Free Metropass For New Condo Projects In Toronto

A 'free Metropass' policy was introduced by the City of Toronto late last year, which will require condo developers to provide complimentary one-year Metropasses to eligible purchasers of new condos.

This new rule is intended to promote the use of public transit and will apply to development applications made after April 28, 2010 on buildings with 20 or more units, in designated areas around the downtown core as well as city centres in Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke.  

If you're considering a future condo purchase, a review of the designated 'free Metropass' areas may be useful in helping you determine some locations to consider for your next investment.  

To learn more, you can visit the City of Toronto website, where you'll find a map outlining the designated growth areas (below in green) for which purchasers of new condo units will receive a free one-year Metropass.  You can also search the site by address to determine whether the condo development you're considering is located in the area eligible for a free Metropass. 

Fancy Features & Finishes At Pears On The Avenue

Situated at the southwest corner of Avenue Rd and Pears Ave ("where Yorkville meets the Annex"), the luxurious Pears on the Avenue by Menkes was launched last night.  This new project will not only have an address to brag about, but some lavish features and finishes too!

Some impressive highlights include:

• 9' ceilings in all principal rooms with a smooth-finish throughout;
• Choice of 60-oz premium carpet or engineered wood flooring throughout;
• Custom-designed features by munge // leung design associates;
• Chef's dream kitchen featuring unique custom-designed kitchen cabinetry, feature island, undermount sink, granite counters with ceramic, porcelain or glass tile backsplash, and 6 fully-integrated Miele appliances with custom panel front to match cabinetry;
• Hotel-inspired bathrooms featuring custom-designed vanities, soaker tubs, glass shower doors and limestone, marble or porcelain tile flooring; and
• Miele appliances throughout: refrigerator with bottom-mount freezer, ceran cook top with stainless steel trim, built-in stainless steel wall oven, built-in microwave oven, dishwasher, European-stye designer hood fan and front-loading washer and dryer.

To view some additional highlights released about Pears on the Avenue previously, please click here.

Profile: Condo Renovation First-Timers

For many, home improvements are a more attainable goal over climbing the housing ladder in today’s competitive real estate market, and can also be a practical way of quickly increasing property value. Condo units with original or otherwise outdated finishes in older buildings can hold a ton of potential for those who’ve caught the reno bug; not only were suites generally built larger prior to the surge of Toronto’s condo craze, but many of these buildings are situated in prime locations throughout the city core.

Renovations can be daunting for first-timers, and many people have no idea where to begin (or for that matter, where to end!) The LiveHigh Team recently sat down with Jaime and Ed, typical first-time homeowners and renovators, to talk candidly about their first renovation project – the highs, the (many) lows and everything in-between – and how they converted this former investment unit into their own personal haven.

Update From Sales Centre Visit: Kingsway Terrace (Etobicoke)

The LiveHigh Team recently visited the Sales Centre for Kingsway Terrace - a luxury condominium to be situated on Prince Edward Drive at Dundas St W, in the prestigious Kingsway neighbourhood.  The exquisite residences range from 608 to 2,895 sq ft, some offering large terraces with views overlooking the Humber River Valley and beyond.

For more details and other information from our visit, please click here.

LiveHigh.com Has A New Ice-Cream Flavour!

What do you get when you mix decadent Double Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Cinnamon flavoured ice-creams with freshly made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? A delectable ice-cream flavour called (drum roll, please...) Cinn-Full Cookie "Con-Dough"!

With warmer days now finally upon us, there's nothing quite like a cold, creamy treat to satisfy that sweet tooth! Luckily for us, the LiveHigh Team had the exciting opportunity to roll up our sleeves, stand behind the counter and create our very own ice-cream flavour yesterday at the spring grand opening of Marble Slab Creamery at Yonge and Dundas. After sampling nearly all of their 48 store-made flavours and 33 "mixins", we finally settled on our tasty recipe which will be one of several featured during the month of May at Marble Slab Creamery locations throughout the GTA!

 

To sample LiveHigh.com's scrumptious Cinn-Full Cookie "Con-Dough" or to try your hand at making your own flavour, head over to your local Marble Slab Creamery this May!

Marble Slab Creamery is located at 330 Yonge St, just a half block north of Dundas. There are also several other locations to serve you throughout the GTA.  Happy indulging!

Lofty Ambitions

With the popularity of loft living continuing to grow, many are still curious about what it truly means to live in a loft...

Update From Sales Centre Visit: Reflections (Shops at Don Mills)

The LiveHigh Team recently visited the Sales Centre for REFLECTIONS Residences at Don Mills, a collaboration between FRAM Building Group and Cadillac Fairview.  The Sales Centre has been open for some time, but given its desirable location we thought it'd be worth a revisit.

This building will be the first of six condo complexes, plus one conversion project,  to be developed as part of the community at the Shops at Don Mills (Don Mills Road and Lawrence Ave).   

For more details and other information from our visit, please click here.

Condo Projects Added: Trinity Lofts, Camden, Remington Centre, Nexus North, Junction Triangle Lofts, NY Place, Liberty Place

A number of new condo projects were recently added to our website.  For more details about each project, please click on the links below to access their respective profile pages.

• Remington Centre  (Markham) by Remington Group
• Trinity Lofts  (Trinity St and Eastern Ave, Toronto) by Streetcar Development
• Camden  (Near Spadina, Downtown Toronto) by Sorbara Development Group
• Nexus North  (Downtown Markham) by Remington Group
• Junction Triangle Lofts  (Davenport, Toronto West End) by Ashley Ross
• NY Place  (Bayview and Sheppard, North York) by Daniels
• Liberty Place  (Liberty Village, Toronto) by CanAlfa

To receive e-mail notifications for future updates, please register here.

Finishing Touches For Your Bathroom

If you're contemplating bathroom improvements but aren't quite ready for a full reno, we've got some tips and tricks to help you get started!  Many people opt for a fresh coat of paint to freshen things up, which will certainly help to achieve a new look. However, a few other easy, yet often overlooked updates, will also help to give your space a polished finish.  

Update From Sales Centre Visit: Nicholas Residences (Downtown Toronto)

The LiveHigh Team recently visited the Sales Centre for Nicholas Residences.  

To be built atop a reconstructed 1880's 3-storey facade, the condominium will be situated on Nicholas St. - a quiet street just steps from the nearby hustle and bustle of Bay, Bloor and Yorkville.

For more details and other information from our visit, click here.