Archive for the ‘Photo Friday’ Category

Surprise Surprise… The Ford brothers have it all wrong again!  As I’m sure you’ve heard, the two have come up with all sorts of plans for Toronto’s Lower Don Lands.  I’m not even going to bother debating the stupidity of the ideas they’ve announced, but rather offer a different perspective of how to look at our waterfront issues.

This summer, I was fortunate enough to go out on the lake, not once…but twice!  The majority of my travels took me along the shore of the waterfront, from the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in the East to Snugs Harbour Restaurant in the West (Port credit). During both trips I was absolutely amazed at how beautiful Toronto is shaping up to be!  It’s hard to appricaite the beauty of the City while driving through it…but from the outside looking in, I got a TOTALLY different understanding!

So where am I going with all of this?  The Ford’s should be doing the same… looking at the waterfront from a different view. While researching for the River City development I learnt a lot about Waterfront Toronto and it’s role in redeveloping the Lower Dons area (You can read all about their mandate and plans here).  The most important thing to note is that Waterfront Toronto is made up of all three levels of government…meaning all three would have to agree with the plans Doug Ford has proposed.  I also learned that: “Waterfront Toronto has a 25-year mandate to transform 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of brownfield lands on the waterfront into beautiful, sustainable mixed-use communities and dynamic public spaces.”  And based on my own talks with people about Dougs plans… it’s looking like the majority aren’t that excited for his mega malls and Ferris wheels. Read the rest of this entry »

ATTENTION EVERYONE! Please add “planking” to the list of things to do in Toronto!!!

With so many unique structures, streets, parks and planters…I think it’s only a matter of time before the planking craze hits the City in a BIG way!  For those unfamiliar with the name of the game, allow me to share the rules.  Essentially all one has to do is take a photo of themselves lying face down with there arms firmly at the their sides…and as the name suggest, like a plank!

My mother was kind enough to demonstrate in the photo below:

Notice the great form she possesses while showing how easy the game can be played. Hands firmly at side, face down, with your back as straight as a board.  As a prop we used gardening soil and a picnic table.

My form is not as good as my mothers, but for illurstration purposes, I’ve included a photo of me planking with three simple guidelines to follow:

In an effort to jump start the craze, I’ll be running a contest open to anyone with a picture of themselves planking in Toronto!  To enter, send your photo to marksavel@gmail.com.  Please include where you took the picture as well as your contact info.  The contest runs until Friday July 29th, 2011.  Me and a panel of experienced plankers will be picking the best photo and rewarding them with a $100 gift certificate!  Check out photos of the latest plankers here.

The lawyers in my life wanted me to note that I have the right to change the rules at my discretion, and that by sending me your photo you give me the right to post them on my blog! So have fun, be safe, and get creative.

Happy Planking!

It’s become somewhat of PUG tradition to have their award ceremonies at the previous winners venue.  In 2010 the Royal Conservatory TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning won the people choice award for best Commercial and Institutional design… so this year the ceremony was held at the Koerner Hall Lobby!

I snuck out during the presentation to take a few shots of the venue!  Sometimes I look back at photos from the Toronto Archives, and am amazed at the incredible architecture our City once had… So when I see a building that merges the original structure into a new design, it’s guaranteed to get me excited.

While walking through the hallways, you’re able to see the back of the original building.

A glass wall wraps around the Koerner Hall Lobby, allowing light to shine through!

The brick was cleaned up, giving the original building a new lease on life!  On each level, balconies jut out allowing for an interesting vantage point over the extension!

I’ll definitely be making another trip back to the Conservatory to take more photos of this gorgeous building!

Receive a special cash discount for a limited time on all purchases in phase 1 and 2!  As part of Treviso’s VIP Realtor group I can exclusively offer my clients this promotion PLUS a N’Espresso coffee machine at closing!

On Sunday June 4th, Lanterra Developments held a community party for purchasers and residents in the Dufferin and Lawrence community!  The celebration was to mark a milestone for the development…ground breaking!!

I attended the event along with several friends and past purchasers! We were treated to free ice-cream, pizza and drinks (all of which somehow ended up on my shirt). Guests at the party were welcomed by an Italian band playing all the “tarantella” one could ask for!

Mid way through the party Lanterra partners, Barry Fenton and Mark Mandelbaum along with Anne Lambrou (VP of sales for Milborne Real Estate) participated in soil turning ceremony that continued inside with a speech on the success of Treviso Phase 1… did you know, the corner was once owned by Conrad Black? Read the rest of this entry »

Streetcar Developments has been really “digging” the City as of late with over 4 projects under construction… and a new one coming soon!  Corktown Phase 2 and 2 Gladstone are the closest to completion, with Trinity and SYNC lofts not to far behind.  On a recent trip to Queen East, I stopped by the site and took a few photos of the shoring and excavation going on at SYNC lofts…check more pics below!

There’s two things I love in life: the smell of fresh bread, and architects that aren’t afraid to try something different… put the two of them together and you have the perfect recipe for a “loaf” of fun!

Last night, the Ontario Bread Co. was transformed into a block party of sorts as RAW hosted their annual “thank you” event! Guests walked down a lane-way off of Ossington and were greeted by an ice cream truck serving up summer time favourites. The crowd was made up of many different circles including real estate developers, HGTV hosts, fashion bloggers, tweeters and area residents.

Loaves of bread hung from the ceiling while the DJ played to the crowd from the office. (note the employee to the right carrying on business as usual)

Read the rest of this entry »

Toronto got it’s first real taste of summer yesterday, and with it came a message from above! Claritin took to the sky and plastered it with a message of relief to suffering Torontonians with allergies…Live Claritin Clear Today.

Depending on where you were in the city, the message may have been upside down or even backwards! I was indoors at a conference during the arial graffiti show, but several people txt and emailed me with photos. The one above was taken downtown while the one below was from midtown.

… Will we be seeing more of these this summer?

A special thanks to Lauren for giving me the heads up on the YouTube video documenting the sky show!