A WELCOME COMMUNITY ADDITION
Family-friendly Leaside welcomes luxury condominium development
Located in south Leaside in Toronto, Leaside Manor is a luxury boutique condominium complementing this upper- middle- class neighbourhood known for its tidy homes on tree- lined streets and wholesome community life. Recently released to the market, Leaside Manor is the newest offering of luxury home- builder Shane Baghai Group of Companies. It features an exclusive collection of only 39 suites, with prices starting from the low $1 millions. Large two- bedroom-plus- den and three- bedroom- plus- den designs let purchasers live in Leaside in family- size homes in a convenient condo setting.
Shane Baghai was familiar with the 3 Southvale Drive address, which was formerly the site of an antique store that he and his wife often visited. “This site was chosen by my wife, who clocked the time to Bay and Bloor at 10 minutes, and she travelled the same 10 minutes to the Bayview and Lawrence area,” Baghai says. “She saw this as a place that would be ideal for people who wanted to sell their family homes yet still live in Leaside. I had to agree that we had a great opportunity to do something wondrous with this piece of land, when it became available.”
Leaside Manor, in fact, improves the curb appeal and entranceway of the neighbouring Leaside Memorial Community Gardens, which is now visible when travelling down Millwood Road, and in front of the arena there is public space f or a completely transformed street corner. A focal point of the community, for more than 60 years, Leaside Memorial Community Gardens offers a double-pad ice rink, an indoor pool, curling club, a board room and banquet facilities.
Further north, the Trace Manes Park has a baseball diamond, tennis courts, a playground, a wading pool and a Toronto Public Library. Although he was under no obligation to do so, Shane Baghai donated $250,000 to the Trace Manes playground rejuvenation project. In addition, he donated an additional $50,000 to the Leaside BIA.
“Sometimes, developers don’t listen to the concerns of the community, but Shane Baghai really did listen and made a few changes to meet the wishes of Leaside residents,” says Jon Burnside, Toronto councillor for Ward 26, Don Valley West. “This is the first time I’ve seen a new development project that has been endorsed so enthusiastically by the community.”
Leaside Manor’s ideal location gives residents easy access to plenty of greenspa- ce and hiking trails, such as Leaside Park, ET Seton Park and the vast Don Valley Trail network. TTC buses go right by the building and residents have quick access to the Bloor/Danforth line and Yonge Street line for a total commute time to downtown of only 15 minutes.
The proposed Eglinton LRT will also open up a speedy east/west transportation route. Motorists are close to the DVP and major arteries, including Bayview Avenue, Eglinton Avenue and Yonge Street.
With a SmartCentre located on the east side of Laird Dr., shopping is within walking distance. The retail plaza offers banks, a dental office, a LCBO, restaurants and big- box shopping, including Home Depot and Urban Barn. There is a Sobeys, Longos and Bulk Barn and a new Walmart and Organic Garage are coming to the neighbourhood. Favourite haunts include Olde Yorke Fish & Chips and a second Leaside location of Amsterdam BrewHouse is coming to Laird Drive. Residents are also close to the boutique stores on Bayview Avenue, and the East York Town Centre is just a fourminute drive away.
“Laird Drive is in a state of transition, moving from what was once an industrial area to a street with new re- tail development,” Burnside says. “In the next 10 years, the street will become very pedestrian- friendly, with more revitalization on the west side. As development comes in, we can expect to see the widening of sidewalks and new stores, restaurants and outdoor patio spaces.”
For Burnside, who grew up in Leaside, nostalgia and tradition are part of the appeal of the neighbourhood. “In many ways, Leaside is very traditional,” he says. “There’s a boys baseball league that’s been running for 50 years. The area is changing to be more of an up-scale neighbourhood, but it still has a community feel. There is still a huge amount of parental involvement in schools and the community, and small businesses are very active in sponsoring local sports teams. The community vibe is largely intact, with Leaside still very much a close- knit village within the GTA.”
Sometimes, developers don’t listen to the concerns of the community, but Shane Baghai really did listen.