Bayview/Sheppard (NY Towers)

[scarberiankhatru]

A increasingly non-WASP "ghetto"...you know, that applies to almost every neighbourhood in the GTA.

 

[ACCT]

Geez... it's one thing to dislike an area, but another to totally despise it and borderline hate it.

In all due respect, I understand that you don't like to live in the area, but it seems like you can't even appreciate the fact that some ppl do? I don't like living at Yonge/Sheppard either, but I can see why some people would. I also don't seem to make it my life's mission to parade my dislike.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Geez... it's one thing to dislike an area, but another to totally despise it and borderline hate it.

In all due respect, I understand that you don't like to live in the area, but it seems like you can't even appreciate the fact that some ppl do? I don't like living at Yonge/Sheppard either, but I can see why some people would. I also don't seem to make it my life's mission to parade my dislike.

*You* asked for opinions and all I said was it's overrated, traffic on Sheppard is bad, and there's not much to walk to (note the name of this forum), yet it's still better than the entirety of Scarborough and Markham. There's no need for you (and UD2) to be amazingly sensitive and defensive...unless you're having buyer's remorse, which is definitely what's coming across in your posts. Can the hysterics.

 

[ACCT]

No, I'm not having buyer's remorse. All the points that you have talked about I have considered during my shopping, so it is not really anything new to me. However, I do respect the fact that people have different lifestyles and opinions, so I can see why some people would prefer to live on Yonge, especially since it is literally one street over.

I appreciate the fact that you have shared with me your opinions and point of view, which is what I expected to get out of my discussion in my original post. The issue that I have though is that you come across very condescending and authoritative in your language, to the point where it feels outright rude. I have been civil and well-mannered throughout all of my posts, even when we disagreed, and I expect nothing less from you.

You constantly reference back to the fact that the forum's name is urban Toronto. I know that and I believe others do as well. That does not mean people on this forum can choose to disagree with you and like to live in the suburbs or a less lively part of town. The term "urban" can be very subjective and mean different things to different people. What I have a problem with is the fact that you can't seem to respect others with a differing opinion, not your opinion itself.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

No, I'm not having buyer's remorse. All the points that you have talked about I have considered during my shopping, so it is not really anything new to me. However, I do respect the fact that people have different lifestyles and opinions, so I can see why some people would prefer to live on Yonge, especially since it is literally one street over.

I appreciate the fact that you have shared with me your opinions and point of view, which is what I expected to get out of my discussion in my original post. The issue that I have though is that you come across very condescending and authoritative in your language, to the point where it feels outright rude. I have been civil and well-mannered throughout all of my posts, even when we disagreed, and I expect nothing less from you.

You constantly reference back to the fact that the forum's name is urban Toronto. I know that and I believe others do as well. That does not mean people on this forum can choose to disagree with you and like to live in the suburbs or a less lively part of town. The term "urban" can be very subjective and mean different things to different people. What I have a problem with is the fact that you can't seem to respect others with a differing opinion, not your opinion itself.

You need to actually read the posts you're responding to instead of skimming them, misunderstanding them, and then flying off the handle. If this is how you react when someone says the area is overrated and traffic-clogged, yet improving and better than much of the rest of the city, what would do if someone said it's bad or sucked? Calm down...it's a neighbourhood, not your child.

 

[ACCT]

Thank you, but I have already read your posts carefully.

It's not so much what you say rather than the language used in saying it.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Thank you, but I have already read your posts carefully.

It's not so much what you say rather than the language used in saying it.

Yes, I agree it's not about what I said, it's about you not being able to handle constructive criticism or the opinions of others and becoming irrationally hostile. Why'd you bother making this thread if you can't deal with anything other than "OMG, this is the best neighbourhood ever!"?

 

[adma]

A increasingly non-WASP "ghetto"...you know, that applies to almost every neighbourhood in the GTA.

With the relative inverse happening in the inner core, i.e. "Stuff White People Like" country...

 

[pipolchap]

a) Do you guys think that the area will increase in value relative to other areas in the future with the building of an LRT on Sheppard?

b) What do you guys think about the neighbourhood?

I would just like to see what others think about this area in which I will be living in for the next couple of years. Thanks!

a) probably not, the easterly LRT won't be much value for people living centrally (unless you work in scarborough or at the zoo)
b) The neighborhood (bayview village) is beautiful with nice parks, ravines, and some limited conveniences. That being said, the amenities touted by UD2 are not that impressive.

3. Ranked by distance. YMCA (next door), Bayview Village (across the street), TD Bank (around 400 meters) Canadian Tire (around 800 meters), Family Doctor/X-Ray Scan/Blood Lab building complex (around 950m), IKEA (a bit more than 1KM). Distance estimates exclude the length of the driveway. I thought there was a beer store somewhere in between but I'm not sure anymore, plus a bunch of other things that doesn't standout as much.

You might as well be living around Scarborough TownCentre or Square One, at least you'll save money. The only thing these places don't have is an IKEA, but how often do you go there?

See, that's the thing. I don't want to live on Yonge. It's true that there are a lot of shops on Yonge, but growing up in Scarborough/Markham, I'm much more used to driving everywhere and shopping in malls/plazas.

I mean, sure, there are tons of shops on Yonge, but most of them are small little shops and restaurants, and they are all outdoors. In Toronto, half of the year it is either snowing or raining, so I don't really see myself walking around on Yonge all the time. I would much rather take a short walk to Bayview village or the surrounding area if the weather is good and do all my shopping within the confines and comfort of a nice little mall as opposed to having to walk around on the street and stopping by at a million shops just so I get what I want. And if it rains, I can drive across and shop indoors. I just don't get that option (or the options are much more limited) on Yonge if I want to do that. I find that Bayview Village is pretty convenient when it is literally 500M away from where I live, in which I can find an LCBO, Loblaws, Shoppers, and pretty much everything that I would need for my everyday needs, INDOORS. This is pretty important to me.

Also, when we bought the place, we just couldn't stand the hustle and bustle of Yonge/Sheppard/Finch. I mean, it was just too busy. The noise pollution and traffic is just horrific. Going on the highway is an even bigger nightmare. At least on Bayview/Sheppard in the NYT community, the condos are a little bit segregated from the main streets.

Yonge and Sheppard is a great location no doubt, but I guess it just isn't for us.

As for your argument against Yonge/Sheppard/Finch corridor, isn't traffic as bad along Bayview between Sheppard and 401? Isn't the 401 loud?

Sounds like you're a suburban at heart. If you don't intend to use the TTC much and drive places, why spend the premium to live next to the subway? If you have kids, you can't even send them to the local schools. I don't see the allure of NY Towers. Please help me understand.

 

[ACCT]

Thanks for the reply pipolchap. I'm definitely a suburban at heart, but living close to the TTC saves us a lot of money annually since we need to take the subway to work downtown. Traffic actually is not as bad at the intersection of Bayview/Sheppard and around the neighbouring area as opposed to Yonge/Sheppard. The traffic on Sheppard going East is actually pretty good too. This was one of the things that attracted me to purchasing in this area.

As for sending our kids off to school; we are still pretty young, so by the time we have kids, we'll probably have moved on from this area. However, from what I understand, Elkhorn PS is situated less than a kilometre away and is within walking distance. Looking at their EQAO results, it seems like it's a pretty good school too.

As for your point about traffic, you're absolutely right. The noise from the 401 is horrible for those units that are facing South, especially the units in the original 4 towers at the Empire (on Barberry). My wife could not tolerate this one bit since she is very sensitive to noise (especially when sleeping) and we turned down a lot of units that were much cheaper and nice. I didn't mind the noise one bit and actually liked this one corner unit very much that had a beautiful panoramic South-West view overlooking the highway. My wife couldn't stand it though so at the end of we didn't buy it. It was definitely much cheaper though


Last thing was that we actually thought about living at STC, but we really didn't like the area. In addition, the RT is simply horrible... I think anyone who takes it regularly would understand.

 

[UD2]

No, the oldest building is about 7, and the Rockefeller is 3 years old...as I said, it's more likely that deficiencies from the original construction are just being cleared up than one should worry about the building falling apart due to old age.

He asked what the effect of the LRT would be, no need to get all pissy, especially when you're not being addressed.

Have you ever driven on Sheppard? You don't 'simply get' anywhere. 10 minute walk here, 15 minute drive there...it adds up to time spent not doing other things, though you'll probably be stuck in traffic on Sheppard in your car with family or friends, so that's kinda multitasking. "Nothing to walk to" obviously doesn't mean you physically cannot walk to a business, but the fact that you're listing individual businesses within a kilometre shows that as an urban neighbourhood it may leave a bit to be desired. This forum is called "Urban Toronto," by the way.

The area's a work in progress, and as Urban Shocker pointed out, that progress has not been particularly speedy despite all the recent residential projects. There's a mall filled with boutique stores nearby and...not much else. It's much better than some spot in Scarborough or Markham, though, and will get better over time. No, Yonge is really not more expensive than Bayview & Sheppard.

1. It's been over 10 years since marketing started, and the tower was completed a bit more than 2 years after that point. So you're probably right.

2. I didn't agree with you and I didn't feel like arguing aginst your zeal on this matter. No need to deflect. ACCT will just have to wait and see.

3. I have driven, biked, walked, taken the transit, stood on the curb and looked at the sky on Sheppard all thoughout my life. Have you? Infact I've even measured the distance with my trip KM when I was driving on Sheppard yesterday. The distances that I've given were more or less correct. As for your 10 minute walks and 15 minute drives. If 15 minute travel times is too much, then maybe the place isn't for you.

And aparently Bayview and Sheppard is considered de-urbanized wilderness. I'm not going to talk on this at all.



The Area is not a work-in-progress, but an urbran transformation. It is one of the few areas in Toronto that's completely redesigning it self to fit it's new role in the city. Just like Yonge St. between Sheppard and Finch has done since Lastman was in office up until this point. Will Sheppard become the second Yonge? Probably not. But it'll become something that's inline with the times.

 

[UD2]

Thanks for the reply pipolchap. I'm definitely a suburban at heart, but living close to the TTC saves us a lot of money annually since we need to take the subway to work downtown. Traffic actually is not as bad at the intersection of Bayview/Sheppard and around the neighbouring area as opposed to Yonge/Sheppard. The traffic on Sheppard going East is actually pretty good too. This was one of the things that attracted me to purchasing in this area.

As for sending our kids off to school; we are still pretty young, so by the time we have kids, we'll probably have moved on from this area. However, from what I understand, Elkhorn PS is situated less than a kilometre away and is within walking distance. Looking at their EQAO results, it seems like it's a pretty good school too.

As for your point about traffic, you're absolutely right. The noise from the 401 is horrible for those units that are facing South, especially the units in the original 4 towers at the Empire (on Barberry). My wife could not tolerate this one bit since she is very sensitive to noise (especially when sleeping) and we turned down a lot of units that were much cheaper and nice. I didn't mind the noise one bit and actually liked this one corner unit very much that had a beautiful panoramic South-West view overlooking the highway. My wife couldn't stand it though so at the end of we didn't buy it. It was definitely much cheaper though


Last thing was that we actually thought about living at STC, but we really didn't like the area. In addition, the RT is simply horrible... I think anyone who takes it regularly would understand.

You mentioned schools. I'm not sure where your area is mapped into. But the two highs schools that are relatively close to your area (York Mills C.I. and Earl Heig Secondary School (I can't spell this word)) are considred some of the best public secondary schools in Toronto. The junior high schools and elementary schools that feeds them are also very well run as well. York Mills is fed by Windfields Jr. H and St. Andrews. Earl Heig is fed by St. Andrews and another school.

Denlow Elementary (which is probably too far from where you live to send your kids there, but you can always double check), which feeds Windfields and St. Andrew's was considered the best elementary school in Toronto.

 

[UD2]

You might as well be living around Scarborough TownCentre or Square One, at least you'll save money. The only thing these places don't have is an IKEA, but how often do you go there?




.

very different areas. STC has a very different feel than Bayview.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

1. It's been over 10 years since marketing started, and the tower was completed a bit more than 2 years after that point. So you're probably right.

The point is that the Rockefeller is only a few years old and the only thing that would possibly have fallen apart due to old age is a few lightbulbs.

2. I didn't agree with you and I didn't feel like arguing on this matter. No need to deflect. ACCT will just have to wait and see.

He can wait till the Rapture, but it will have no effect. This is a certainty that you're free to deny. A condo at Bayview & Sheppard will not be affected by an LRT line that is not at Bayview & Sheppard. Will houses near Warden station increase in value if the SRT is extended? Of course not.

3. I have driven, biked, walked, taken the transit, stood on the curb and looked at the sky on Sheppard all thoughout my life. Have you? Infact I've even measured the distance with my trip KM when I was driving on Sheppard yesterday. The distances that I've given were more or less correct. As for your 10 minute walks and 15 minute drives. If 15 minute travel times is too much, then maybe the place isn't for you.

And aparently Bayview and Sheppard is considered de-urbanized wilderness. I'm not going to talk on this at all.

How can the area be a wilderness when there's no large parks nearby?

If you live and breathe Sheppard you know it can take 10 minutes just to turn left onto Bayview or 15 minutes to get from Bayview to Leslie. Did I dispute that IKEA was a bit over 1km away? In the NY Towers area, you can't drive many places without taking a stretch of Sheppard that people know is best to avoid driving along when possible. I know it'll never happen, but I'd love to see Bessarion cross the 401 to connect with Bannatyne and Willowdale cross the 401 to connect with Lord Seaton. Yonge has the two service roads to help with traffic but Sheppard nas nothing. At least the 401 is reliably quick at and east of Bayview.

 

[UD2]

The point is that the Rockefeller is only a few years old and the only thing that would possibly have fallen apart due to old age is a few lightbulbs.



He can wait till the Rapture, but it will have no effect. This is a certainty that you're free to deny. A condo at Bayview & Sheppard will not be affected by an LRT line that is not at Bayview & Sheppard. Will houses near Warden station increase in value if the SRT is extended? Of course not.



How can the area be a wilderness when there's no large parks nearby?

If you live and breathe Sheppard you know it can take 10 minutes just to turn left onto Bayview or 15 minutes to get from Bayview to Leslie. Did I dispute that IKEA was a bit over 1km away? In the NY Towers area, you can't drive many places without taking a stretch of Sheppard that people know is best to avoid driving along when possible. I know it'll never happen, but I'd love to see Bessarion cross the 401 to connect with Bannatyne and Willowdale cross the 401 to connect with Lord Seaton. Yonge has the two service roads to help with traffic but Sheppard nas nothing. At least the 401 is reliably quick at and east of Bayview.

Bayview to Leslie doesn't take 15 minutes. Yonge to Leslie does, that's if you hit reds on Bayview and the Canadian Tire exit. It'll take you 10 minutes to make a left from Sheppard West bond onto Southbond Leslie on a bad day, but that's got nothing to do with him.

as for parallel alternative routes, Sheppard's got the 401. And Yonge's services routes only exist for disconnect portions. Which is why Doris is almost always empty.

But again, this probably isn't the best place to debate traffic.




I still think ACCT has made a great choice buying, since he's ok with most of the other big issues that exist with these buildings.