Tag Archives: Riverside Lofts
Toronto Neighbourhoods — Riverdale
By Rebecca Laing
Riverdale Homes
In a metropolis known as “the city of neighbourhoods”, how does one find their place? Because of the unique characteristics and vitality of its many communities, Toronto has upwards of 240 distinct and named neighbourhoods within its boundaries. As you can imagine, selecting a single neighbourhood as my favourite choice of residence is a difficult feat. But, the lure of Riverdale prevails…
Why Riverdale? It’s absolutely lovely here. Riverdale has a beautiful assemblage of mostly older homes laden with character, as well as a handful of very tastefully built newer homes. There are wonderful parks, excellent schools, and fantastic shopping and dining on the Danforth. Riverdale is convenient, with quick accessibility to downtown Toronto through multiple subway stops, TTC streetcars, and the Don Valley Parkway. Overall, Riverdale is a superb community, especially for young families. I know you will love Riverdale as much as I do!
North Riverdale Homes
North Riverdale stretches from Gerrard Street East in the south, to as far north as Mortimer Avenue in spots, reaching to as far as Greenwood Avenue in the east, with the Don Valley Parkway serving as its western boundary. (Note that borders are imprecise and non-linear throughout Riverdale). The area’s residents are mainly young professionals and upper-middle class families, as well as some long-term residents who have lived here their entire lives.
North Riverdale homes display both Edwardian and Victorian architecture, dating from the late 1800s to the 1920s. Homes are mostly two and three stories, and range from very large detached homes, to tall and skinny semis and rowhouses. Many North Riverdale homes have been wonderfully restored, with the utmost attention to detail.
Other than in multi-million dollar renos and design magazines, never have I seen finer materials and more exquisite décor than in some of these renovated Riverdale gems. It is the trend here; residents take great pride in their homes, both inside and out. The gardens are lovely, full of perennials, and enhance the beautiful architectural details of these historic buildings. The streets here are hilly, winding, and tree laden, setting a perfect backdrop for these inviting residences.
In the part of North Riverdale above the Danforthh, proximity to Jackman Public School, and the Danforth itself, are major drivers of real estate prices. South of the Danforth, Withrow Park serves as a hub of the community; homes close to Withrow are the most in demand. This entire stretch of North Riverdale above Riverdale Avenue is referred to as Upper Riverdale, or Prime Riverdale.
Of course, one of the best parts of living in North Riverdale is having the vibrant and cosmopolitan Greektown around the corner. Greektown on The Danforth offers something for everyone, whether it be shopping, strolling, relaxing on a patio, or people watching.
No longer just a place to get a souvlaki fix, Greektown is now a multicultural dining destination, with its myriad of restaurants offering foods from virtually every nationality found in Toronto. Fine boutiques and purveyors of natural products and health-promoting services round out this dynamic retail landscape.
South Riverdale Homes
South Riverdale lies south of Gerrard and west of the Don Valley Parkway, extending down to Eastern Avenue. The eastern boundary is most disputed; although technically, South Riverdale is oft described as extending past Greenwood, even to as far as Coxwell Avenue, most of my Riverdale home buyers find that once you are east of Leslie, the character really changes to that of Leslieville. I could further confuse matters by bringing Little India and Riverside (formerly Queen-Broadview Village) into the discussion, and stating how Leslieville is arguably a sub-neighbourhood of South Riverdale, but this is confusing enough already.
Homes in South Riverdale are more affordable than those to the north; the Riverdale area is hence home to more working class families and young couples. South Riverdale homes are largely Victorian in style. Two and three storey gothic rowhouses and semis are common, as are gingerbread cottages, such as those found on Degrassi Street (made famous by the series of Degrassi TV shows filmed in and around Leslieville and Riverdale, though the actual school locations were in East York and West Toronto).
For those more inclined towards a condo lifestyle, the newer Broadview Lofts and Riverside Lofts feature modern urban styling, while the Carlaw Lofts offer authentic loft-living in a converted Soho-style warehouse.
Although South Riverdale is a bit of a hike from the Danforth subway, it does offer the convenience of the Broadview, Gerrard, and Queen streetcar routes. For those looking for a little shopping or nightlife, Riverside (at Queen and Broadview) is now exploding new with shops and cafes, and the downtown core is just a brief bicycle or streetcar ride away.
Riverdale Real Estate Boundaries
As mentioned, the boundaries of Riverdale and its various sub-communities are jagged and porous on all sides, thereby making them often subject to debate. Using its most generous boundaries, Riverdale stretches from as far west as the Don Valley Parkway to as far east as Coxwell, and from Eastern Avenue in the south to as far north as Mortimer Avenue.
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The Ninety Lofts
Modern Interpretation of Classic Loft Living
From The Condo Guide
Riverside is where savvy buyers will appreciate some of the best Toronto has to offer. Live moments from the downtown core in a magnificent building with only the finest features.
Riverside, the vital and bustling Bohemian village in Toronto’s historic east end, boasts a well-established commercial district and strong historic ties with the surrounding South Riverdale neighbourhoods.
Described as the SOHO of Toronto, the neighbourhood of Riverside is fast becoming the place to live in the city. With the addition of The Ninety Lofts, choosing the right loft just got a whole lot easier.
As the latest offering by Harhay Construction Management Ltd., The Ninety Lofts fits right into the community with a similar red-brick warehouse look as that of Broadview Lofts to the south, but with a more modern interpretation.
“Rather than reading as one large building, I was trying to design something that would read as a collection of several buildings, from older to newer, all with warehouse design elements,” says Architect Charles Gane of Core Architects.
Gane spoke of a strong vertical masonry element, and features like the original chimneys of Old Toronto. “The design has a strong horizontal element to it, but is anchored by one vertical brick element, paying homage to the warehouse-style vernacular of the area.”
The Ninety Lofts is composed of three distinctive parts: the existing 1900s building to the north, the addition above formed by large expanses of glass and aluminum cladding, and the new warehouse loft addition to the south. The Ninety Lofts offers only 222 units with 60 different loft types ranging in size from 483 to 1,250 square feet.
“Charles Gane has done a great job of integrating an old warehouse with a newer space. Harhay has hired modern architects, so you know you’re going to get those high ceilings and great kitchens,” says Condo Broker Brad Lamb.
“We will continue to provide tall ceilings and exposed concrete, which has become a signature of our projects that purchasers love,” adds Chris Harhay, Vice-President of Harhay Construction Management.
The Ninety Lofts offers ceiling heights up to 11 feet and quality engineered hardwood throughout. The lofts will also feature floor-to-ceiling windows, European-style kitchen cabinetry and counters topped with Caesar Stone, Corian or granite in the bathrooms and kitchens, four stainless steel appliances, and a stacked washer/dryer. Owners will enjoy cooking with gas in the kitchens, and the convenience of gas outlets on balconies and terraces.
“The vast majority of units will have a balcony, patio or terrace with gas outlets – having this outdoor amenity as part of
their unit is a feature that many people really appreciate in our buildings,” says Harhay.
Interior design firm II BY IV has added to the appeal of The Ninety Lofts by creating a spectacular courtyard. The building is U-shaped, with the open portion facing west. “The central courtyard is going to be an amazing amenity to the building, particularly since it is connected to the indoor amenity space,” says Harhay. “And having both on the ground floor will make this a functional public space that will really be used – often times the amenity spaces in smaller boutique buildings are not fully utilized.”
With effective pricing, magnificent architecture, and a location that’s a five-minute streetcar ride to the city’s core, The Ninety Lofts allows you to enjoy the convenience of being downtown, but without the feeling of a congested area of the city.
“All the desirable attributes of a great loft project have come together: a great location, exceptional architectural design
by Core Architects, and great interior design by II BY IV,” says Harhay.
“The east end is changing very quickly, there are a lot of things going on. The Ninety Lofts is going to connect Toronto’s east end to Queen West. That Broadview-Queen intersection is going to be a lot stronger and will provide for more gentrification along Queen East,” adds Lamb.
An energetic and growing business community, Riverside’s award-winning beautification and revitalization projects have included new pedestrian lighting and façade restorations. With the addition of emerging loft communities, as well as the arrival of trendy home design stores, fashion boutiques, and the cafés on Queen Street, Riverside has quickly become an exciting shopping, business and living destination.
“The last frontier for condo development in Toronto is east of the DVP. It really is the new downtown,” says Lamb.
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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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Toronto Neighbourhoods — Leslieville
By Rebecca Laing
Leslieville Homes
Until a few years ago, homes in Leslieville stood largely in the shadows of those in ever popular Riverdale. Mirroring its cousin Beaconsfield Village on Queen West, a stigma of seediness overhung the neighbourhood, as Leslieville real estate values languished. But that was then…
Now, gentrification has gained traction in Leslieville, diminishing its prior status as a stand-in for the Beach and Riverdale, and making it a hip, desirable neighbourhood in its own right.
In lockstep with the renewal of businesses along Queen Street East, and the arrival of Starbucks at Logan, many Leslieville homes are receiving makeovers as well, restoring their gorgeous century-old character.
Some of the most beautiful and in-demand homes in Leslieville are the two-and-a-half and three-story Victorian semis and rowhouses found on Curzon Street, Bertmount and Coady Avenues.
While this renewal has certainly driven up the value of Leslieville real estate, it is still very much a middle class neighbourhood. Its wide range of house styles present many affordable, close-to-downtown living options, ranging from classic semi-detached homes, to pint-sized bungalows, to grand old Victorians (some complete with coach house), to scattered sprinklings of newer townhomes, to the new Riverside lofts at Broadview.
Leslieville: Queen Street East’s Shopping Village
Part of Leslieville’s attractiveness stems from its stylish and vibrant dining and shopping scene. Verveine, Joy, and Kubo Radio are a few of the superb bistros that have arrived on this stretch of Queen East, making Leslieville a dining destination for moderately-priced, creative cuisine.
Meanwhile, an eclectic array of trendy and funky shops is gradually filling the retail landscape. You will find a heavy emphasis on home furnishings from Leslieville’s merchants, whose distinctive offerings include antique, retro, and minimalist designs.
Leslieville Real Estate Boundaries
Leslieville spans from Coxwell Avenue west to approximately Empire Avenue (past Carlaw). Eastern Avenue is the clearly defined southern border, however, things get a bit more murky to the north. While Leslieville’s character is quite evident up to Dundas Street East, there are those that consider Leslieville to extend all the way to the railway line north of Gerrard, which would therefore include Little India.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information
Incoming search terms
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