Tag Archives: Etobicoke
Toronto Real Estate Neighbourhoods
Toronto is often called “the city of neighbourhoods” because of the strength and vitality of its many communities. The city has upwards of 240 distinct neighbourhoods within its boundaries. Before 1998, Toronto was a much smaller municipality and formed part of Metropolitan Toronto. When the city amalgamated that year, Toronto grew to encompass the former municipalities of York, East York, North York, Etobicoke, and Scarborough. Each of these former municipalities still maintains, to a certain degree, its own distinct identity, and the names of these municipalities are still used by their residents. The area known as Toronto before the amalgamation is sometimes called the “old” City of Toronto, “Toronto proper”, the Central District or simply “Downtown”.
The “former” City of Toronto is, by far, the most populous and dense part of the city. It is also the business and administrative centre of the city. The uniquely Torontonian bay-and-gable housing style is common throughout the former city.
The Old Toronto refers to the City of Toronto and its boundaries from 1967 to 1997. It is sometimes referred to as the “South” or “Central” district, and includes the “downtown core”. Some of these names such as “The Fashion District” are (or were) used as marketing for the areas or by BIAs; this area is actually called “King-Spadina” by locals. Another example is the “Old Town of York”, known also as “King and Parliament”.
The “inner ring” suburbs of York and East York are older, predominantly middle-income areas, and ethnically diverse. Much of the housing stock in these areas consists of old pre-war single-family houses and post-war high-rises. Many of the neighbourhoods in these areas were built up as streetcar suburbs and contain many dense and mixed-use streets. Mostly they share many characteristics with sections of the “old” city, outside of the downtown core.
East Toronto, Ontario (Incorporated 1888, annexed by Toronto in 1908) was an incorporated community in what is today a part of the city of Toronto, Canada. It covered much of what is today the Upper Beaches neighbourhood, stretching up to Danforth Avenue in the north. The central street in the community was Main Street, running south from Danforth to Kingston Road. The main commercial centre of the town was located at the intersection of Main and Lake View (now Main and Gerrard). As Toronto’s true main street was named Yonge, the name Main Street was maintained even after amalgamation with the city of Toronto. This explains why Toronto’s “Main Street” is far from the city centre.
East York, located north of Danforth Avenue between the Don River and Victoria Park Avenue, developed contemporaneously with the West End of the old City of Toronto, and is similar in form and character. It is currently administered as part of old Toronto. However, until 1997, it was an autonomous urban borough.
The “outer ring” suburbs of Etobicoke, Scarborough, and North York are much more suburban in nature (although these boroughs are developing urban centres of their own, such as North York Centre around Mel Lastman Square).
For administrative purposes, the City of Toronto divides the city into 140 neighbourhoods. These divisions are used for internal planning purposes. The boundaries and names often do not conform to the usage of the general population or designated business improvement areas. A number of neighbourhood maps of Toronto do exist, some produced by real estate firms and some by internet portals. A project to map the neighbourhoods according to the common usage of the residents was done by the Toronto Star newspaper. Based on feedback from Star readers, it has produced the most comprehensive, albeit informal, Toronto neighbourhood map.
After the update of Toronto Multiple listing service (MLS) on July 5, 2011, the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) introduced a new searching mechanism for the Toronto MLS, used by real estate agents operating in the region. MLS searches can now be refined at three levels and MLS users can search houses by area, then by municipality, and then by neighbourhood or community. It uses Bing Maps. This was the first change of this magnitude in about 50 years of Toronto MLS history. Even if many are upset by the name of the area they live in!
The change was designed to eliminate the obsolete coding systems whereby Greater Toronto was divided into 86 artificial districts denominated by alphanumeric codes. Due to the growing population in the city and the increasing difficulty of browsing the code-based system, TREB made this radical change which is intended to simplify the use of MLS for real estate agents as well as home buyers.
Because Toronto is an enormous municipality of its own, the core city area will continue to be split into coded districts, although each of the districts will in turn contain neighbourhoods. Hence, the City will be easily searchable as well.
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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.
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Incoming search terms
Mimico waterfront
Another “wall of condos” disaster in the making?
When Waterfront Toronto was created in 2001, the agency was promised wads of public funds and told to undo the pell-mell planning that has marred a crucial city asset: its lakeshore.
Now, some residents of southern Etobicoke are concerned that the same mistakes are being repeated along the western waterfront, and no one is watching.
“They built a wall of condos, and now they’re paying (hundreds of millions) to fix it,” says Mimico resident Kyle Gojic. “We’re doing the same thing here, but on a larger scale.”
Comment: What hundreds of millions are being spent? To fix what? Who is spending it? I am confused…
Like so many Toronto stories, this one starts with condominiums.
In 1997 Doug Holyday, then mayor of Etobicoke, announced plans for a new neighbourhood: Humber Bay Shores. The former “motel strip” — a seedy area south of Lake Shore Blvd. W. and east of Park Lawn Rd. — saw its first new condo a year later.
Since then, highrises have sprouted like toadstools.
“There’s very large numbers of people in buildings that are just higgledy-piggledy scattered across that area. There’s no coherent pattern of public spaces, there’s no shopping or retail,” says Ken Greenberg, an architect and urban designer who has consulted for Waterfront Toronto.
Comment: They are pretty orderly, in a line along the water. Not exactly random. But there is diddley-squat for retail or decent public transportation.
“It’s one of the most egregious, terrible examples of lack of any kind of decent planning one can think of.”
Some may disagree. But many in Mimico — the next community over, where a massive revitalization plan known as “Mimico 20/20″ is underway — look east to Humber Bay Shores as a warning.
“The multi-multi-multi-storey buildings? It scares me,” says Bob Poldon, president of the Mimico Residents Association.
Comment: Wow, sounds just like the anti-development folks in The Beaches. Can’t stop it people, progress needs to happen. Development news to happen. Less sprawl and more intensive housing. And it needs to happen everywhere, even in your neighbourhood.
A century ago, wealthy Torontonians came to Mimico to build luxurious beachfront estates. But in the mid-1900s, politicians, some of whom were eventually embroiled in a corruption scandal, let developers build blocks of nondescript midrise rental apartments south of Lake Shore Blvd. W.
“I call it the Great Wall of Mimico. If you drive by, and you aren’t from the area… half the people wouldn’t even know that the water is right there,” says Mark Grimes (Ward 6, Etobicoke–Lakeshore).
There are “parking lots right up onto the water”s edge,” he points out. “It’s ridiculous.”
Grimes launched the Mimico 20/20 revitalization plan in 2006. But the process has stopped and started, and some residents find the plan opaque. Gojic recently sent a letter of concern signed by 80 of her neighbours to city planning staff. They want to know, for one, whether the plan will set height and density restrictions for new buildings.
Comment: Like in The Beaches, all it takes is 80 people – or less – to make life difficult for everyone else.
In Mimico at large, fears are swirling over one site owned by Longo Development Corp., which now hosts six lowrise rentals near the lake, all huddled around a historic early 20th century villa. Last year, Longo submitted an application that describes redeveloping the site into two midrise towers to replace the rental units and, controversially, six more towers ranging from 20 to 44 storeys. The historic villa was not described in the plans.
Dino Longo, principal of the company, says the application is incomplete and will be resubmitted once Mimico 20/20 is complete. He called the plans “exciting” and said residents” concerns over the historic villa will be addressed, but did not back away from the proposed tower heights.
Grimes doesn’t believe a 44-storey tower fits the neighbourhood. “But the community has to also understand that for all this redevelopment that most of people want to happen, something”s gotta give.”
Comment: I do agree that a 500-foot building is a bit much for the location. But some nice mid-rise or low-rise, less than 20 storeys. Somewhere in the 8-12 storey range would be appropriate.
By law, for example, developers must replace all torn-down rental units. For the landowners redeveloping those aging midrise apartments, “A four-storey building, it’s not going to happen. Otherwise you can put this study back on the shelf,” says Grimes.
Comment: They can also build a park or other amenities in lieu of the rental units.
Both Gojic and Poldon say residents strongly support revitalization and to preserve the kind of affordable units that will maintain Mimico’s un-gentrified, mixed-income makeup. But they want the revitalization process to better engage residents — and all Torontonians. A community workshop is planned for May 29.
“This is the western waterfront. This is a huge deal,” says Gojic. “I think we’re really going to lose out unless people start to pay attention.”
And Gojic, unlike Poldon and councillor Grimes, thinks Toronto needs one steward for its entire lakeshore. Waterfront Toronto gave $20 million for a new strip of lakeside parkland in Mimico, but its jurisdiction ends at Parkdale.
“If I was to dream a dream,” she says, “it would be that Waterfront Toronto would be given the mandate to oversee” Mimico.
Comment: As much as I decry people preventing development for the sake of it, I do believe that more thought – a LOT more thought – needs to be put into Toronto development as a whole. Take Chicago, where every new building has to be taken in context of the whole skyline, before being approved. Nothing is a one-off, everything must be judged as it relates to existing buildings.
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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.
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Incoming search terms
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The great living space in the sky
Ryan Starr – Toronto Star
Spring has sprung in Toronto and with it has come the thrill of returning to life outdoors.
So developer Henry Strasser thinks it’s a great opportunity to gush about the large exterior living spaces he’s got on offer at Jade Waterfront, the 38-storey, 370-unit building to be built at Lake Shore Blvd. W. near Park Lawn Rd. in Etobicoke.
“We have balconies that are up to 400 square feet,” says Strasser, a principal with Phantom Developments, the project’s developer. “That’s more than half the size of the actual unit size in some cases.”
The balconies at Jade Waterfront — dubbed “Sky Yards” — will range in size from 60 square feet to 200 square feet, depending on the unit. Most of them are in the 150 square foot range, Strasser says.
Condos at Jade Waterfront range from 465-square-foot one-bedroom units to 1,450-square-foot two bedroom-plus-den suites. There are also penthouses.
Units are priced from $240,000 to $950,000. The project is currently 40 per cent sold.
Strasser reckons Jade Waterfront’s big balconies should prove attractive to professional couples, young families, or local move-down buyers — those looking to escape the hassles of home garden maintenance but still wanting to enjoy life outdoors.
“We believe people want to be outside more, and the atmosphere here is very scenic,” Strasser says, referring to Jade Waterfront’s dog-walker/jogger-friendly Humber Bay location. “With these balconies, people can be outside a lot entertaining.”
Expanding home living spaces to the outdoors is a big trend these days, notes Tania Richardson, a principal with Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting and Jade Waterfront’s designer.
“A couple of years ago it was closet organization,” she says. “But now the trend is creating these beautiful extensions of your interior living space on the exterior.
“We’re seeing it in the furniture market; exterior furniture looking as though it’s interior furniture.”
That’s what Richardson and her team have in mind for Jade Waterfront, where on the balconies they’re installing what they call the “Outdoor Hub.”
It’s a large exterior cabinet that serves as an entertaining unit (it can hold a TV), a storage place for drinks, glassware and cushions, as well as a surface to prepare food on.
Units at Jade Waterfront also have a double-sided fireplace.
“It’s making entertaining accessible to all the purchasers,” Richardson explains.
“Because I know for myself the cost of putting in an outdoor TV and entertaining space or fireplace out there would be astronomical.
“Here the purchasers already have this done and it’s just a matter of buying a TV and putting music out there. It’s bringing entertainment to a balcony, essentially in a box.”
No outdoor space is complete without a bit of greenery. To help buyers at Jade Waterfront learn how to create great gardens in the sky, the developer has enlisted the services of Citytv personality Frank Ferragine, a.k.a. Frankie Flowers, who will be running workshops at the sales centre in the coming months.
As one of its amenities, Jade Waterfront will have an outdoor community planting area, something that impresses Ferragine. “That’s a top trend right now, community gardens,” he says.
“If people don’t want to garden on their patios, they can do it in the communal space, and maybe share their food. Or people can grow together with other experienced gardeners.
“I don’t know how many condos have community garden space,” he says, “but it’s quite cool.”
Optimizing the outdoors
Tania Richardson and Tiffany Love of Tomas Pearce Interior Design Consulting offer tips on how to maximize use of your condo’s outdoor space.
• Flexible furniture: Select multi-functional furniture. “A typical patio set used to be a table, four chairs and an umbrella. Now we do it with an exterior sofa, table and two chairs,” says Richardson. “That way you’re creating two-dimensional outdoor spaces: an eating space or move the table and have a conversation or relaxation area.”
• Durable stuff: Get outdoor furniture that can withstand bad weather. “Then you can take the upholstered items and put them in your locker and keep the pieces on the balcony and maintain the look in the off season,” Love suggests. “It will still look welcoming and livable and will add to the interior space and make it look bigger.”
Gardening alternatives: You don’t need to be a green thumb to garden. “There are some phenomenal artificial trees and flowers out there that you don’t have to worry about,” Richardson says. “I’m not talking silk flowers, I’m talking artificial boxwoods, cedars. And they’ll look gorgeous. From inside the condo they look very much real.”
•Ryan Starr
Balcony garden greatness
Gardening guru Frank Ferragine (a.k.a. Frankie Flowers) has some surefire ways to make your balcony garden come alive this spring.
• Cool containers: “People in condos have to think creatively about how they’re going to garden, and basically it all comes down to different containers,” says Ferragine. “Containers can make boring spaces interesting places, and you can grow edibles in containers no problem.”
• Environmental awareness: Before you select plants, understand your balcony conditions (sunlight, wind, access to water, etc. “There are plants for every different scenario, so you want to figure out your variables up front,” Ferragine says. “The ultimate goal is to find the right plant for the right place.”
• Flowers for you: For areas with full, hot sun and high winds, Ferragine recommends Dragon Wing Begonias, “a foolproof plant that looks great.” Oleanders do well with sun and wind, too. In areas with partial light and low wind, Ferragine likes red leaf bananas. “They’re so sexy, and with a nice deep red leaf.”
• Veggies in the mix: Tomatoes (cherry, mid-size, yellow, heirlooms) and potatoes do well on balconies, but require full sun. For shaded spots grow greens, like a mesclun mix. Herbs are great, too, but Ferragine advises: “Just grow the herbs you use. Pick your top three herbs and do big pots of each.”
• Fruitful: Grow an apple tree on your balcony. “You build an insulated planter and then prune the apple tree so it can hug the wall,” Ferragine explains. “If you have an outdoor space and the opportunity, an apple tree costs you $40. I guarantee people spend a lot more than that on wine that only lasts the night.”
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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
Related posts:
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