heeled shop for swank couturier fashions, sparkling jewellery and luxury cars. It’s where the city’s elite sip cappuccino and fine wine; where they dine; where they indulge themselves at decadent spas and hair salons. It’s a place to see and be seen, the epitome of cosmopolitan living.
Yorkville is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of the The Annex neighbourhood officially.
Yorkville is Toronto’s most exclusive neighbourhood
It is recognized as one of Canada’s most exclusive shopping districts. The local section of Bloor Street, the main shopping avenue, vies nationally with Vancouver’s Robson Street. In 2006, both were the 22nd most expensive streets in the world, with rents of $208 per square foot. Yorkville now commands rents of $300 per square foot, making it the third most expensive retail space in North America. In 2008, Bloor St. was named the seventh most expensive shopping street in the world by Fortune Magazine, claiming tenants can pull in $1,500 to $4,500 per square foot in sales.
During the Toronto International Film Festival, Yorkville becomes an excellent place for celebrity-spotting, especially in the Hazelton Lanes shopping complex. Most recently, however, the celebrities once seen during the Toronto International Film Festival have migrated elsewhere and are now most often seen in the entertainment district bars and after-hour clubs near the CITY-TV building. Yorkville still remains the top celebrity hangout in Toronto, and celebrities can be spotted there throughout the year.
Luxury hotels in Yorkville include the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville, Four Seasons, the Park Hyatt, the Hazelton Hotel, the Windsor Arms Hotel, the Residence on Bay and the Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel.
There are also many offices and professional services. Notable companies/organizations include the Retail Council of Canada, Canada Post, IBM Canada, Alliance Atlantis, Famous Players, Paramount Pictures, Showcase Television, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Unilever and the consulates of several nations.
Yorkville shopping district
MTV Canada headquarters are located in Yorkville as well. Canada’s largest museum and the fifth largest in North America, the Royal Ontario Museum is located at the intersection of Bloor and Avenue Rd. The area north of Bloor St. on Cumberland and Yorkville contain petite streets with cafes, restaurants and specialty boutiques. It resembles more of a European style district.
Yorkville is also home to some of Toronto’s most expensive condominiums, most starting at over one million dollars and going well beyond, including: The Prince Arthur, Renaissance Plaza, 10 Bellair, One St. Thomas, Windsor Arms Hotel, The Hazelton Hotel & Residences, Hazelton Lanes.
Begun in 2008, the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement Area and the City of Toronto updated the streetscape from Church Street to Avenue Road. The objective is to create an enhanced pedestrian experience with widened sidewalks, mature trees, flower gardens, modern lighting and public art.
Founded in 1830 by entrepreneur Joseph Bloore (after whom Bloor Street, one of Toronto’s main thoroughfares, is named) and William Botsford Jarvis of Rosedale, the Village of Yorkville began as a residential suburb. Bloore operated a brewery north-east of today’s Bloor and Church Street intersection. Jarvis was Sheriff of the Home District.
The two purchased land in the Yorkville district, subdividing it into smaller lots on new side streets to those interested in living in the cleaner air outside of York. The village grew enough to be connected by an omnibus service in 1849 to Toronto. By 1853, the population of the village had reached 1,000, the figure needed to incorporate as a village and the Village of Yorkville was incorporated. Development increased and by the 1870s, Potter’s Field, a cemetery stretching east of Yonge Street along the north side of Concession Road (today’s Bloor Street) was closed, and the remains moved to the Necropolis and Mount Pleasant cemetery.
Yorkville Condos
By the 1880s, the cost of delivering services to the large population of Yorkville was beyond the Village’s ability. It petitioned the City of Toronto to be annexed. The character of the suburb did not change and its Victorian-style homes, quiet residential streets, and picturesque gardens survived into the 20th century. In 1923, Toronto Hebrew Maternity and Convalescent Hospital was opened at 100 Yorkville Avenue and a year later the name was changed to Mount Sinai Hospital. The facade of this building still stands today and houses retailer Teatro Verde.
In the 1960s, Yorkville flourished as Toronto’s bohemian cultural centre. It was the breeding ground for some of Canada’s most noted musical talents, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot, as well as then-underground literary figures such as Margaret Atwood, Gwendolyn MacEwen and Dennis Lee. Yorkville was also known as the Canadian capital of the hippie movement. In 1968, nearby Rochdale College at the University of Toronto was opened on Bloor Street as an experiment in counterculture education. Those influenced by their time in 1960s-70s Yorkville include cyberpunk writer William Gibson. Its domination by hippies and young people led MPP Syl Apps to refer to it as “a festering sore in the middle of the city” and call for its “eradication.”
After the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway the value of land nearby increased as higher densities were allowed by the City’s official plan. Along Bloor Street, office towers, the Bay department store and the Holt Renfrew department store displaced the local retail. As real estate values increased, the residential homes north of Bloor along Yorkville were converted into high-end retail, including many art galleries, fashion boutiques and antique stores, and popular bars, cafes and eateries along Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue. Many smaller buildings were demolished and office and hotels built in the 1970s, with high priced condominium developments being built in the last decade or so.
—————————————————————————————————–
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416−388−1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
