Ten93 Condos, a new addition to the West Queen West condo stock, wants to remind you just how great this area can be - love it or hate it, WQW is home to some of the city's most vibrant and exciting institutions, restaurants, hotels, bars, and public spaces. There's been a lot of concern over the amount of new condos in the area. Will the influx of high rent housing push what is great about this area out, or encourage more growth?

Soon to rise at the corner of Queen and Dovercourt, this nine storey condo will bring 134 residential suites to this busy intersection along with some new street level retail. This mostly metal clad building happens to contain a few interesting suite options for future residents. One is the addition of a number of live/work loft style units geared towards artists - although if you plan on forking up the down payment maybe "successful" should preface "artists." The other noteworthy addition is the seven two-storey units on the eighth floor which promise a little break from the glass box heavy condo selection in the area as well as providing some indoor stairs to keep you fit (or exhausted).

This place doesn't seem to be piling it on too high with the amenities. Only a fitness centre, party room, and terrace occupy the amenity space. It looks like there's only a concierge during business hours, so if you're not interested in opening the door for yourself you should get home before five. The streetcar stop outside your door will make for a fairly simple commute. If you have your own wheels, a few parking spaces will be available if you spring for a unit bigger than 600 sq ft.

SPECS

Address: 1093 Queen West
Storeys: 9
Number of Units: 134
Types of Units: studio, one bedroom + den, 2 bedroom + den, live/work spaces
Ceiling Height: 9 ft
Unit sizes in Square Feet: 460 - 1160
Starting Price: mid $200,000s
Amenities: fitness centre, landscaped terrace with bbqs, party room with catering kitchen, concierge (sometimes)
Walkscore: 92
Architect: RAW
Developer: Pemberton Group
Interior Designer: Andrea Kantelberg
Completion Date: Spring 2016

The Good

The live/work spaces are a nice addition to this art centric neighbourhood. Maybe some local artists who have saved enough grant money to afford what will surely be a pricey down payment will find this a nice place to work after their current home is bulldozed for another condo (maybe this one). This is also not a bad looking building, and the height seems fairly appropriate for the area. I dare say it actually looks like it belongs on this strip. There are some pretty small units here, but this is an area focused on vibrant street life so you won't need to spend too much time at home. Only having a few amenities should not only encourage residents to frequent local businesses but also hopefully help keep maintenance fees at a reasonable level.

The Bad

This neighbourhood no matter how it's future turns out has all the elements for success, with fairly decent transit, good walkability and excellent street life. But it's important to remember that it hasn't always been that way, and as quickly gentrifying neighbourhoods tend to do, it may not remain that way. There is certainly the danger of it losing some of it special character if condos go unchecked and prices continue to rise - the hood will probably always be fun but the more inexpensive options are disappearing quickly.

Our Take

This is really an excellent neighbourhood, and this modestly proportioned condo doesn't seem to be overdoing it. This isn't the condo project you should be worried about ruining the neighbourhood. If you already know and love the area, this should be a pretty nice place to live.

MORE PHOTOS

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