The Rise of Boutique Condos in the GTA

It goes without saying that the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) condo market has been hot in recent years, specifically in downtown Toronto. One thing we did notice this year though is the growing popularity of “boutique condos.”

What exactly is a boutique condo? It’s just like a regular condo, except it’s smaller and has fewer units. Typically, a boutique condo would be a mid-rise building. It seems like it took a few years of people being really excited about condo living for the industry to realize that there are also a lot of people who want to live downtown Toronto, but not in a high-rise. Another reason boutique condos have become attractive is because of the sense of community that they promote. The fewer units there are, the better the chance that everyone will get to know one another - there just seems to be a better opportunity to establish a tight knit community, and to some, that’s very important.

So, we would like to take this opportunity to highlight a few boutique condos that opened or launched this year. Listed below are a few memorable boutique condos that are currently in the preconstruction phase (in no particular order):

LINK Via Adi Development Group

LINK Condos + Towns by Adi Development Group

At the very beginning of the year, Adi Development opened the doors to LINK Condos + Towns for the preview opening. In late 2013, Adi hosted the family and friends event and over 300 people attended, so the preview opening was expected to be a huge success, and it was. Located at Dundas and Sutton, Adi is meeting a strong demand for condo living that was previously being unfulfilled. The boutique condo attracted not only Burlington residents in search for the condo lifestyle, it also attracted investors who recognized how great an opportunity it was to get in on the ground floor of a new era of condo development in the city. A few months ago in the fall, Adi launched LINK2 ahead of schedule, and are currently selling authentic lofts, garden villas, and condo units.

Jazz Condos Via Branthaven Homes

Jazz Condos by Branthaven Homes  

Before jumping into the new downtown Toronto condos, let’s take a look at this other boutique condo going up in Burlington. Jazz Condos is a four-storey residence planned for a neighbourhood near Burlington’s prized waterfront. The one- and two-bedroom units sold quickly at the grand opening last October, and there are only a few units remaining today. Like Adi’s LINK development, Jazz Condos is fulfilling a need for condo living in Burlington, just in a different neighbourhood. If you’re looking for a boutique condo near the water, then you should probably look into Jazz Condos today!

90 Niagara - via Fieldgate Homes

90 Niagara by Fieldgate Homes

One of the most popular boutique condos in Toronto right now is probably 90 Niagara. Located near Wellington and Bathurst, just south of all the spas, restaurants, bars, and clubs of the King West neighbourhood, 90 Niagara has been the talk of the town. There are just 45 units at 90 Niagara, consisting of condo units, two-storey lofts, and urban townhomes. As you can see in the rendering above, outdoor terrace space was very important when conceiving the design. 90 Niagara will fit into the neighbourhood perfectly, and has already attracted many young professionals and couples looking for a distinct downtown living experience. Make sure you check out the remaining units today and browse the latest release!

Zigg Condos - via Fieldgate Homes

Zigg Condos by Fieldgate Homes and Madison Homes

Zigg Condos is another boutique condo by Fieldgate, and Madison Homes is involved in this one as well. The developers started collecting registrations earlier this year and plan to preview the condo early 2015. Located at St. Clair and Avenue Road in Toronto, the project has received a lot of attention thanks to it’s interesting design inspired by a ziggurat. Fieldgate and Madison recently released new suite renderings, which you can see here. If you’re interested in receiving new information and priority invites for Zigg Condos, register today!

Enigma - via Aragon Properties

Enigma on the Park by Aragon Properties

Speaking of interesting designs, Enigma on the Park is bringing some style to Bloordale Village in Toronto. The exterior isn’t the only interesting thing about Enigma; there are 86 loft-style units and townhomes, and 56 unique floorplans! It’s pretty rare to find a new condo with this much variety. The Enigma presentation centre is now open, so act now. If you’re looking for a condo that doesn’t need to be tall to stand out, then this is a great choice.

DIVA Condo - via Torbel Group

DIVA Condo by Torbel Group

Torbel Group’s DIVA Condo is one of North York’s newest boutique condos. DIVA Condo will rise to nine storeys and feature a modern design, composed of brick, steel, glass, and precast. There will be many three-bedroom units at DIVA, all of which will be 1,100 square feet or larger (the largest reaching 1,360 square feet). The sales centre opened recently, so you can learn more about DIVA in person by visiting 1038 Sheppard Avenue West.

AquaBlu - via Homes By DeSantis

AquaBlu by Homes By DeSantis

The last boutique condo we want to highlight is Homes By DeSantis’ AquaBlu development in Grimsby. Homes By DeSantis just started collecting registrations last month and the preview opening is scheduled for spring 2015. The five-storey condo will feature a three-storey commercial section and four two-storey townhomes. The most exciting part about AquaBlu is that it is being built close to Grimsby’s waterfront, so now those looking for the condo lifestyle without a dense urban location have another great option!

These are just a few of the boutique condos underway. We expect to see many of these start construction very soon, and we are confident that there will be many more launching in 2015 since developers are now allowed to build up to six storeys high with wood material.

Stay tuned to the Newinhomes.com Blog in the new year - we’ll be keeping a close eye on all of these exciting boutique condos!