PC9728
New Member
Buy a unit or two and maybe they will. haha
Toronto Sun Life Financial Tower & Harbour Plaza Residences | 236.51m | 67s | Menkes | Sweeny &Co
- Thread starter nicetommy
- Start date
Hanlansboy
Active Member
Agh! Surrounded by chocking traffic (and the delightful exhaust fumes that come along with them), with the ACC to the north, and more condos blocking the south (unless you're on a high floor), no thanks! Think traffic and commuting is bad now?, just wait until the South Core, Ice Towers, 10 York, and the RBC tower, and 1-7 Yonge (if they're built) are complete. Can you imagine the nightmare that, with 100% certainty, awaits us? Throw in all the other new towers within a few blocks, and it's a recipie for disaster. Seriously, what were they thinking?
I was hospitalized last week on the 14 floor at Mount Sinai (had to remove more fricking intestine!) in a room with an awesome view on the south-west view. I could see everything, and for a moment, as they increased my morphine drip (weeee!), as I stand, looking at the view, I didn't even recognize my own city. The change to our skyline is staggering, and despite my passion for skyscrapers, I'm not impressed. Had they built extra malls, schools and hospitals, and actually greatly improved our roads and transit, I'd get it, but as it is now, when walking becomes the preferred, and fastest, mode of transport, it's time to stop, take a deep breath, and allow the rest of the city to catch up. Seriously, what's the point of living in these awesome locations if it takes a hour to go a few kilometres? not to mention the prices of everything going sky high because of limited resources and greedy business owners taking full advantage of the situation. I hope they plan on building a ton of retail in these towers. I know most buying these units probably won't own a car, but even walking and shopping will become a straign when there's one grocery store for 10 000 people. Wish they'd build up Yonge on both east and west side all the way to the 401, just to give our skyline a little more unity, but thanks just my insane, humble opinion, anyone agree?
I was hospitalized last week on the 14 floor at Mount Sinai (had to remove more fricking intestine!) in a room with an awesome view on the south-west view. I could see everything, and for a moment, as they increased my morphine drip (weeee!), as I stand, looking at the view, I didn't even recognize my own city. The change to our skyline is staggering, and despite my passion for skyscrapers, I'm not impressed. Had they built extra malls, schools and hospitals, and actually greatly improved our roads and transit, I'd get it, but as it is now, when walking becomes the preferred, and fastest, mode of transport, it's time to stop, take a deep breath, and allow the rest of the city to catch up. Seriously, what's the point of living in these awesome locations if it takes a hour to go a few kilometres? not to mention the prices of everything going sky high because of limited resources and greedy business owners taking full advantage of the situation. I hope they plan on building a ton of retail in these towers. I know most buying these units probably won't own a car, but even walking and shopping will become a straign when there's one grocery store for 10 000 people. Wish they'd build up Yonge on both east and west side all the way to the 401, just to give our skyline a little more unity, but thanks just my insane, humble opinion, anyone agree?
taal
Senior Member
Honestly I don't find the Longos that busy ... the area could use many more residents without saturating Longos, and I'm sure another grocery store will open in the area soon.
I think the rationale behind this is, of course, there are many yonger folks who rent (or own in the area) and the % of time they eat out is surely very high. There was an article a while back that claimed the # of nights folks eat out a week is even higher in Toronto then New York ... which is a little hard to believe ...
I think the rationale behind this is, of course, there are many yonger folks who rent (or own in the area) and the % of time they eat out is surely very high. There was an article a while back that claimed the # of nights folks eat out a week is even higher in Toronto then New York ... which is a little hard to believe ...
Lenser
Senior Member
I'm guessing that a lot of the new condos in the core are populated by childless young professionals with a lot of disposable cash - I know a few of those myself. For those people, getting into the foodie thing and investigating new restos and pubs is a major part of their downtown lifestyle. Sometimes, in the case of micro-condos with micro-kitchens and not a whole lot of room, just going to a spacious establishment for food and drink is a draw in and of itself.
As for greedy businesses supposedly taking advantage of a "captive" downtown population, I don't buy it. You want to make a living selling goods, it's still all about charging what the market will bear; seems to me people are increasingly willing to pay a premium in order to live and work in the core, sans cars. For the new generation, a car is something you rent once in a while, when you really need it; the rest of the time it's a relief not to be burdened with the upkeep and storage of said vehicles in a place where land values are skyrocketing.
As for greedy businesses supposedly taking advantage of a "captive" downtown population, I don't buy it. You want to make a living selling goods, it's still all about charging what the market will bear; seems to me people are increasingly willing to pay a premium in order to live and work in the core, sans cars. For the new generation, a car is something you rent once in a while, when you really need it; the rest of the time it's a relief not to be burdened with the upkeep and storage of said vehicles in a place where land values are skyrocketing.
taal
Senior Member
I disagree about the prices ... MLG Loblaws has prices just about the same as other locations, even in the suburbs ... so things will even out once there is a little competition.
LONGOS has always been expensive, just like Whole Foods.
LONGOS has always been expensive, just like Whole Foods.
kalvinone
Active Member
Agreed! Toronto still probably isn't the best place for transit. All this talk about transit improvements but all the political red tape. While I don't care for Ford's past, I do care about his move to introduce more subways... which I think is ultimately the solution to all this mess. Adding to above ground transportation just adds to gridlock.
What Toronto needs is to allow for more bikes, Segways, e-Bikes like the yike bike; different modes of transportation, especially in an area such as southcore - taking transit for a few blocks to get somewhere isn't worth it.
taal
Senior Member
Yes, introducing subways in the east side of Toronto does a lot to reduce congestion downtown ... he has come out and said that the DRL should be lower priority ... just so you know ...
CanadianNational
Senior Member
[Sentence edited out, as it was based on a misreading of a post above. Ah, late-night scrolling!]
It's great to see One York going full steam. With York street nearly fully built out except for two lots (10 York and ICE's office component) the look of Southcore is set. It's bafflingly conformist and conservative for something built entirely new, as if the art and imagination required of architecture stopped around Lever House. So, from this next development, I'm not expecting much in the way of divergence let alone difference. Happily aA is good at fine tailoring and detail work. I hope the podium is well handled, though. We don't want to end up with something whose biggest asset is that it's mostly hidden by elevated traffic.
As for Hanlansboy's comment - sometimes you barely need an IV drip to hardly recognize the city. I never thought I'd see the railway lands more or less full - let alone the city built right to the lake via York in my lifetime. On the rare occasion I do get some distance on the city and head back in, sometimes its shockingly vertical, even a bit uncomfortable. It's hard to let go of the image of the city as it was for decades - the CN Tower, the tracks out front, with a tidy, lovely pyramid of multicoloured bank buildings nearby, all fronted by the Royal York looking a bit like a sphinx. Now the city skyline runs both east to west and north to south - and densely, surprisingly upward everywhere. I also agree with Hanlansboy that I don't think the city is keeping up with demands for public space - not just pocket parks, but meaningful squares (not corporate or useless 'plazas'), urbane majestic parkland you can almost get lost in, theatres, recreation, bars, dancefloors and regular entertainments. Southcore and the emerging PanAm area could use more of different aspects of these.
That said, 1 York could be a really interesting place to live once the construction dust has settled, south of the tracks. It'd be interesting to hear more from people who live there and in the area as time goes on. As for the monotony of the buildings - well, the whole place could be unrecognizably fascinating in one, three, five hundred years. We shall see.
It's great to see One York going full steam. With York street nearly fully built out except for two lots (10 York and ICE's office component) the look of Southcore is set. It's bafflingly conformist and conservative for something built entirely new, as if the art and imagination required of architecture stopped around Lever House. So, from this next development, I'm not expecting much in the way of divergence let alone difference. Happily aA is good at fine tailoring and detail work. I hope the podium is well handled, though. We don't want to end up with something whose biggest asset is that it's mostly hidden by elevated traffic.
As for Hanlansboy's comment - sometimes you barely need an IV drip to hardly recognize the city. I never thought I'd see the railway lands more or less full - let alone the city built right to the lake via York in my lifetime. On the rare occasion I do get some distance on the city and head back in, sometimes its shockingly vertical, even a bit uncomfortable. It's hard to let go of the image of the city as it was for decades - the CN Tower, the tracks out front, with a tidy, lovely pyramid of multicoloured bank buildings nearby, all fronted by the Royal York looking a bit like a sphinx. Now the city skyline runs both east to west and north to south - and densely, surprisingly upward everywhere. I also agree with Hanlansboy that I don't think the city is keeping up with demands for public space - not just pocket parks, but meaningful squares (not corporate or useless 'plazas'), urbane majestic parkland you can almost get lost in, theatres, recreation, bars, dancefloors and regular entertainments. Southcore and the emerging PanAm area could use more of different aspects of these.
That said, 1 York could be a really interesting place to live once the construction dust has settled, south of the tracks. It'd be interesting to hear more from people who live there and in the area as time goes on. As for the monotony of the buildings - well, the whole place could be unrecognizably fascinating in one, three, five hundred years. We shall see.
Last edited:
taal
Senior Member
Didn't I just say the same thing ? ; - )
Maybe you were responding to the post above.
Maybe you were responding to the post above.
PC9728
New Member
lol. You just think about yourself Hanlansboy. There are thousands of people who work in the Financial district who would love to and can afford to live in downtown.
adHominem
Senior Member
A genuine (and well-founded, I might add) concern that we're overbuilding but not making appropriate & proportional provisions for public infrastructure strikes me as the exact opposite of "only thinking about yourself".
Hanlansboy, I hope you're feeling better.
PC9728
New Member
Bikes lanes on queens quay
Trains from Union to airport
They are built for moving people
I have lived in TO for years without a car. If I can do it, I'm sure lots of other ppl can too.
Trains from Union to airport
They are built for moving people
I have lived in TO for years without a car. If I can do it, I'm sure lots of other ppl can too.
Toron
Active Member
Southcore is a new style of living. simply in the middle of everything...I am sure if I had the opportunity to be part of its community I would be extremely happy
PC9728
New Member
If you've ever been to TIFF... it's one of the best times of the year. And this past April when Leafs were in the playoffs..amazing atmosphere...getting drunk and not having to worry how to get home is the best thing ever. That's how we healthy people live.. lol
drum118
Superstar
Dec 5
The west end could be at grade by Jan, but more like Feb if the weather stay good. March for the whole thing subject to weather.
Too bad can't get good shots from the east other than getting a step ladder to do it.
The west end could be at grade by Jan, but more like Feb if the weather stay good. March for the whole thing subject to weather.
Too bad can't get good shots from the east other than getting a step ladder to do it.