Condo
Builders.com
Toronto Harbourfront
area review.
If you love the summer and love the water and perhaps have a boat on the island or a local Marina, this is where you'll want to be - but Toronto's downtown waterfront is not for everyone. A lot of people feel that other cities like Chicago, and Boston have done a much better job of developing their waterfront than Toronto.
Nothing beats a summertime waterfront view overlooking Toronto's islands along with party boats and pleasure boats winding their way along Toronto's inner Harbor. Traditionally, waterfront locations have always been considered prime but unfortunately there are also some drawbacks to living along Toronto's Queens Quay. There are two hotels which serve decent food, but at a steep price. There are other restaurants dotted along Queens Quay, but none of them get that busy, even though nearly 10,000 people live within the area. Too many restaurateurs treat Queens Quay like a tourist area, with generally higher prices, and lesser quality, than competing downtown and midtown establishments. For restaurants and dining out, IL Fornelo, Spinnakers and Tim Horton's, all housed within Queens Quay terminal, are your best bets. There is also a busy food court on the second floor of the terminal, which is somewhat decent.
Guest parking for some buildings is a real problem. If you are buying, make sure your building has some type of guest parking. The Toronto transit commission’s L. R. T., which is a streetcar that runs on a right-of-way, is part of the Spadina line and during the day, only one in three cars goes along Queens Quay to Union Station. This creates an extremely crowded and slow streetcar, which makes the short commute to Toronto's office core long. Also, because there are so few interesting shops and restaurants along Queens Quay, most people in the area have to go downtown or midtown for shopping and leisurely activities.
Finally, your enjoyment of the area largely depends upon the condominium you live in. 33, 55, and 65 Harbor Square have their own cocktail lounge and a great recreational facility. 77 and 99 Harbor Square has a private restaurant, a cocktail lounge and a great recreational facility. These buildings have adequate guest parking and lots of amenities. Other buildings have very few amenities, no guest parking and few private areas.
Finally, one should remember that the summertime view is outstanding but winter waterfront views are less than spectacular, often simply overlooking a sea of black. There is also some concern the Toronto island airport will be expanded into a major regional airport. Don't get me wrong, some people love this area - and with good reason - but it's not for everyone.
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