PH nationalpost.com p o st h o mes national post, saturday, March 3, 2012 Mimico is not really on the way to anywhere, so the parlance people go there and live there and everybody knows davId prItchard each other … It’s very much a small-town feel. oWner of We’ve seen kids get born and grow up and now bIrds & beans cafe they’re looking over the counter STREET SMARTS A 50-acre site the gets swanky In the mid-1980s, Camrost-Felcorp CEO David Feldman acquired a fast magic food outlet on Lake Shore Blvd. W. in Etobicoke and developed the site into 820 condominium homes he dubbed of Marina Del Rey. The waterfront project was recognized as the best- planned urban community in Ontario. The project gave Mr. Feldman the con- fidence to tackle the nearby infamous mimico motel strip, where his Mystic Pointe master-planned community eventually all of the sprang to life. California Condos is its conveniences, latest addition. Today, South Etobicoke’s water- none of the crowds: front is welcoming dozens of new toronto’s best-kept condo projects, and Mr. Feldman can’t help but wax nostalgic. He thinks the secret is revealed area is “one of Toronto’s best-kept By Suzanne secrets … I am privileged in seeing the 50-acre area transformed into a lead- Wintrob ing edge public accessible waterfront neighbourhood,” he gushes. Here’s a sample of what’s being built: California Condos 30 storeys, 368 units Builder Cam- Toronto has a love affair with rost-Felcorp Location 165 Legion Rd. the condo, with 28,466 new- Suite Availability 74% sold. 580 to build units purchased in 2011. 975 sq. ft. from $286,900 to $449,900 Thousands more are planned. Hot Tickets Matches Mystic Pointe Suite size, price, amenities and community’s active lifestyle with architecture are important, resort-like amenities including vol- but more and more, a build- leyball, lap pool and spa treatment ing’s neighbourhood is being rooms Status Under Construction June 2012 416- considered the ultimate draw. Occupancy Contact 251-8888; camrost.com The fourth part of a lengthy series examining the GTA’s ElEvEn supErior new condo ’hoods. Nine storeys, 132 condos and town- homes Builder Davies Smith De- t’s nearly noon on a crisp sun- velopments Location Lake Shore day in February and, as usual, Blvd. W. and Superior Avenue Suite Mimico’s Birds & Beans café Availability 70% sold. Condos from I is busy. three baristas scurry tylEr andErson / national post 559 to 977 sq. ft., townhomes from behind the counter, grinding Weekends are sweet at Birds and Beans coffee shop in Mimico, where the waterfront is a draw. 889 to 1,047 sq. ft., pricing from low bird-friendly beans and prepar- $200,000s to mid-$400,000s Hot ing freshly brewed coffee in soup- SOUTH ETOBICOKE before.” new businesses have Tickets Indoor rooftop with fitness sized mugs. in the back room, opened up in the last few years, centre; lounge with private dining area joggers fresh off a waterfront run THE QUEENSWAY he says, and development along Status Actively Selling Occupancy compare stats while sipping lat- the waterfront has intensified. GARDINER Spring 2013 Contact 416-259-8882; tés. in the front room, a young EVANS the Lakeshore Village newspaper, ISLINGTO elevensuperior.com couple entices their children with KIPLING delivered five times a year, touts the shop’s home-baked milk choc- BROWN’S LINE local news and events to keep olate chunk cookies. residents in the know. First-time Eau du solEil ROYAL YORK as the doors continually open HOMER N buyers are moving in, he says, Touted as one of Canada’s tallest iconic and close, owners david prit- lured by the affordable housing waterfront condominium communities Builder Empire Communities Loca- chard and Madeleine pengelley ETOBICOKE prices and village atmosphere. mingle with the customers. the the square beside the café plays tion Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Park couple has lived in the area for LAKE SHORE host to concerts, tree lighting Lawn Rd. Suite Availability From 20 years and chucked their in- Lake and other celebrations. homey about 500 to 1,000 sq. ft. and from formation technology careers Ontario N restaurants such as Kalamata, $200,000s to more than $1-million seven years ago to operate the FBi pizza, café du lac, Everest Status Registration Occupancy n/a café full-time. they greet almost 0 km 1 indian cuisine and around the Contact eaudusolielcondos.com everybody by name, including a corner (an organic breakfast JONATHON RIVAIT / NATIONAL POST boisterous group of regulars at a place owned by the new toronto ThE hivE table near the front door who are “once you are familiar with integral partner for Waterfront butcher) are popular hangouts. Five storeys, 20 lofts Builder Sym- talking up their south Etobicoke [the water], it’s so difficult to go toronto on the project. people support lakeshore arts, metry Developments Location The neighbourhood of Mimico. sev- anywhere else,” Mr. chavlin says. another exciting addition is a not-for-profit that hosts com- Queensway and Lady Bank Rd. Suite eral are new to the area, one has “i mean, uptown is fine, but the a $2-million ice trail in colonel munity programming, film festi- Availability 75% sold. 545 to 680 sq. been there for decades while an- moment you abandon the water sam smith park. the 250-metre vals, art shows and photography ft. and from $255,000 to $318,000 other has returned to his familial you say to yourself, ‘there’s some- artificial rink, which opened in workshops for teens. Many resi- Hot Tickets Small scaled, zinc-clad roots. But one thing they have in thing missing.’ anywhere i go be- late 2010, forms a large figure- dents give back by volunteering common is their delight in living yond this point i feel confined.” eight that winds along the park’s or fundraising as a group, with building with striking modern design on the water’s edge. the waterfront,SO itUTH seems, ETOBICOKEis shoreline. it’s especially busy on Ms. trainor part of the Mimico Status Actively selling Occupancy “We moved out this way be- what makes south Etobicoke sing. weekends when kids and adults Mums who raised more than Fall 2013 Contact 416-695-0125; the- cause we were starting a family Back in theTHE QUEENSWAYlate 1800s and early come out to play. Chatelaine $100,000 for the Weekend to End hivelofts.com and wanted a bigger house,” says 1900s, many of toronto’s wealthi- GARDINERmagazine recently billed the ice Breast cancer. EVANS ilofT former leslieville resident Kyra est families built their summerISLINGTO trail as one of the best winter “[Mimico] is not really on the trainor, a 40-year-old marketer, homes in Mimico and KIPLING trekked out destinations in canada, while Ms. way to anywhere, so people go 30 storeys, 257 suites Builder Cam- mom and sailor who frequents everyBROWN’S LINE weekend to escape the big pengelley describes it as “a christ- there and live there and every- rost-Felcorp Location 155 Legion ROYAL YORK the lakeshore yacht club. “We city. WhenHOMER Grand trunk railwayN mas card.” body knows each other,” Mr. Rd. Suite Availability 95% sold. Only drove around one summer and opened the Mimico yard, the area Mark Grimes has spent his pritchard says. “it’s very much a nine suites left remaining including fell in love with it. …there’s noth- evolved to a year-round commun- whole life in the area and now small-town feel. We’ve seen kids two-storey and single storey lofts from ing better than waking up on ity with houses built ETOBICOKto accommoE- serves as city councillor. he’s get born and grow up and now 640 to 1,125 sq. ft. and $309,900 to a sunday morning and having date the influxLAKE SHOREof workers. Mimico proud of his hometown and is they’re looking over the counter. $473,900 Hot Tickets Part of master ducks on your lawn.” became an independent village in thrilled the word is spreading, people will come in and talk to Lake planned Mystic Pointe community her tablemates concur. ivan 1911 and an official ontario town albeit slowly.Ontario Toronto Life recent- whoever is sitting beside them. a Status Occupying Contact 416-251- chavlin lived in Bloor West Village in 1917, with the adjacent neigh- ly dubbed Mimico toronto’sN top lot know each other or have met 8888; iloft.ca for 27 years before recently mov- bourhoods of new toronto, long “next neighbourhood” when it in the store and continued the re- 0 km 1 ing to Mimico. he discovered the Branch and alderwood expanding comes to great real estate finds. lationship outside.” iQ Condominium area by accident while on a long at a similar pace. in 1967, amidst GivenJONA THONthat RIVsouthAIT / NAEtobicokeTIONAL POST is and then there are those such ResidEnces walk along the Martin Goodman much resident angst, Mimico was a quick ride to the airport or as Eric code who have simply Two towers, 303 units Builder The trail. now he’s addicted to the forced to amalgamate with Etobi- downtown, has two Go transit come home. though he grew up Remington Group Location The waterfront and can’t imagine liv- coke. thirty years later, it became stations, golf courses, three yacht in Mississauga and called down- ing where he can’t see it. Musician part of the city of toronto. clubs and three large parks, he’s town toronto home for years, the Queensway and Zorra St.