Apartment Hunters...Again

We spent the last two weeks of March in Toronto preparing for our imminent move there. There were two major tasks at hand. First we needed to set up our banking there. Without that we could not proceed to the second task of finding an apartment. So our first full day there was dedicated almost completely to banking. It wasn’t terribly difficult as Toni was well prepared, but it was time consuming.

The next day we hit our list of furnished apartments with a rental agent. Nothing really clicked with either of us as the furnishings were usually a mish-mash or simply not our taste. We took the next day off to regroup and line up viewings of non-furnished units. Toni and the agent took the following day to check this category while stayed behind to get caught up on work. She found some places with great views but didn’t get excited enough about anything for to take time to go for a second look.

We had been looking in an area around Bay and College which might roughly correspond to our area in Midtown Manhattan. Lots of high rises and plenty of services and public transportation in all directions. Toni’s sister suggested another part of town that we weren’t familiar with. It is known as the Saint Lawrence Market. This is closer to the Lake and a bit east of the downtown financial area. As we looked into it we quickly realized that this might suit us better. After all we did not want to simply replicate our New York experience. This also had good public transportation access but as a bonus a more eclectic mix of services and amenities. You might compare this to parts of Greenwich Village.

So this time I left the agent out of the mix and hit Craigslist hard and heavy. I came up with two places that looked very promising and both were fully furnished and “by owner”. I quickly set up back to back showings for the next day. Then the next morning I took another quick look on CL and found one more match. Toni quickly wrote the owner and he called back and set up a third appointment just before we headed out the door. I had good feelings about all three listings.

Here are listings:

2br - Large Downtown 2 bedroom Furnished Condo (Financial and St Lawrence District)

Rare large unit located on the border of the Financial District and walking distance from the St Lawrence Market and the trendy King Street entertainment core.

This two bedroom unit with two full baths is spacious with 9 ½ foot ceilings.

Stunning floor to ceiling custom built wall unit with built in fireplace provides ample storage while adding rich feel to the space.

Custom Murphy bed in the second bedroom allows the room to be used as a second bedroom and an office.

One parking and locker included in the price.

Owner plans to leave the unit furnished however there may be flexibility on the price if unfurnished is preferred.

Amenities include Rooftop, Indoor Pool, Fitness Cenre, Just move in and enjoy!!

7 King St East

2BR Fully Furnished All Included Parking Pro Renovated Downtown (King and Yonge)

This Condo was featured in Canadian Living Magazine and on HGTV's website. Professionally designed by Jeffrey and Deborah Fisher, all professionally installed.

2BR Solarium/Office 2 Full Bathrooms 6 month lease Rent includes the following:

1 Underground Parking spot Fully furnished including linens and kitchen supplies

Fast Highspeed Wireless internet Free Long-Distance anywhere in North America from home phone

Full cable and PVR for taping any shows you may miss

Washer and Dryer in the suite

Dishwasher

EcoSmart Fireplace

Quartz Countertop and Tiled Backsplash

American Walnut dark hardwood floors throughout

Crown Molding and high baseboards

Rooftop Terrace with BBQ's

24hr security

Located at the corner of King st E and Church steps to the St Lawrence Market, Eaton Centre, Amazing restaurants, St James Park, King Subway station, Theatre's, 24hr grocery store.

Photos below are taken from the Canadian Living Website

92 King St E Apt 1006

1br - Furnished 1050 sq. ft - 1 bdrm, 1.5 bath, den (St. Lawrence Market)

St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood, Toronto, ON (Available: 04/01/11)

Suite Features:

• Boutique building

• 1 bedroom plus den, fully renovated

• 1.5 bath

• 1050 square feet

• Kitchen Aid appliances, high end fixtures and finishes

• South & North exposure

• View of St. James Park, Cathedral and Lake Ontario.

Walking distance to TT Available April 1st.

95 Lombard St.

So, did we choose the first one with the medium price, outstanding rooftop deck/killer views, older kitchen appliances, true second bedroom?

Or…the second one with the designer furnishings and renovation but not our taste, rent at the high end of our budget, cool fireplace, tiny second bedroom?

Or…the third one with great views in three directions, powder room instead of a second bath, lowest rent of the three, solarium instead of a true second bedroom, cable and internet included?

For the reveal you will need to go to our new blog. http://ouryearintoronto.blogspot.com/

We will show you all the answer and new photos there in a couple of weeks.