Toronto Regent Park Central Park & Aquatic Centre | ?m | ?s | TCHC | MJMA

Can't believe this Apom person...

You guys are nuts. Sure it's a "great idea" when it's not your money. How many people here have actually bought a unit here AND plan to live in it.

I've cut out the rest of this nonsense and will address this and some of the other things you've said in recent posts.

I have been reading this thread with interest for several months. I am a purchaser of one of the new Regent Park market townhomes. I happily paid $540,000 for my beautiful three bedroom 1,500 square foot home that has a detached garage, a patio and two balconies. At $360/sq ft, the discount that resulted because of the stigma was an unbelievable opportunity. It is interesting to note that many of my immediate neighbours in our 51 unit condo are real estate agents who also note the value potential of this property and have invested (and live there like I do). Your statements that the prices in this area are $500/sq ft is simply incorrect.

For this outstanding price point, I have a really well designed living space that is clean, contemporary and well finished. Excellent finishes throughout that would easily be considered upgrades in other projects. Lovely square baseboards, stainless appliances, marble vanities, a granite kitchen, etc. etc. Comparable downtown townhouse properties easily busted through $500/sq ft mark and some are even selling for upwards of $800/sq ft.

Regent park has changed a lot. About 8 years ago I lived in Cabbagetown and often felt uncomfortable walking south of Gerrard. While a lot of what you have posted about this neighbourhood is offensive and racist, I understand some of the fear that you seem to be expressing about this area -- but it is not valid any longer. This neighbourhood has already changed, and will continue to do so.

The demolition and rebuilding effort has fundamentally transformed this neighbourhood. There are no more dark corners for gang bangers and drug dealers to hide. There are eyes on the street (now that the streets are being returned to the area). There are now home owners with concerns about property values and living in a clean and safe neighbourhood. The social fabric of the old Regent Park is not there any longer. It is now a truly mixed community. I walk my dogs through Regent Park every day and night, and have not once felt unsafe in the time I've lived there.

There is still poverty in Regent Park, but I think what makes the difference is that there is no longer the physical layout that promoted crime and kept good, honest people who lived in the neighbourhood holed up in their homes and scared to go out at night. This is now just like every other neighbourhood in the city where there is a mix of social housing and market housing.

You seem to be making a point about foreign investors buying in Regent Park. Can you tell me what this is based on and how this is in any way different from every other condo development in Toronto? Investors tend to scoop the smaller one bedroom units as rentals... and this happens everywhere. I can't speak for the condo towers, but in my townhouse development all of my neighbours in the larger units are owner-occupied. Some of the one bedroom units are rentals, but who cares? How does that diminish the neighbourhood in any way? These folks are still paying market rents (and they are not inexpensive by any means).

You also seem to think Regent Park is full of hookers and pimps. I have not seen any of this activity, so I'm pretty sure your comments are based entirely on assumptions and your inherent bias rather than anything grounded in reality.

Just to clarify any confusion as well, the condo units (townhouses or tower) and the social housing units (also, townhouses or tower) are not mixed. My block of townhomes is entirely market, while the next block over is TCHC. The same deal for the towers. Some are TCHC and some are condo. And you know what? All those "poor Pakistani families with 9 kids" are really nice people trying to make a life for themselves in Canada. Stop being so offensive.

By the way, I'm not some unsuspecting newbie first time howe owner either -- this is my 4th property in Toronto, and I've owned homes in King West, East York and Bloor and Church. I'm pretty well-versed in what different neighbourhoods have to offer, and what to expect from downtown living.

stevesquared
 
Last edited:
That was a really interesting post, stevesquared. Really interesting to hear the viewpoint of someone who has bought into one of the market-level homes (townhomes, no less) because I have been very curious about what the new demographics of the area will be, and what type of people are moving into the market housing. Thanks :)
 
Hi Spire

If I had to broadly characterize my immediate neighbours, I'd say urban professionals. People who like to walk to work downtown and are comfortable with a neighbourhood that isn't completely homogenous. There are quite a few gay and lesbian families, several real estate agents like I mentioned before, and LOTS of dog owners. The ethnic mix is mostly caucasian, but not exclusively.

The demographics between the market units and the TCHC rentals are very different, but I don't think anyone was anticipating much else.

stevesquared
 
Don't worry stevesquared, you've made a wise investment (assuming you will live there).

I lived there for 12 years and adore the neighbourhood. The farm, the Victorian walks, the doggies in the valley...

"poor Pakistani families" - they of course are actually Sri Lankan have animated Parliament to the max... terrific Indian and Sri Lankan restaurants and grocery stores etc.

Not a bad neighbourhood (go to Jet Fuel if it's still there, not Starbucks) to be in.

I envy you. Miss the nieghbourhood terribly.
 
Getting tough on criminals in one of the safest nations in the world and where crime has been consistently coming down. I'm sorry, regardless of anything else, pretending that crime is the main problem in this country is opportunistic. Especially when the only measures you are going to use to counter it are reactionary as opposed to increasing education, etc.

Well stated. Who paid down the debt. Who led the country to most livable country status. Who had crime fall the most. Who put in actual restraints on political contributions and reduced lobbying. Who put in the gun registry. Who brought in universal healthcare, the Canadian Pension Plan, student loans, etc. But whoa... that is all scary. This country is a cesspool and you can't trust those people... trust the people who promised to save equity trusts but lied, wasted money in Perry Sound, haven't been able to manage money, and want to get rid of the gun registry. Why? Because they are naturally who the country should trust in matters of finance and safety.
 
Really

Well stated. Who paid down the debt. Who led the country to most livable country status. Who had crime fall the most. Who put in actual restraints on political contributions and reduced lobbying. Who put in the gun registry. Who brought in universal healthcare, the Canadian Pension Plan, student loans, etc. But whoa... that is all scary. This country is a cesspool and you can't trust those people... trust the people who promised to save equity trusts but lied, wasted money in Perry Sound, haven't been able to manage money, and want to get rid of the gun registry. Why? Because they are naturally who the country should trust in matters of finance and safety.

Assuming you're ranting against the PC here. Hard to tell though.

The conservatives aren't this evil party out to destroy Canada if that's what you're trying to say. Your post comes across as though the Liberals were all sunshine/lollipops, never mislead/commit their share of questionable acts or have corruption.

And another post about the crime rate going down thus not needing a tougher stance on crime is misleading. Maybe overall crime has gone down but sentences in this country are a joke. The entire world knows how laughable our system is.

Harper has always stated his stance on crime/punishment. Him wanting a tougher system dealing with crime is no surprise.
 
Last edited:
Well stated. Who paid down the debt. Who led the country to most livable country status. Who had crime fall the most. Who put in actual restraints on political contributions and reduced lobbying. Who put in the gun registry. Who brought in universal healthcare, the Canadian Pension Plan, student loans, etc. But whoa... that is all scary. This country is a cesspool and you can't trust those people... trust the people who promised to save equity trusts but lied, wasted money in Perry Sound, haven't been able to manage money, and want to get rid of the gun registry. Why? Because they are naturally who the country should trust in matters of finance and safety.

Well said.
 
Assuming you're ranting against the PC here. Hard to tell though.

No, I'm saying that the Liberals did a good job. I actually think the Mulroney conservatives did a good job too. This Harris conservatives were crap. The verdict isn't out yet for the Harper conservatives but their moves to silence critics and dissent rather that answer to it doesn't paint a good picture.

And another post about the crime rate going down thus not needing a tougher stance on crime is misleading. Maybe overall crime has gone down but sentences in this country are a joke. The entire world knows how laughable our system is

If crime is going down the punishment is irrelevant. The legal system exists to protect people from harm, not to seek revenge. If rehab type correctional facilities produce people less likely to re-offend than "hard-time" containment with no frills, then rehab type correctional facilities is what we should employ. The goal is a safer society and the statistics show that is what we are getting.
 
I don't know how anyone can say Mulroney did a good job when you take into account the concessions he made to get the US to sign the Free Trade Agreement. Artificially maintaining high interest rates during a time of recession in essence creating stagflation killed any hope for manufacturing in this country particularily this province.
 
Great post, stevesquared. I visited the new Regent Park last year at Doors Open and was very impressed by the changes that are occurring. I'm disappointed to see that this year's Regent Park Revitalization Tour during Doors Open is cancelled. Does anybody know why? The revitalization of this neighborhood to an modern, accessible, integrated and highly desirable community is something that Toronto will be boasting about in years to come.
 
The idea that Harper won his way into power by scaring canadians is nonsense.

His platform whether you agree or not was partially based on getting tough on criminals, something many of us have been wishing for. Canada is far too lenient on so many criminal acts. He has flaws and at times, wants only his way. But he's consistant with his message.

He's obviously the man many canadians want in charge.

In no way has Harper deluded the entire population into voting him into power and staying there with secret agendas and scaring people inside their homes. This is typical fear mongerging. The same tactics were attempted to discredit Ford. It's also the same old inability of some to just accept that their guy didn't win.

Harper and the PCs are the natural governing party now. Get use to it.

I love the antidebate, antithought streaks running throughout your argument. Typical of those who want more punishments because they are a "joke" - better to hurt people more, keep them locked up for longer, than to try to help them, to engage them in dialogue, to make them PRODUCTIVE members of society not 100K + drains on the system.

I want a bridge, not a prison. I want dialogue, not demagoguery.

Your post also presages the true fact that the Conservatives are the natural governing party - at least, that is what rabid partisans will say and hope (Canadians, on the other hand, hope for progress). Note that the Cons have a tenuous 39% of the vote. The Libs got the same. Prediction: Their natural governing state lasted about as long as the Cons will. Your superior attitude solidifies conservatives as arrogant partisans rather than the sanctimonious opposition they used to be. Step by step the arrogance will grow (Look at those senate appointments!!! Do you know how much time and venom Harper spent fighting the EXACT same Liberal appointments!!!) Would be funny if it werent my country.
 
Enough of the party political debate in this thread. Please take it to an appropriate thread in the Politics section of UrbanToronto. Further party political commentary here, unless central to talk of Regent Park, will be deleted.

42
 
Great post, stevesquared. I visited the new Regent Park last year at Doors Open and was very impressed by the changes that are occurring. I'm disappointed to see that this year's Regent Park Revitalization Tour during Doors Open is cancelled. Does anybody know why? The revitalization of this neighborhood to an modern, accessible, integrated and highly desirable community is something that Toronto will be boasting about in years to come.

I'm not sure why the tour was cancelled -- unless it was because there was a similar tour weenend recently for "Jane's Walk" on May 7 and 8.

stevesquared
 

Back
Top