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Liberty Village

Has anybody noticed this new gateway to Liberty Village? (on King Street)

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It looks like some colour is going on to this ugly duckling. It's a big improvement but the colour of the bricks looks dull. It just doesn't look like real brick to me. At least it gives the building some much needed colour and definition.

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Liberty Village is certainly unique, to say the least.

It’s also home to a very young demographic, and if you’re a 20-something, it’s a location you should consider for your first condo purchase.

While waiting for my clients in the courtyard in the townhouse complex, I watched about a dozen different dog-owners mingle and chit-chat, and it kind of reminded me of the greatest show ever produced on television: Melrose Place.

Billy & Allison, Michael & Jane, and Jake. Oh, rugged, manly, sexy Jake! And special guest star: Heather Locklear! And there’s Charlotte from Sex & The City before she was Charlotte from Sex & The City! Wow – Alyssa Milano! And soap-star, Jack Wagner! Then there’s the Matt from Baywatch, Nikki from Swingers, the girl from Profiler, and who could forget KIMBERLY! Remember when we all though she died in a car accident and Sydney was to blame?

What does this have to do with traffic in Liberty Village? Nothing. But seriously – can we talk about Melrose Place a little bit?

Liberty Village was, is, and hopefully always will be a great place to call home, and a good investment.

I still believe that the townhouses in the area represent great value for the simple fact that there will never be any more townhouses built – the land is too valuable when you can build a 30-storey condo instead. It’s simple supply and demand, and those townhouses have appreciated rapidly.

I like the three Monarch buildings to the north section of the Village, but I loathe the new CanAlfa buildings to the south.

And in between, you’ve got enough infrastructure to support the residents.

The area is represented by four of the five major banks, there’s an LCBO, a GoodLife (this one was rated the #1 gym to pick up a date…), Bell World, Rogers, Dollorama, Metro, multiple bars and restaurants, multiple coffee shops, and everything you could need within a five-minute walk.

But the traffic is insane.
 
I looked at the townhouses...chose a condo because the townhouses with the 3 levels felt too small. But they are a good investment for sure. They seem to sell quick.

Anyway, it's funny to see all the bashing on here. I have a friend actively trying to find a place in LV and a few others who would gladly trade spots with me to be in my shoes (as in preparing to move to LV). Some folks on here must be a bit off the mark or LV just isn't for them because it's popularity still seems to be up there.
 
shlammed said:
I looked at the townhouses...chose a condo because the townhouses with the 3 levels felt too small. But they are a good investment for sure. They seem to sell quick.

Anyway, it's funny to see all the bashing on here. I have a friend actively trying to find a place in LV and a few others who would gladly trade spots with me to be in my shoes (as in preparing to move to LV). Some folks on here must be a bit off the mark or LV just isn't for them because it's popularity still seems to be up there.
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There is definitely a certain type of people that the area attracts, I don't disagree with that. And that type is definitely not mine.
 
shlammed said:
I looked at the townhouses...chose a condo because the townhouses with the 3 levels felt too small. But they are a good investment for sure. They seem to sell quick.

Anyway, it's funny to see all the bashing on here. I have a friend actively trying to find a place in LV and a few others who would gladly trade spots with me to be in my shoes (as in preparing to move to LV). Some folks on here must be a bit off the mark or LV just isn't for them because it's popularity still seems to be up there.
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It's not hipster enough for these people. Liberty Village is Melrose Place NOrth X100 times.

It's like a very interesting social experiment!
 
^^ It's not about being hipster. It's about squandering a good opportunity to develop a beautiful, lively, unique and interesting district, instead of the unpleasant, badly designed, car clogged area it has become. (on the east side) It didn't even nearly live up to its potential in anyway, except density but is density enough? (Not for me) I hope West Liberty Village doesn't suffer the same fate, as it still has potential.
 
Torontovibe said:
^^ It's not about being hipster. It's about squandering a good opportunity to develop a beautiful, lively, unique and interesting district, instead of the unpleasant, badly designed, car clogged area it has become. (on the east side) It didn't even nearly live up to its potential in anyway, except density but is density enough? (Not for me) I hope West Liberty Village doesn't suffer the same fate, as it still has potential.
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You may be right...but that lost opportunity doesn't seem to be having an impact on the neighborhood or those who choose to live there.

So far, I love it.
 
shlammed said:
You may be right...but that lost opportunity doesn't seem to be having an impact on the neighborhood or those who choose to live there.

So far, I love it.
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Demographics can change after a generation. When the undistinguished condos age, their value might stagnate and invite poorer demographics and absentee landlords. From that point, there could be general decline. When the buildings are new and the neighbourhood can be said to be new (it was a neighbourhood of factories before, not residences), it's too early to tell what it's fate will be.
 
junctionist said:
Demographics can change after a generation. When the undistinguished condos age, their value might stagnate and invite poorer demographics and absentee landlords. From that point, there could be general decline. When the buildings are new and the neighbourhood can be said to be new (it was a neighbourhood of factories before, not residences), it's too early to tell what it's fate will be.
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A generation is a long time and a lot longer than I'd ever plan to stay here.
 
shlammed said:
A generation is a long time and a lot longer than I'd ever plan to stay here.
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Exactly, and that's a major problem with the areas development. These buildings are going to be there for a very long time, but it doesn't seem like that's very important to developers who are looking to make a lot of money in the short term. City planning needs to be done with planning for 10,20, 50 years into the future.
 
Precisely. A well-designed neighbourhood would invite people to have fun, but also to raise their kids and gracefully age there.

Liberty Village can still be saved, but having made it a car-centric family-unfriendly place from the get-go, it will be very difficult to change.

My hope is that once all bridges are in and the novelty has worn off, there will be a demographic transition from what is there now to a more stable one.
 
>> there will be a demographic transition from what is there now to a more stable one.
It can only transition to seniors and DINKs. There is just no room for children.

Don't want to seem down on the neighbourhood - its a great example of how enlightened urban planning policy can revitalize an area. But like Vegas, its an adult playground.
 
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