• Thread starter TheAlmightyFuzzy
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Re: Queen West

Yet somehow cities much larger than Toronto seem to be able to preserve their older lowrise neighbourhoods. Here's a crazy thought, we don't we preserve our neighbourhoods that work and redevelop the ones that suck? There's no shortage of them.

Queen St is probably Toronto's most successful commercial strip. If it's redeveloped, it no longer will be. Do we need another Bay St? Another CityPlace? No thanks.
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A nice idea in theory, but developers aren't going to build in areas where there's little - no demand for their product.

The city definitely needs to get a handle on what's developed where though.
 
Actually while I agree that many of our low-rise districts should be preserved from becoming high-rise districts I don't actually think many of the commercial stretches in the city function better at 2-3 storeys as they would at a more appropriate 4-7 storeys. So the real question the anti-highrise crowd should be asking is why have we created a financial, legal and regulatory environment that renders buildings in the 4-7 storey range unbuildable or unconvertable? The current situation where we can only build huge buildings on large lot assemblies or nothing but 2-3 storey shacks is an unholy alliance between NIMBYist residents (even though they don't realize it) and developers who will maximize profits to the limit of every inch you grant them.

If the city was serious about creating livable and dynamic commercial strips (2-3 storeys is livable but outside certain go to strips it lacks the critical capacity to be dynamic and economically viable) they need to get serious about putting real incentives and cutting the red tape of developments in that critical 4-7 storey range.
 
345 Units (70 sales as of last weekend)
Page + Steele Architects

The project is averaging $350 psf
Occupancy is targeted for Dec 15, 2008

Bohemian Embassy is Baywood Homes first high-rise condo project in Toronto. The project has a mix of standard condo units as well as 2s lofts. The project includes an 8s tower on Queen connected to a 19s tower with a landscaped courtyard garden. There will also be 18 townhomes at the base of the tower along the Sudbury Street extension.

Bohemian Embassy has registered as a candidate for LEED certification.
 
"We are the ambassadors of the hip, so check your mind and take a trip. Cos there's only one place that you want to be, is Queen Street, the Bohemian Embassy"

Can't get the freeking jingle out of my head. I love it and hate it at the same time. Kinda sounds like that Friendly Angel chant the kids did on that star trek episode.

Builidings are pretty boring to say the least. I love places like this and gothic. Great names, but pieces of crap in terms of presence.

There is some real animosity towards these things locally. They have to have a security guard out front. The gallery across the street is doing a parody of the girl etc on a tv screen. Very anti.
 
I saw the parody a while ago. It wasn't bad. Honestly, the advertising parodies itself. "Anchoring the west end of Toronto's hippest strip comes a condominium so stylish and cool, it promises to redefine the way this city's hipsters live." Are they acdtually serious when they write this crap?

The building itself doesn't look too bad. I'm a bit confused...where's the Alsop condo in relation to this?
 
^south and a little to the east on the other side of the tracks
 
Bohemian Embassy

This one is now under construction.

renderingLG.jpg
 
Positive in what way and for whom though? I think that's an important question. I'm all for urban development and intensification but I think there's a time and place for everything. Bohemian Embassy's marketing strategy was criticized throughout the entire process. Sure, it appeals to a lot of yuppies but I still feel as if the local arts community was exploited in some ways. And yes, there were section 37 agreements made for the developers to give back to the local community, but shouldn't important local nodes like the West Queen West area have something that is a little more sensitive? Toronto prides itself on being a city made up of many unique and diverse neighbourhoods. It would be a shame to see this area lose the very characteristics that made it attractive in the first place.
 
Sure, it appeals to a lot of yuppies but I still feel as if the local arts community was exploited in some ways.
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Well it isn't like the local arts community didn't exploit the area as well. The working stiffs those that used to drink at the Drake and Gladstone 10 years ago could argue the same thing. Things change. The artistic community pushed out a lot of poor people. Now its their turn to feel the winds of change.
 
ya, its called gentrification and its happening everywhere...

I'm just not getting the tie in between the look of this one and its cool sounding name though... the front looks more like a Scarbourough retirement home to me, they just needed to render in a couple ambulances and Wheeltrans!
 
Gentrification?

Nobility and people of good social position are moving in?
 
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