Condos for Sale in Queen West, Toronto, ON

Queen West is one of those neighbourhoods that feels as if it’s straight out of a movie. Residents are consistently dressed to the nines, even when simply strolling around on a Saturday afternoon. Everyone knows that Toronto condos for sale here are very desirable, but seeing as Queen West covers such a large area of the city, it helps to understand the neighbourhood in terms of its distinctive sections.

Beginning in the east, from University to Spadina, is any shopper’s heaven. Visitors will find countless brand-name shops like the Gap and Lululemon, and a handful of independent boutiques and specialty shops as well. Steves Music Store is one of the best places in the city to make instruments and other music-related purchases. Then there’s the Black Market, a thrift shop like no others, where shopping for Halloween costumes can turn into quite the adventure.

However one of the most notable buildings on this stretch of Queen West is hardly commercial at all. Bell Media Queen Street (formerly called the CHUM-City Building), situated on the southeast corner of Queen and John, serves as the headquarters for Bell Media. Architecture buffs will swoon over the neo-gothic edifice that’s been around since 1919, while television fanatics can attend tapings of the Marilyn Dennis Show or the Social. The MuchMusic Video Awards are also held here annually, during which time Queen is shut down for a massive street party.

A little further west, between Spadina and Bathurst, is a strip of Queen West that’s frequented by designers. Tons of affordable, jam-packed textile shops line the street here, along with a number of bead and jewelry supply stores.

Last but not least, the section of Queen West between Bathurst and Dovercourt has a moniker of its own: West Queen West. This stretch of Queen was ranked one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world by Vogue magazine in 2014, and has only become trendier since. Those looking for Queen West condos for sale with views of Trinity Bellwoods Park or access to some of the best brunch spots in town will want to stick to this part of the neighbourhood when searching for a home.

Although we’ve just described the Queen West neighbourhood based on the offerings on Queen Street itself, the neighbourhood in fact covers much more ground than just one major street. The Queen West neighbourhood also consists of the streets just north of Queen, and stretches as far south as Adelaide.

With condos for sale in Queen West in such high demand, it’s a good thing this area is filled with over 50 condos. What’s more, there are currently plenty of pre-construction buildings to choose from, and many more are expected to appear in the near future.

The majority of the Queen West condos for sale can be found south of Queen Street. However, there are a few good options for those who prefer to live a little farther north, such as 170 Spadina Condos, 12 Degrees at 15-27 Beverley Street, and the One Six Nine Lofts at 169 John Street.

Two crowd favourites in the neighbourhood — revered for both their history and their proximity to Trinity Bellwoods — are the Chocolate Company Lofts at 955 Queen West and The Candy Factory Lofts at 993 Queen West. The former occupies the disused factory once owned by the Patterson Candy Company, plus some soft lofts were added to the building during its 2005 conversion. The latter, on the other hand, is filled with hard lofts and nothing else. The building, which was once home to the Ce De Ce Candy Company, has been standing on Queen West since the 1930s.

Car ownership is most definitely not a prerequisite for those planning to purchase a condo for sale in Queen West. Not only is the neighbourhood highly walkable, but it’s well serviced by the TTC as well. Residents living in the easternmost part of the neighbourhood can simply walk to Osgoode Station in order to hop onto subway trains heading north and south along the University-Spadina line. Anyone living closer to Dovercourt, on the other hand, can use the Queen West streetcar to reach the subway. Even cyclists are in luck, as both Adelaide and Richmond are equipped with bike lanes.

As for drivers, Richmond and Adelaide are probably the best bet for those heading east and west within the immediate area. Traffic on these one-way streets is lighter, thanks to the fact that streetcars don’t use these roadways. Those heading out on lengthier journeys can head south in order to reach the Gardiner Expressway in just minutes. From here, drivers can head east toward the Don Valley Parkway, or west in order to transfer onto the 427.

The Locals: Trendy.

Code of Conduct: Residents of Queen West will have to learn to love window shopping if they plan to save any part of their pay cheques.

What You’ll Find: All the stores you’d expect in a shopping mall, plus local, one-off boutiques.

What You Won’t Find: Large, detached, single-family homes.

The Homes: A healthy mix of contemporary condos and authentic hard lofts.

Sealing the Deal: The vibrancy.