For our first adventure through one of the Greater Toronto Area’s neighbourhoods, we chose King West, one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods in Toronto’s downtown core.

King West on WalkScore.com

WalkScore.com places “King West” in the Bay Street Corridor neighbourhood, and gives it a score of 98 out of a possible 100. The score is based on the amenities around University and King, but we’re willing to argue that the convenience and beauty of King West continues from Yonge all the way to Bathurst and beyond. For the sake of our King West feature, our boundaries are Yonge and Bathurst.

What’s so great about King West?

The interesting thing about King West is that it never used to be considered its own neighbourhood. King St. West runs through many different districts in Toronto’s core, including the Financial District, the Entertainment District, the Fashion District, and many more if you continue further east or west. This is one of the reasons that condo developers have targeted the area.

King West is famous for its electric nightlife, gourmet restaurants, and cafes. With all the new condos that have popped up, King West now features grocery options, drugstores, and even more of the previously mentioned amenities.

Some attractions along King West include Canada’s Walk of Fame, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, and Roy Thomson Hall. Although there are many office towers, King West still features a few historical buildings, such as St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.

Another reason King West has been a target for condo developers is the Streetcar route: the 504 runs from Broadview to Dundas West Station, linking the city from east to west. Also, the Yonge/University subway connects at St. Andrew Station at University, and at King Station at Yonge.

Now that there are so many condos either built, under construction, or in the planning process, King West has become its own neighbourhood. Granted, the actual boundaries of “King West” are debatable, but we thought starting with this neighbourhood would be a great way to show how Toronto is growing as a whole. Neighbourhoods are meshing, creating new and larger areas, thereby forming a more connected city.

Condos in King West

Listed below are a few condos that are either under construction or in the preconstruction phase. Keep in mind that all of these are directly on King St. West or very nearby, and these are just the ones between our borders of Yonge and Bathurst (with the exception of 88 Scott, which is half a block east of Yonge).

Preconstruction:

88 Scott by Concert Properties

Mirvish+Gehry by Mirvish

King Blue Condos by Easton’s Group

401 King St. Condos

Under Construction:

Theatre Park by Lamb Developments

The Mercer by Graywood and Beaverhall

Bisha Hotel and Residences by Lifetime Developments and INK Entertainment

King Charlotte by Lamb Developments

Fashion House by Freed Developments

Thompson Residences by Freed Developments

For more photos of the King West neighbourhood, check out our Facebook album!

Stay tuned - we’ll be visiting another neighbourhood later this week!