Trying to make light of a serious subject like crackheads, I give you: Dave Chappelle making a peanut-butter and crack sandwich! See below…
I had a rather interesting experience yesterday with a couple of clients who decided against purchasing a condo in a “transitional” area once they were welcomed by the local residents…
As I type this, I’m asking myself, “Should I even be using the word crack on my blog? Is this something that I might regret?”
Topics for the week: small living spaces, first-time-buyers, kitchen backsplash, waterfront condos, and CRACK…
Thought about it….still wanna write it…
Matt and Kelly have been looking for a hard-loft for the better part of six months.
We’ve been in a few multiple-offer situations and come away unsuccessful, and we’ve put the search on hold a couple of times while they ironed out their job situations and hunkered down to give their housing goals some serious thought.
It seemed as if we’d been in every hard loft in the city, and then a new unit came out in the east end.
Since this unit hasn’t sold and the deal hasn’t closed yet, I’m going to be intentionally vague about the building and the area. I think that’s only fair to the seller, the listing agent, and the residents.
This unit came onto the market last week at $399,000 and it was exactly what Matt & Kelly have been looking for. It just wasn’t in the right area.
They’ve been looking primarily in the King/Queen West neighbourhoods, as well as West-Queen-West, ie. the area west of Dufferin Street that is becoming increasingly trendy.
I told Matt that this same unit, all 1150 square feet of it, might fetch around $599,000 if it were at the Chocolate Lofts across from Trinity Bellwoods Park.
But in its current locale, and in March of 2010, this unit was worth “around” the asking price of $399,000; perhaps slightly more in this hot market.
I emailed the listing to Matt and the first thing I did was say that the area is “transitional” and I expect it to be a hot-spot down the road. What every person thinks of “transitional” could be different depending on their own definition.
I’ve been saying for years that “every great area in the city is just a stone’s throw from a bad one.”
I live at King & Sherbourne amidst a plethora of stroller-pushing, Starbucks-drinking, Lu-Lu-wearing youngsters who window shop for $2,800 end tables at stores like Grange or Triannon.
But just three blocks north lies Moss Park and all the crack that money can buy!
Matt and Kelly met me on Saturday to look at the unit for the first time, and they were sold as soon as they walked through the front door.
You’ll have to take my word for it: the unit was spectacular. The sheer amount of open space was only heightened by the presence of 12-foot ceilings, and the entire west wall of the condo was all original red brick.
We talked numbers, and Matt and Kelly told me that they’d be willing to pay significantly over the asking price when offers were reviewed on Monday. I had Matt speak with my mortgage broker, and we were off to the races.
On Monday afternoon, I had arranged to meet the happy couple at the building for a final viewing and to sign the papers.
As soon as I walked up to them on the sidewalk, I could tell something was wrong.
Maybe it was the tears in Kelly’s eyes that gave it away.
Or perhaps the look of pure shock on Matt’s face.
Kelly summed it up perfectly when I arrived: “No, nuh-uh, no way….this ain’t happening.”
For a moment there, I had a flashback of the first time I tried to kiss a girl, but then I came to my senses…
It seems that Matt and Kelly had an interesting experience before I arrived!
They were standing on the sidewalk for about ten minutes, marveling at their soon-to-be home from the outside, when a friendly stranger approached.
Shaggy, disheveled, and dirty, he asked Matt, “What’s up mother-#*@&? You wanna fight? Huh? Is you lookin’ for trouble?”
A very mild-mannered Matt did the shoulder check – wondering if perhaps this man was talking to somebody else. But he and Kelly were the only people within spitting distance (no pun, all fun!), and clearly this derelict wanted a piece of Matt.
Not knowing whether to run, hide, or both, Matt and Kelly backed off until the man added “Kick your ass! I’ll kick your ass!” And then walked off.
As if on cue, I entered the picture all of twenty seconds later, with my super-salesperson grin:
“Hey-hey, happy young couple! You look fan-tastic; have you lost weight? Done something new with your hair? Today’s a grrrrrrreat day to buy a condo! Is it just me or the sun shining a little bit brighter on the spot we’re standing?”
To my surprise, Matt and Kelly told me what had just happened, and clearly they were completely turned off by the area and its, shall we say, “demographic.”
We knew what we were getting ourselves into, but perhaps not to that extent!
It’s one thing to drive through the problem spots on your way to the condo; it’s another to have the problem accost you on the street as you are about ten minutes from signing an offer!
Transitional areas are exactly that; they are in the midst of changing, presumably from bad to good, and you have to accept the current state of the area in order to reap the rewards of the future potential.
I see this area being a very trendy spot in 3-5 years, and it has cleaned up some in the past few years as well.
But for Matt and Kelly, being scared-to-wits by a crackhead at noon on a Monday was just too much to accept the risk/reward proposition…
JG
at 7:33 am
LOL!!!!
I live at Sherbourne and Wellesley area – for those in the know, well…you’ll know.
I woke up one early morning to the sounds of moans and groans coming from the sidewalk – my window over looks it. (2 stories up) I tried to ignore it for as long as I could before frustration drove me to finally peek outside to see what was going on.
Down below there are a few cop cars, an ambulance, and a lady (looked like a crack head) lying on the ground covered in blood – hers i presumed – moaning and groaning, while the cops were handcuffing a shirtless guy who was also covered in blood!!!
Guess all the moaning and groaning was coming from her because she must have been stabbed numerous times!!!
And my only thought was, damn!! I should have looked out the window sooner!!! I missed a lot of the action.
I see it as the price I pay for having $475 rent! in a “transitional” area.
The Verve is right beside me offering condo’s for $500k!! Yet there is this.
calico cate
at 8:50 am
I can sympathize totally with Matt and Kelly. Many years ago, I had a wonderful flat near Avenue Road and Lawrence. Eventually, a very trendy bar/restaurant opened next door. I suppose it was too far for the gents to go down the stairs to the washrooms and most nights, before they got into their cars, they would do their business on my sweet little car. A few of them even came into the building and baptized the front and back lobbies (the bedroom was right off the back entrance and I could hear every trickle, cuss word and groan). It was a scary time and I was really annoyed that my little piece of heaven was violated in such a way. Matt and Kelly were smart to walk away.
buk
at 9:17 am
Joe Rogan, there’s something you don’t know about me…I smoke rocks!
Andy
at 9:37 am
I don’t really get a sense of where exactly that interaction happened. I live exactly in that same neighbourhood, and, as you noted, it varies greatly from street to street.
The problem is, if it’s south of Queen, I am kinda on the same side with you about where it will go. If it is north of Queen or at least close to Queen – well, not so much.
Let’s take Jarvis. Right north of Jarvis/Adelaide there’s a Salvation Army mission. In that neighbourhood, we have a series of centres, rehabs and other institutions that generally create the same populance – and, unlike, say, in the relatively downscale housing projects west of Cabbagetown area or series of coops along the Esplanade, the clientelle is not poor – it’s outright addicted. The second problem is that even if the city sells Moss Park project (I believe it can be lobbied), it’s much harder to do so with the non-municipal missions.
The second problem is that, as far as expansion to the east is concerned, there are paths of much lesser resistance. Even at your King/Sherbourne intersection, there is a potential for development if they do something as easy as develop the Acura dealership at lower Sherbourne. Towards the Don river along King or south of King there are tons of potential lots with an easy access to streetcar and an already existing core in form of Distillery district – and more is coming.
In general, I tend to view area north of Adelaide in a sort of evolutional cul-de-sac: it already exhausted the potential of being close to Young, but there are better options for further development at this very moment.
fidel
at 9:48 am
I lived in the queen & dufferin area for 5+ years, this was a regular occurence. I would often leave the building having to push aside people smoking crack in the stairwell and had my car broken into every couple of months, but that being said that wouldn’t prevent me from moving back to the area.
West Queen West has a certain charm, I live on the harbourfront now and miss the craziness and constant noise, but at the same time I haven’t had to buy a replacement window for my car in a few years
BobbyV
at 10:07 am
you’ll never clean up an area littered with shelters and mission churches on every corner…… this area is the armpit of TO and it won’t change anytime soon. I know the property you’re referring to and it’s a stone’s throw from Moss Park so it would have been a absolute comedy if they bought the place and decided to take leisurely walk late at night one day and accidentally stumbled onto George St on a warm summer evening ….. that will be a Walk to Remember.
Meh
at 11:02 am
An area that transitions will likely lose a lot of the lower income people and trendy bars/restaurants/shops will probably open.
However, the homeless are likely there to stay, as they don’t care that property prices have increased 50%.
Look at areas that have long arrived such as east of yonge. 700,000$ Victorians, with homeless all over the place.
They made the right choice; never assume an area is going to change to what you want. It may, but most likely it won’t. Make sure it’s what you what when you buy.
BobbyV
at 12:41 pm
South of King is a bit better (but not exactly a walk in the park either)….. personally anything north of King is so entrenched in poverty that the issues are deeply rooted and can never ever be changed unless the City does a complete overhaul of the area. Many don’t realize this but the number of shelters and missions are so highly concentrated in this area that it doesn’t really matter how the much gentrification new home buyers/investors in the area want to believe ……. it won’t happen for a long long time if ever.
McBloggert
at 3:27 pm
I am pretty much lock-step with those that say a major barrier to getting rid of the less savoury transitional elements, lets call that the unstable human element? Is something rooted in the existing infrastructure. If you have homeless shelters, drug and mental rehabilitation centres and other such community and public works, you are not going to get rid of that human element, because they are being serviced by the very community you want to live in. I think you have to dilute it and spread it around (move a shelter here, a treatment facility there) and not ghettoize an area.
I would say I live in an area that is mid-transition. It has retained a lot of bohemian character that makes it appealing to its denizens, but isn’t too stabby. Sure there are homeless people around, but this is Toronto, they’re everywhere. Yes there are the occasional rows in front of the LCBO, but the focus of these fights is usually about squatters’ rights and who has the best position to capture the exiting clientele. I have never felt in danger and there is always pedestrian traffic around, which makes me feel safe.
The area has a few homeless shelters and churches that open their doors at night to the homeless, but not an overabundance of other services that support a transient community. The area is also sandwiched between pockets of commerce, affluence and transportation infrastructure, all of which work together to keep a good balance between the aforementioned transients and bumbling, professional, espresso drinking inhabitants (guiltily patron).
McBloggert
at 3:30 pm
Oh I should clarify one thing. When I said “who has the best position to capture the exiting clientele” in reference to pan-handler fights, I didn’t mean they would actually capture the clientele…I meant, capture there change, minor distinction…
"matt"
at 3:38 pm
You can put all the $500/sqft boutique condos you want, but the area will never “gentifry”. With a shelter across the street, a methadone clinic down the block and public housing around the corner, how will the demographics of the area ever change? Unless you intend to expropriate the residents the area will never transition. All you are doing is diluting the % of crackheads by increasing the well-to-do population. Granted there will be a starbucks on some corner, but does that really mean transitioned???
LC
at 6:36 pm
Crazy people on the street is just part of downtown living, anywhere in the world. This couple sound like they should be looking in the suburbs instead.
destructicus
at 6:55 pm
I rent at Bathurst and Eglinton in a slum known as Forrest Hill. The area is constantly swarming with cops (guarding the temples on Saturdays, escorting funeral services, and ticketing speeders). Okay… I can’t keep the sarcasm going so I’ll ditch it.
It’s a super safe, well policed, upscale area with the best bagels in the city.
That doesn’t mean there’s never trouble. I was once interviewed by the cops when my neighbour’s tranny ex-roommate returned to claim rape after a failed attempt to steal things to sell for crack (no exaggeration). The guy in the basement apartment of my building spent half a year going to prison over the weekend, would openly express racist sentiments to me often, and once drunkenly tried to pick a fight with me in the laundry room.
Forrest Hill.
The only places anybody has ever tried to mug me in this city have been in Moore Park and Rosedale. Through all these stories I’ve never been hurt, and I’ve never lost any money or personal property. I kept calm, showed respect, and talked the situations down.
My point is that every area has it’s trouble. But also that we’re talking about Toronto. Relative to many other cities Toronto is very safe. It’s in everybody’s best interest to learn how to deal with “crack heads” (show them unconditional respect as an equal) and you will avoid harm.
These clients had their feelings hurt. Unless you yourself are involved with the drugs, that’s about the worst that’s going to happen to innocent bystanders (unless you instigate the violence).
Too bad you lost the sale.
matt
at 9:13 am
The trouble is, most of the hard lofts in this city are in ‘transitional areas’.
Geoff
at 8:34 am
@ Matt – that’s because most of those ‘hard lofts’ used to be real factories which probably employed them in previous generations.