NESTING INSTINCT
Hillcrest Village is taking wing, with new restaurants, art spaces — and a love of dance
There’s no better way to chart a community’s chumminess than by eavesdropping, and on this July day in Hillcrest Village, Jack Winberg is having a friendly discussion about steaks with Ben Latchford inside Mr. Latchford’s butchery, Roast, on St. Clair West.
Opened six months ago, the retro-modern shop, with pressed-tin ceiling and red pendant lights, beautifully distracts with its enticingly packaged goods, including a row of handcrafted maple syrup. There are also, of course, contenders for the barbecue — Berkshire pork, short rib burgers, lamb loin and sausages invitingly draped on a rack. Oh, the sausages!
Eventually, the upshot of the conversation is that some of Roast’s steaks are as dark as eggplants because they’re vacuum-packed.
As Mr. Winberg heads for the door, Mr. Latchford calls out: “If someone buys a condo, they get a free steak!” (It’s true.)
Mr. Winberg of the Rockport Group is the developer behind the nine-storey condo — The Nest (thenestcondos.com) — that has its sales centre next door. Such camaraderie, Mr. Winberg says, is typical of Hillcrest Village.
He believes the area is one of the city’s bestkept secrets — a truth the locals know well. “We’ve been here since February and have had a wonderful response,” Mr. Winberg says of the 122-unit condo with prices starting in the low$200,000s. Set to open in 2016, the building is by RAW Design, with landscaping by Janet Rosenberg, and boasts an appealing stacked-box shape. Residents will be able to enjoy gas-equipped balconies (for that free Roast steak), plug-ins for electric cars and geothermal heating. “We’ve sold almost 40% of the project, predominately to owner/occupiers in the area,” Mr. Winberg says. “The response has been fantastic.”
Hillcrest Village wasn’t always a winner. The construction of the dedicated St. Clair streetcar lane between 2005 and 2010 made it synonymous with traffic — a congested area to be avoided at all costs. But walk around today and you can feel its lively energy in the populated streets. “I see the avenue spreading a lot going farther west in the next five years,” says Ted van der Schilden, a sales rep for Nest, who says business owners and homeowners have been extremely welcoming.
Those unfamiliar with Hillcrest say it feels European, he says. “There’s a real streetscape — people are talking to each other, there are dog bowls outside — this feels like a real community.”
Creative culinary types are also adding flavour to the scene. Lower commercial rents compared with other parts of the city have attracted them here. Tom Davis — one of the first guys on the strip to kick off the ’hood’s renaissance — opened The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder in 2009, a diner-style joint that turns out some of the city’s tastiest fried chicken. Other newcomers: Pukka (an Indian restaurant), Baker and Scone (they carry 40 kinds of the biscuit), Catch (a seafood haunt) and The Rushton (a French bistro, owned by the same people as nearby stalwart Ferro).
To the south of St. Clair, the multifaceted complex Artscape Wychwood Barns has been luring crowds — not just locals — since it opened. It’s the site of The Stop, a greenhouse and excellent farmers’ market (veggies for that steak); park and playground, beach volleyball court, summer Brewery Market and host to studios and art happenings.
“When I was looking for a space [for Roast], I always had my eye on St. Clair West,” Mr. Latchford says. “It’s awesome and up-and-coming, with condos going up everywhere, and it’s young. Every other customer who walks through the door has a stroller or a couple of kids.”
Gentrification aside, St. Clair hasn’t abandoned its Latin roots. If you happen to be on the strip today or tomorrow, you may find yourself mamboing with the masses for Salsa St. Clair, a rambunctious street party inspired by Miami’s famous “Calle Ocho” (the biggest Hispanic festival in the U.S.).
“There are lots of fairs in Toronto — this one differs because everyone is actually dancing on the streets,” says Bruna Aloe, communications manager at Telelatino Network. Once a predominately Latin crowd “it has bloomed into a mainstream event — the love of Latino culture is growing,” she enthuses.
By 2016, when the Nest is ready for residents, it’s a sure bet Hillcrest Village will continue to be an invigorating ’ hood to watch. But will the condo be fashionable?
The aesthetic challenges of designing projects that take years to come to market is making sure they’re relevant, says Nest designer Dan Menchions of II By IV Design. One way he does that: “Don’t design trendy,” he says.
“I call these palettes classic with a contemporary edge,” Mr. Menchions says of the four suite looks he chose for the Nest. “Meaning, there are wonderful contemporary details and finishes but more classic in the colouration.”
Or in other words nice neutrals — soft greys, white and creams that are easy to live with.
Not that you’ll be spending all of your time at home. Cha-cha-cha!