A condo townhouse with highrise amenities

A condo townhouse unit offers great value and convenience, but many buyers want the indoor pool, fitness, and other features of a high rise. We’ve listed a one-bedroom townhouse unit at “Windermere By The Lake” that has all those features and more!

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Indoor pool and waterfront trails

This townhome at the foot of Windermere Avenue offers more than you’d expect. The gardens are magnificent, the Park Lounge and Lake Club Fitness facility on the main floor of the tower are ahead of their class. There’s a Members’ Lounge with complete kitchen, workout area, virtual golf course, indoor pool, and his and hers locker rooms with saunas. And there’s a private garden just for the use of the townhome residents.

But perhaps the biggest and best amenities lie beyond. A minute away, just outside your front door, is High Park and the miles and miles of waterfront trails on Lake Ontario.

If this is the kind of lifestyle you’re looking for, email us, or call James and Joanne at 416-483-8000.

Three days left till Mayfair in Rosedale Park

An eerie calm before the Mayfair madness erupts! James and I were walking through Rosedale Park this evening while a whole house league’s worth of families were picking up new soccer jerseys for their kids’ teams. Come Friday night, the entire field will be lit up with giant carnival rides, and many of the same families will be bringing their kids to a BBQ dinner in the beer garden!

Saturday morning will see the costume parades threading through Rosedale and Moore Park, joining on Summerhill Avenue just before 9 am for the grand opening of the big day itself. This local tradition was started in 1946, and people say it’s the longest-running neighbourhood fair in Toronto. Proceeds go to support Mooredale House, and it’s a wonderful fun time for the whole family. Hope to see many of you there!

Ride-all-Day bracelets – Mayfair in Rosedale Park

The Monkey Maze, coming to Mayfair in 2012.

Mayfair 2012 will be on Saturday, May 12th, at Rosedale Park. We’ll have a great collection of rides for the entire family from World’s Finest Shows, and the ride-all-day bracelets are available for $35.

Advance sale locations are Summerhill Market, 446 Summerhill Avenue, and Mooredale House, 146 Crescent Road. From now till May 9th, you’ll be able to purchase vouchers which get redeemed at the fair for the ride bracelets. These bracelets will provide all-day admission to the mechanical rides at Mayfair.

You’ll also be able to pick up and use your Ride-all-Day bracelets from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday, May 11, at the “Mayfair’s Eve Preview.”  That’s four bonus hours of rides, all for the one price!

To avoid disappointment, plan to get your vouchers early. Remember, the last day to purchase vouchers is Wednesday, May 19th!

This song’s for you

In front of the steps at Toronto’s Old City Hall, an unsuspecting passer-by is offered a gift of music. “Like a personalized song? It’s free.” The occasion was “Best Busker Ever,” an event nicely organized by Improv in Toronto, the folks who bring you those pillow fights and “no pants” subway riders!

Lots of fun here, and congrats to “creative director” Cole Banning.

Toronto meets Sao Paulo

Falling Androids dance video in Kensington Market

The warm colours and sensuous rhythms will make you forget the bleak Toronto midwinter. This lovely video was shot – in one take – in a downtown Toronto laneway for for the single “Let You Shine,”on the Falling Androids LP.

The magical back alley sculpture was created by Urban Trash Art, a collective led by artists Cleber Padovani and Rodrigo Machado and brought to Toronto last summer by Whippersnapper. You can download the full Falling Androids album here.

Time-Lapse Toronto condo builders

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This time-lapse video of a new condo under construction in Toronto may remind you of Playmobil toys… but those are real machines and real workers, unfurling plans and putting up rebar! Very nice piece by Toronto film maker Fayeque Rahman: watch it in fullscreen mode. And check out more of his work.

What’s your favourite place in Toronto?

Ryerson film student Adam Bischoff directed this affectionate look at Toronto places that hold a special place in people’s hearts. The assignment was to produce a short documentary that would address the phrase, “I live here.” Great work by Adam and the entire crew!

Toronto’s skyline is changing

Architecture critic Christopher Hume shows how the skyline in Toronto’s downtown core will change over the next few years. The big surprise is the return of major new office tower development in the waterfront areas that have been defined so far by condos alone.

Christmas spirit – alive in TO

This delightful version of “Last Christmas” was performed by Choir! Choir! Choir! recently in downtown Toronto, at their regular College Street venue, No One Writes to the Colonel. It was recorded by videographer Amanda Lowe. The smiles are pure gold!

Toronto’s Don Lands – What’s already happening

Remember Mark Twain’s advice to buy land – because they’re not making it any more? Usually right on the money, but there are times when new neighbourhoods do actually materialize under our noses. Toronto’s Don Lands (and the Port Lands, further south) are a case in point.

The Bayview extension has been closed for years now, south of Queen. This week, architecture critic Christopher Hume and his videographer Randy Risling got inside the construction zone to see what’s been going on all this time…

Click here to view video.

Some of this very remarkable parkland will be open to visitors in 2012. Landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh describes it as a “collaboration” between design and nature. When it’s finished, reports Hume, the Don Lands will contain 12,500 dwelling units, and be home to 10,000 jobs.

Is it safe to cross?

Zoom in on new pedestrian safety map

As part of a report on pedestrian safety in Toronto, Global Toronto has commissioned an interactive map designed by Toronto mapmaker Patrick Cain. You can zoom in on your neighbourhood and see just how safe (or not) your local intersections are to cross.

The new information shows that traffic lights where wide suburban roads intersect with local streets are among the riskiest places for pedestrians to cross. Downtown streets are generally safer, except for places like Castle Frank and Bloor, where drivers are exiting from expressway conditions. Dylan Reid has some more detailed comments in his article at Spacing Toronto.

Happy Dancing around Toronto

Some inspired happiness here, with some of our favourite spots across Toronto as backgrounds. How many can you name?

Congrats to Willa Bradshaw, Naseem Hrab, and Connie Tsang, and their exuberant crew of friends! Also, thanks to Torontoist.com for always looking on the bright side of life.