Hanlansboy
Active Member
Ok, must chime in with my two cents. Transient is hardly a word I would use to describe the downtown population, particularly the South Core. Unless renting, I would think most who invest in a unit would stay for many years, at least until their unit has gone up in price enough to make a sensible profit. As for density, it's what gives a neighbourhood it's character, it's vibe, it's atmosphere, and that a good thing, but not for everyone. Besides, people aren't living on the street, they live in their condos. If crowds brother someone, then why on earth would they choose to live in the heart of downtown? As a few of you know, I live in St James town, in 77 Howard Street (the "Toronto" as it's called) in Rosedale (yes, I know, it's not the grand mansions one envisions when thinking of Rosedale, but it's part of it). No, it's not as scary as most think, we face north, overlooking everything north of Bloor, with a completely unobstructed view of the city (on the 20th floor). I am going somewhere with this. When it was built, up until now, I believe it still holds the title of the most densely populated neighbourhood in North America, with 19 buildings and over 17000 people crammed into a few blocks. When first constructed, it was urban planning gone horribly wrong. The units were billed as the most modern of the time, yet was a total failure. The only thing in it's favour was the subway, but beyond that, there were no grocery stores, malls, not even a gas station, nothing that was of any convenience for the residents. Within a few short years over half the units remained unoccupied, until some were eventually sold off to the city for public housing, and the rest sold to private owners for market value (got most of this information from my buildings owners, who also own 260 and 280 Wellesley). It's was a sad, slow decline of what was suppose to be an urban dream, that, in the end, turned into somewhat of a nightmare. They've since invested millions to attract new tenants, and for the most part, is much better off now then it was 30 years ago.
With all that said, when referring to the new South Core buildings, I just can't see what happened here happen there. The location can't be beat if you work downtown, there is adequate shopping for all, and it's close to pretty much everything one could want, density just comes with the territory. If properly maintained, I can see it getting only better as time passes, and is not as bad as everyone seems to think, and is no where near the disaster that was my area when it was first built. That's just my humble opinion, and by the way, although I live with 17000 people in a few blocks, it's surprisingly quiet, and have never felt crammed. One thing most tend to forget when looking at the numbers, not all 17000 people leave their house at the same time. I go down to the garage, hop in my car, and drive away with no so much as a few cars in front of me. In the five years I've lived here, I've never had a problem, and despite the exterior, it's actually a decent building, and where else can you get a 1100 Sq ft 2 BR, with parking and hydro included for only $1205/month?
With all that said, when referring to the new South Core buildings, I just can't see what happened here happen there. The location can't be beat if you work downtown, there is adequate shopping for all, and it's close to pretty much everything one could want, density just comes with the territory. If properly maintained, I can see it getting only better as time passes, and is not as bad as everyone seems to think, and is no where near the disaster that was my area when it was first built. That's just my humble opinion, and by the way, although I live with 17000 people in a few blocks, it's surprisingly quiet, and have never felt crammed. One thing most tend to forget when looking at the numbers, not all 17000 people leave their house at the same time. I go down to the garage, hop in my car, and drive away with no so much as a few cars in front of me. In the five years I've lived here, I've never had a problem, and despite the exterior, it's actually a decent building, and where else can you get a 1100 Sq ft 2 BR, with parking and hydro included for only $1205/month?
