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New in Toronto real estate: The Bond Condos
The Bond Condos may be a nod to the venerable SIS agent James, or else a reference to our collective and persistent affinity ('bond') for 400-something-square-foot living spaces. I'm still not sure. According to developers, The Bond is a "connection, a destination, a state of mind." Which, still, tells me nothing. How can a condo tower be a state of mind? Anyway (and existential questions aside), the enigmatic "Bond" is set to open its door sometime in 2015, welcoming hundreds of new condo owners to their new special space on Adelaide Street West. Right next to hundreds of other new special spaces on Adelaide Street West. Hm. Here's a closer look at The Bond Condos.
SPECS
Address: 290 Adelaide Street West
Exterior: Glass
Total number of units: 369
Number of storeys: 41
Number of elevators: 4
Types of units: Studio, one bedroom, one-plus-den, two-bedroom, two-plus den, two-plus-study, three bedroom
Unit sizes (in square feet): 327 - 1174
Ceiling heights: 9'
Prices from: Mid $200,000's
Parking: $45,000 (for select suites)
Storage: $5,000 (for select suites)
Maintenance fees: $0.52/sf
Maintenance fees exclude: Hydro
Developer: Lifetime Developments
Architect: Core Architects
Interior Designer: Tomas Pearce IDC
Amenities: Party room, billiards lounge, golf simulation/games room, yoga studio, gym, outdoor pool/hot tub, 24-hr conceirge
Expected occupancy: Winter 2015
THE GOOD
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? (Or else, just move uptown.) The Entertainment District will be absolutely saturated with tall towers by the time The Bond opens its doors, so 41 storeys seems totally appropriate in terms of height. Sure, the area might be plagued with crushing density, perpetual shade, and brutal wind tunnels — but look, a golf simulation room! Eh, that heading reads "Good," doesn't it? Moving on...
In terms of aesthetics, The Bond is certainly one of the more pleasing-looking projects poised to land in the area. Its podium actually offers a little visual interest in contrast to some of the more sterile new bases along Adelaide, with a tower that doesn't come off as overly domineering. And hey — Hooters is just a few steps away for some late night...wings.
And speaking of location, there will always be people who want to live in the heart of the action, and in that respect, The Bond delivers. Access to public transit is about as good as it gets from this location, without the risk of the streetcar breaking down right outside your front door. Residents will have plenty of options for things to do, see, and eat, with practically everything (minus a decent grocery store) within walking distance.
THE BAD
Condo marketing material is always hilarious, but The Bond certainly wins for its renderings. Each depiction oozes a sort of ostentatious 20-something sensibility, with one party-room image focusing on a waiter cleaning a table as a resident shows off her shoes on the balcony, and another showcases the outdoor pool that presumably only plays host to beautiful people. If these depictions are taken to be true, I'll assume I'd be the only one eating a tub of day-expired yogurt off my stomach by the pool.
And if I did, for some reason, end up moving into The Bond, I probably would actually opt to eat in common areas. Either that or forgo my bed in favour of a functional dining table. After all, what else can you really do when your one-bedroom unit is but a pitiful 400-something square feet? Buy a folding card table? But beyond being just terribly compact, these suites are symptomatic of the horrible kitchen, living, and dining room hybrid sweep that, when executed poorly, becomes nothing more than a living room with a fridge. There's little counter space, no room for an island or dining table, and poor definition of different spaces. But hey, the balconies are pretty big — just call that your dining room in the summer and eat out the rest of the year.
That is, of course, if the Entertainment District doesn't become a barren condo-land (à la CityPlace) by 2015. While I'll concede that that may be a bit hyperbolic to say, it's true that most new condos that go up in this area seem to first annex an existing restaurant or entertainment space. Forum commenters on Urban Toronto have already begun discussing the implications of the trend, and suffice to say that I agree when they suggest that there might not be too much "entertainment" left to this district. At-grade retail just doesn't have the same charm. The Bond does have its own healthy little collection of amenities (which will probably get quite pricey, by the way) but they don't make up for its tiny suites and potentially threatened area attractions.
THE VERDICT
It's all yours, beautiful people.
What do you think? Would you live here? Add your comments to the thread below.
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Discussion
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New Toronto Condo XYZ
Condos are stupid and marketing is stupid. Toronto has too many condos and I hate them.
The good:
Whatever features they try to highlight are stupid and condos are small, but at least it's located downtown.
The bad:
Everything about this condo sucks, they're too expensive and too small and there's too many of them.
Verdict:
Condos are stupid and I hate them.
Can we get some sort of moratorium on trying to fit 3 bedrooms into a 2 bedroom shoebox?
These units sound tiny. I don't know if condo literature provides this, but could you say what they give as the average for each suite size? $250000 seems crazy for a tiny bachelor, but it would be even worse if they skyrocket to $350000 or something for the 1 bedrooms. Plus 1127 sq.ft for a 3 bedroom is not nearly enough.
like any condo pool deck looks like that.
they're all messy, dirty and rammed!
As someone who is currently in the market for a condo, A review that says "The too small suites are too small" is not useful. Describing the worst qualities of the smallest suites is not helpful to the average buyer, and if someone is actually in the market for 400sqft saying "it's really small" doesn't tell you anything.
I thought this was supposed to be a helpful guide, but if it's just an extension of blogTO's anti-condo party line, I guess that's my own fault for not understanding.
FYI, I could buy two of these right now. With cash.
There's a Loblaws 1km, a Sobeys 1.1km, and a Longo's 1.25km from the condo. Plus the Fresh and Wild (tight and some high prices) 535m away. Sure it's not quite as convenient as having the grocery store in your basement like at Maple Square but it's well within the realm of reason. Or does only No Frills or T&T qualify as decent grocery stores?
New condo sizes are getting to par with jail cells. It's cheaper to rent in the long run.
Elitist? What a load of crap. It's an accurate analysis based on observation, of the size of a particular condo unit. If you think it's elitist, you obviously don't know the meaning of the word.
I mean how busy are you that you have to live right by your work? Are you a Medical Doctor or Lawyer, or just plain lazy and stupid for making such a poor investment in one of these jail cells? It's Baffaling really.
I hate these new developments, but if it prevents one moocher from driving in from Markham, it's a positive.
I totally agree that every new habit begins with mental shifts
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