Davenport

[jimao]

Hi all:

Please move the thread if it's in the wrong sub-board.

I'm moving to Toronto in September for grad school and have picked this building as my new home for next year. I chose it primarily due to its low rent and the closeby subway station. I already signed my lease, paid the rent for the last month, and plan to move in very soon. However, when I googled this place today, it's apparent I haven't done my homework (being the first time moving out of my parent's house and all that). Is this place as bad and unsafe as people claim it on the internet? My only hope right now is that most of these e-discussions took place in 2006~2007, and hopefully things have improved somewhat. Thanks.

[urbandreamer]

It's the worst apartment building in Toronto. Unless you like your hookers with your Coffee Crime.

[jimao]

It's the worst apartment building in Toronto. Unless you like your hookers with your Coffee Crime.

Do you have any suggestions on what I could do at this point of time?

[thedeepend]

It's the worst apartment building in Toronto. Unless you like your hookers with your Coffee Crime.

wow. very useful response--sympathetic too. the guy is genuinely seeking information, why do you insist on being a horse's ass? its way past time to grow up, Mr. 'Dreamer'.

[Tuscani01]

Are you locked in for a 1 year lease or is it month to month? I would say move in and start looking for a new place asap. It's not entirely bad, but you can definitely do WAY better.

[urbandreamer]

Well, what would I do? I'd move in and enjoy the ladies. If you treat them as your friends, you'll get along swell. Call the cops all the time to bust their loud parties and you may end up the wrong side of the tracks....

I've lived in far worse conditions--the downtown eastside including the Ivanhoe--and loved (almost) every minute of it.

You'll no doubt do very well at school--you'll often study in the libraries, socialize with other students etc. The longer you're away from your CrackPad (is that a Blackberry trademark? )) the smarter you'll be.

[jimao]

Well, what would I do? I'd move in and enjoy the ladies. If you treat them as your friends, you'll get along swell. Call the cops all the time to bust their loud parties and you may end up the wrong side of the tracks....

I've lived in far worse conditions--the downtown eastside including the Ivanhoe--and loved (almost) every minute of it.

You'll no doubt do very well at school--you'll often study in the libraries, socialize with other students etc. The longer you're away from your CrackPad (is that a Blackberry trademark? )) the smarter you'll be.

Oh, I have no problems with hookers. It's the drug dealers and the crackheads that I'm worried about. But if you lived in FAR worse conditions than this and survived, I guess that's somewhat a relief for me. For that I thank you.

One more question, what should I leave at home when I am away? My only valuable belonging is my laptop. Is it a good idea to carry it on me all the time whenever I go out.

[thedeepend]

Do you have any suggestions on what I could do at this point of time?

There's no doubt its not a great building. in fact it is (or was) a very blighted building.
It was in the news a lot a few years back, and i know that all the bad publicity spurred an effort to clean it up.

According to the website of the city councillor representing the ward:

"We have made a massive effort to address the problems at 1011 Lansdowne (including drug sales, prostitution, squatting, and poor conditions for residents) working with police, MLS, tenants’ rights groups and residents."


i would call the city councillor for an update on the cleanup, and how successful they feel they've been:

Councillor's Office
City Hall
100 Queen Street West, Suite C42
Toronto, M5H 2N2
Phone: 416-392-7012
Fax: 416-392-7957
E-mail: councillor_giambrone@toronto.ca

Constituency Office
1232 College St. W. (at Margueretta)
Monday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
(other times are available by appointment)

A lot of the most alarming stuff about 1011 Lansdowne is definitely 3 or 4 years old--pre-cleanup. You need to find out definitively whether conditions are improved a little, a fair bit, or a lot.

If it seems like it there are still a lot of problems, and if you can stomach it, you might want to consider bailing on your last months rent. getting out of the lease i don't imagine would be all that difficult.

[jimao]

Are you locked in for a 1 year lease or is it month to month? I would say move in and start looking for a new place asap. It's not entirely bad, but you can definitely do WAY better.

Here is the thing. I've given them a void check when I signed the lease. However, they told me specifically that I have to pay the rent by cash every month.

[jimao]

There's no doubt its not a great building. in fact it is (or was) a very blighted building.
It was in the news a lot a few years back, and i know that all the bad publicity spurred an effort to clean it up.

According to the website of the city councillor representing the ward:

"We have made a massive effort to address the problems at 1011 Lansdowne (including drug sales, prostitution, squatting, and poor conditions for residents) working with police, MLS, tenants’ rights groups and residents."


i would call the city councillor for an update on the cleanup, and how successful they feel they've been:

Councillor's Office
City Hall
100 Queen Street West, Suite C42
Toronto, M5H 2N2
Phone: 416-392-7012
Fax: 416-392-7957
E-mail: councillor_giambrone@toronto.ca

Constituency Office
1232 College St. W. (at Margueretta)
Monday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
(other times are available by appointment)

A lot of the most alarming stuff about 1011 Lansdowne is definitely 3 or 4 years old--pre-cleanup. You need to find out definitively whether conditions are improved a little, a fair bit, or a lot.

If it seems like it there are still a lot of problems, and if you can stomach it, you might want to consider bailing on your last months rent. getting out of the lease i don't imagine would be all that difficult.

Thanks so much for the info. I'll contact him/her ASAP.

[catcher_of_cats]

Like most things in life, you do get what you pay for (to an extent). Here's to hoping that you have a peaceful time there.