1169 Queen Street W & 1171 Queen Street W

Okay, we admit it, the Bohemian Embassy isn’t all that bohemian, nor is it an actual embassy. Rather, the soft lofts at 1169 & 1171 Queen Street West are curiously modern and sleek for a building with their name.

This two-part building is made up of a mid-rise portion at 1169 Queen Street West, along with a tower over at 1171 Queen West that reaches to 19 storeys high. Basically taking over the entire block, the soft lofts at 1169 & 1171 Queen Street West are divided into 364 homes that attract all types of urban buyers. And even following some delays in its completion due to financial and legal concerns, by 2011 development was sold out and filled with happy homeowners.

Perhaps the Pemberton Group chose the title of the Bohemian Embassy Flats and Lofts for its ode to Little Portugal and the surrounding neighbourhood of Queen West, which is chock-full of some of the most artistic, creative, and trendsetting individuals in the city. Another theory is that the building was named for a 1960s book series, which is equally believable considering its bright, minimalist aesthetics.

While maintenance fees are notably high at 1169 & 1171 Queen West, these payments are balanced by lower prices compared to neighbouring buildings, as well as a robust rainy day fund and a wide array of amenities. Residents living in the building have access to a gym and sauna, a cinema, meeting room, party room, and rooftop terrace with barbecues, visitor parking, guest suites, and a concierge and security guard.

The suites maintain a modern overall feel, while raw details are just plentiful enough to satisfy anyone searching for toronto lofts, rather than a standard condo. In fact, these lofts are anything but cookie-cutter, from their floor-to-ceiling windows and multi-storey layouts to their state-of-the-art kitchens. Concrete columns can also be found in many of these homes, providing support and style at the same time.

And while all of the homes at 1169 & 1171 Queen West are brighter than the average condo, the expansive use of glass in corner units are especially efficient at allowing natural sunlight to travel throughout these particular lofts. Also adding to the sense of space afforded to these homes are the ceiling heights, which reach to 10 feet tall.

Units vary in size at the Bohemian Embassy, in order to suit a variety of needs. The more humble homes begin at around 500 square feet, with more palatial lofts reaching to approximately 1,600. As mentioned, certain lofts span two storeys, creating an additional sense of privacy by locating bedrooms overhead. Especially impressive are the penthouses that contain up to three bedrooms and three bathrooms, ideal for families or for those planning to work from home.

While a great majority of toronto condos for sale are equipped with balconies, some are more jealousy inducing than others. Corner units boast balconies that wrap around two sides of the building, while penthouse balconies in the tower at 1171 Queen West offer sweeping views of downtown Toronto.

The area surrounding was, at one point, the epitome of undercover cool. Then Vogue Magazine came along in 2014 and named West Queen West one of the hippest neighbourhoods in the world. While this certainly isn’t a bad thing, nor is it undeserved, the area has since become busier than can be.

With Little Portugal, residents living at the Bohemian Embassy are able to explore the traditional foods of a long-standing Toronto community. These neighbourhood institutions now intermingle with independent galleries, juiceries, art hotels, snack bars, and cafés.

Located in the southwest corner of downtown Toronto, residents of the Bohemian Embassy Flats and Lofts are ideally situated for travel within and outside of the city. Drivers can make use of Dufferin or Queen to get around the immediate vicinity, while Jameson Avenue offers access to the quick-moving Gardiner Expressway. From here, a quick trip up the 427 means even a trip to Pearson International Airport takes only about 20 minutes.

Those without cars will find the streetcar route along Queen Street especially practical. This service runs 24 hours a day, and provides access to Osgoode and Queen Stations, on the Yonge-Univeristy-Spadina line. North-south commuters, on the other hand, will appreciate the bus service along Dufferin, as well as the 63 Ossington bus that makes its way from Liberty Village to Eglinton West station, and back.