Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

I think the last time the developers "publically" mentioned the possible 10 extra floors was in newspaper articles back in November 2007.

It would be nice if they kept the dream alive by mentioning it again... ;)
 
cdr108 said:
When I was in California, I saw alot of Chinese-Italian restaurants.:confused:

I never did understand how the combo came about !?!
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My American partner always found 'Chinese Canadian' cuisine to be amusing. What is that? Chicken Balls and poutine?
 
khristopher said:
Well it's actually Chinese-American.
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Um, not really. You're making the assumption that Chinese-Canadian cuisine is actually imported rather than one that developed over the last 200 years of Chinese settlement in this country.

Tewder said:
My American partner always found 'Chinese Canadian' cuisine to be amusing. What is that? Chicken Balls and poutine?
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It's all a matter of perspective. A lot of what we call Chinese food is basically Canadianized Chinese food rather than authentically Chinese. To an American or someone who views things through an American lens, it's Americanized Chinese food.

Similarly, to a Canadian, burgers and fries is quintessentially Canadian cuisine. To an American, they view it as American. Both are accurate. Which term gets used depends on whether you view the world through a Canadian or American lens.
 
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isaidso said:
Um, not really. You're making the assumption that Chinese-Canadian cuisine is actually imported rather than one that developed over the last 200 years of Chinese settlement in this country.
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Chinese-American would include Canada. American is not the U.S.A. only. It's any country in the Americas. Basically what I'm saying is that Chinese food here has been "westernized".
 
khristopher said:
American is not the U.S.A. only. It's any country in the Americas.
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I'm definitely not American, and people from B.C., Mexico, Belize, Peru, etc. would also say they are not American. People from the U.S. would agree that we are not American. You may be referring to food, but even that would be wrong to say.

Chicken Balls and poutine, now that actually doesn't sound too bad.
 
khristopher said:
Chinese-American would include Canada.
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I strongly disagree khristopher. This group your speak of would be known as Chinese-Canadians.

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now can we end the ethic food discussion and get back to AURA ??
 
high rollers and penthouse suites

how do you guys think the retail space and connection to the PATH will impact the type of purchasers for Aura? More specifically the high-income bracket purchasers. Will Aura be less desirable due to the fact that the retail space is littered with small (pacific mall-esque) stores? And will access to the PATH in addition to the retail space make the building too busy and crowded?

How would purchasers feel about spending over millions of dollars for a luxury penthouse suite knowing that they will be sharing their building with hundreds of random torontonians that come in and out each day? are penthouse units in Aura less desirable than 1Bloor or The Ritz (for example)?

Thoughts or opinions?
 
Exodus said:
how do you guys think the retail space and connection to the PATH will impact the type of purchasers for Aura? More specifically the high-income bracket purchasers. Will Aura be less desirable due to the fact that the retail space is littered with small (pacific mall-esque) stores? And will access to the PATH in addition to the retail space make the building too busy and crowded?

How would purchasers feel about spending over millions of dollars for a luxury penthouse suite knowing that they will be sharing their building with hundreds of random torontonians that come in and out each day? are penthouse units in Aura less desirable than 1Bloor or The Ritz (for example)?

Thoughts or opinions?
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It really depends on the lifestyle that people want to have regardless of their income bracket. The wealthy people are just like any other income groups. Some prefer having lots of privacy who may prefer The Ritz over the other condos mentioned. However, the underground PATH and ancillary retail stores allow the residents to have the convenience of stores right below them rather than having to travel far to make any quick/simple purchases.

I would not think Aura is less desirable than 1Bloor or The Ritz. IMO, It's different living lifestyle. With that said, what i really dislike about Aura is that the "rich" are being mingled with the smaller/less expensive units, which does not give them the impression of prestige as much as The Ritz (higher starting price).

Imagine you live in the $17 million Penthouse unit, and you have visitors coming to visit you. It is more likely that your visitors will be stuck waiting for the elevators next to a bunch of rowdy students/tenants due to the lower starting price than the other 2 condos mentioned. This does not give your vistor a good impression.

Again, it comes down to lifestyle preference and the type of person they are.

Now, if i were to choose to live in condos with unlimited resources, i would most likely choose Shangri-La. Simply because of the prestige and location of the site.

I could be wrong, but this is just what i think.
 
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luxome said:
Imagine you live in the $17 million Penthouse unit, and you have visitors coming to visit you. It is more likely that your visitors will be stuck waiting for the elevators next to a bunch of rowdy students/tenants due to the lower starting price than the other 2 condos mentioned. This does not give your vistor a good impression.
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I agree with the fact that the price range of units in Aura is huge, which promotes mingling of all income-brackets which might not be desirable for some purchasers.

Off topic, but since there were a lot of investors that bought into Aura, I would imagine a large proportion of these units would either be resold or rented out. Realistically, is it feasible for students nowadays to afford to pay rent in CP1+2? My understanding is that the rent in these buildings were quite high. But given the location between the two universities, I can see how convenient it would be for students wishing to rent here.
 
Exodus said:
I agree with the fact that the price range of units in Aura is huge, which promotes mingling of all income-brackets which might not be desirable for some purchasers.

Off topic, but since there were a lot of investors that bought into Aura, I would imagine a large proportion of these units would either be resold or rented out. Realistically, is it feasible for students nowadays to afford to pay rent in CP1+2? My understanding is that the rent in these buildings were quite high. But given the location between the two universities, I can see how convenient it would be for students wishing to rent here.
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You'll be surprised by the number of tenants/students in those 2 buildings. One way the students can afford the rent is by having more people living in the units than it was designed for (e.g., 4 students in 2 units). This way, the living expense is still cheaper than living in school residents, plus the extra amenities you get in the condo.

However, i don't think it'll work the same way for Aura unless something miraculous happens before occupancy in terms of increasing demand of rental units in the area. Otherwise, the investors may have to take a loss, either in the rents and maybe in resell.
 
It looks to me like the Executive and PH suites are served by separate elevators.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
It looks to me like the Executive and PH suites are served by separate elevators.
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In fact, the top 21 floors are actually a separate deeded condo. It will have separate condo fees but share the common amenities. It's like they're adding a luxury building on top of an "above-average" building.

A clever strategy as it's much more difficult to sell million+ units on lower floors.

Actually, the original proposal for this corner (back in early 2006?) had two buildings, one 50 stories and the other 30 stories. I think most would agree that one tall building is much better!
 
Exodus said:
Will Aura be less desirable due to the fact that the retail space is littered with small (pacific mall-esque) stores?
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Well, several large retailers/restaurants have already signed up. Bed Bath & Beyond will occupy the entire third floor.

I think this building will attract the younger (30's 40's), upgrading from other condo's in the city. This area, along with the new retail below, will definitely be vibrant. The Ritz and Four Seasons will probably attract the somewhat "boring" baby-boomer crowd downsizing from Rosedale houses.

For me, I've chosen the former as an exciting place to raise my two young children.

The nice thing about Toronto is there's something for everybody! :)
 
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