interchange42 said:
It doesn't matter how many of you guys dismiss balconies with some lazy generalizations, the lack of evaluation is at minimum boring and more often disingenuous. A more honest approach would be to state "I'm biased—I don't like balconies—so take my comments for what they're worth." Without analysis, that's not much.
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This does not at all reflect my opinion. In my view, most developers have gotten lazy with balconies and create spaces where they are literally the equivalent in size to an elevator, and no matter how you try and configure a unit nothing can be done with space like that. There are definitely a handful of developments where developers actually use balconies to make interesting designs and as a result, those spaces really stand out. The one's you pointed out are excellent examples of that.

Personally, I have a large balcony space where I live which I find very useful due to its size. By no means is my unit large but my balcony is double the size of most units of similar size, most likely due to the fact my building was constructed in the 1970s-80s where developers had a different mentality.

The only time I have an issue with balconies is when they are so small, it simply defeats the purpose of even having one or even calling it a balcony.
 
Amare said:
This does not at all reflect my opinion. In my view, most developers have gotten lazy with balconies and create spaces where they are literally the equivalent in size to an elevator, and no matter how you try and configure a unit nothing can be done with space like that. There are definitely a handful of developments where developers actually use balconies to make interesting designs and as a result, those spaces really stand out. The one's you pointed out are excellent examples of that.

Personally, I have a large balcony space where I live which I find very useful due to its size. By no means is my unit large but my balcony is double the size of most units of similar size, most likely due to the fact my building was constructed in the 1970s-80s where developers had a different mentality.

The only time I have an issue with balconies is when they are so small, it simply defeats the purpose of even having one or even calling it a balcony.
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I agree that balconies that you cannot put furniture on are next to useless.

On this building, the pinch points are too narrow, but the architectural plans seem to show that each suite has balcony areas wide enough for them to get a couple of chairs and a bistro table out.

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Small balconies that can't fit any furniture will probably hurt resale values. Potential buyers will see how useless the balcony is and put the unit towards the bottom of their list of desired properties.
 
Yes. We UTers tend to evaluate on the basis of the exterior. Residents buy on the basis of the interior. (Plus the normal considerations of location, price and floor space etc.). We value the view of the building. Residents value the view from the building.

In our collective defense, this is all we can usually do. We mostly lack easy access to information about interiors. But it is foolish to impose our biases on the evaluation. We might think a building looks more attractive from a distance with few or no balconies. Big deal. The people who matter don't think that way. And they don't lay down their dollars on that basis. They like balconies, by and large, even if their use is more hypothetical than real

FWIW, we like and use our balcony.
 
One advertisement I’ve seen online: it looks like it’s another condominium targeted to investors looking to rent out to students.

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Not surprised. My only hope is that with a strong student population base in the area, there will be enough traction to support more engaging retail uses in the form of distinct restaurants and cafes. Similar to the bases of NYCC condos along Yonge, which have significantly improved in recent years.
 
AlbertC said:
Not surprised. My only hope is that with a strong student population base in the area, there will be enough traction to support more engaging retail uses in the form of distinct restaurants and cafes. Similar to the bases of NYCC condos along Yonge, which have significantly improved in recent years.
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Yes, in terms of interesting and cheap places, not another Pizza Pizza or Jack Astors where a boring hamburger/pasta costs $15.

I am not sure though that the mentioning of Ryerson itself means the condo is marketed towards students. The ad is in Chinese, and for the past several years, almost all new downtown condos mention their proximity to Ryerson, UofT, George Brown (even though sometimes it is a good 20 minutes walk). I tend to think it is just one selling point they almost always use.
 
Yeesh. The west side with the three mirrored sections? Overdone tacky. Ick.

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