The following is the second installment on our tour of Aspen Ridge Homes’ Scenic on Eglinton. If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, please take a moment to check it out for a good look at the project’s interior spaces such as suites and amenities.
As mentioned in yesterday’s first installment, Scenic on Eglinton sits atop the lush West Don Valley on the edge of Leaside. While the Scenic buildings take advantage of the slope, it was the plateau up top which was used to its best advantage as the former home of the Leaside Aerodrome. High up here, the site provides a perfect lookout across a wide range of both urban and suburban landscapes… and since no UrbanToronto tour would seem complete without a trip to the top, we board the elevator on the east tower and make our way for the roof!
Leaside is an interesting neighbourhood in that several distinctly different types of land use can be found within its borders. Large swaths of industrial land reminiscent of downtown’s Portlands sit adjacent to expansive parklands with a network of ravines criss-crossing through acres of lush greenery. In addition, Leaside contains some of midtown’s most popular retail strips, serving the well-to-do demographic of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Whether facing north, south, east or west, the views from the roof of Scenic 2 all have something unique to offer. Looking to the east, we see Eglinton Avenue leading through suburban high-tech office parks towards the high-density residential towers at Don Mills and Eglinton.
Also visible to the east is the massive Canadian Pacific railway trestle, which runs high above E. T. Seaton Park.
To the north we can see the single family homes along Rykert Crescent, surrounded by the sea of green provided by Serena Gundy and Sunnybrook Parks. Looking off towards the horizon, we see the growing spine of high-rise development along Highway 401.
Looking west we see the roof of the slightly shorter Scenic 1, bordered by the relatively new townhouses which surround the development.
The southwest view is dominated by the ever-growing Toronto skyline, rising beyond a unique suburban-industrial foreground.
Zooming in a bit closer, and we can clearly see two of downtown’s most ambitious under-construction projects, both easily identifiable by their prominent tower cranes– L Tower on the far left hand side, and Aura on the right hand side.
One notable view made possible by our trip to the roof, is the site of Scenic’s coming third phase. The 18-storey tower is soon to rise immediately to southeast of the existing Scenic 2 along Vanderhoof Avenue. A number of piles have been driven into the ground to prepare for shoring and excavation.
With occupancy underway at Scenic 1 and 2, we will be sure to check back in the near future, as more details on phase 3 emerge. In the meantime, additional information including building facts, renderings and floorplans can be found at the associated dataBase page, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the related forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided below.