Christopher Hume – Yourhome.ca

The neighbourhood around King and Peter needs no introduction. Busy, urban and connected, it is the sort of area the city is all about. It’s why people choose to live downtown, and people are choosing to live in this part of downtown in unprecedented numbers.

At every turn, a condo has either appeared or is in the process of being built. Not that the appeal of the district is hard to understand. At a time when it’s clear to everyone — except, of course, the dreary antediluvian who now serves as mayor of this city — that there are too many cars on the streets, this is a place where residents don’t need a car. That has never been more critical. Indeed, it’s safe to say at this point that if Toronto doesn’t get people out of their cars, its future — and theirs — will be seriously compromised. It’s that simple.

That doesn’t mean change will be easy. But as King St. shows us, the attractions of downtown more than make up for the drawbacks of density. Within walking distance are all the amenities and attractions of urban life, transit, entertainment, work and, best of all, lots of other people. It is also a part of town where the different Torontos, old and new, residential and commercial, all happily co-exist. It is this mix of time and spaces, so lacking in the post-war city, that must be recovered if we are to thrive in the decades ahead.

Condo Critic – M5V Condo, 375 King Street West

Though not wildly interesting, at least this brand new condo tower fits into its context with a minimum of fuss. With its exterior surfaces interrupted with coloured-glass panels, it also has a vaguely trendy look. These panels, which can be seen on a growing number of contemporary buildings, are all the rage these days. Though they aren’t entirely successful, they do manage to enliven what would otherwise be a conventional glass box. Of course, they will be dropped as suddenly as they were picked up.

The tower, which sits on a large eight-storey base, manages not to loom over the neighbourhood. On the contrary, it has a genuine relationship with the street, and seems comfortable in its setting. One would have preferred something a bit more imaginative for this important site, but compared to some of the stuff around, it represents a step up.

GRADE: B

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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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