February is almost gone, but here in Toronto that means Winter will still have a firm grip on the city until at least mid-April. With a Winter as long as ours it’s important to get out and enjoy it, whether through outdoor activities or indoor ones. Luckily, there’s so much going on in Toronto that there’s never a shortage of fun events, activities, exhibits and installations to keep you entertained until warm days are with us once again. Here are our top picks:

Keep it Local

Coming up this weekend – February 24-25, 2018 – is Bloor-Yorkville BIA’s annual Ice Fest  This annual festival takes place just around the corner in the Village of Yorkville Park along Cumberland St. Stop by for entertainment, refreshments and the main event: magnificent ice sculptures! Be sure to keep an eye out for Manulife Centre’s ice sculpture; this year’s theme is “Medieval Times” and we hear it will be the stuff of legend!

Beachside Art

Image via BlogTO 

You’re a University of Toronto student and you don’t want to live in the Annex

The west side of campus is only a few blocks away, and while the rent’s a bit more than you’d pay in the Annex, you’ll get so much more, like a games room, a library, an indoor pool, a fitness centre and the ability to catch a flick at the Cineplex Varsity & VIP Cinema in your slippers.

You work downtown

The TTC’s right here, but you can just as easily walk or bike downtown. Running errands is way easier here too because of Manulife Centre downstairs. You’d have a dry cleaner, a pharmacy, a grocery store and an LCBO in your building, not to mention a furniture shop, a convenience store and a post office. Oh, and Toronto’s first Eataly and Yorkville’s Over the Rainbow are slated to move in in 2019!

You’re done with the suburbs

Just want to pay your rent and enjoy your life in the city? This neighbourhood makes it easy.

Museums and art galleries are all around, the shopping’s fantastic on the Mink Mile and just north in Yorkville. And what the local restaurant scene lacks in density it more than makes up for in quality, like at The One Eighty upstairs here on the 51st floor. The chef’s talented, the dining room’s comfortable and elegant, and the view’s without a doubt the best in town.

You’re thinking of buying a home in Toronto but you’re not sure

Being right in the middle of the city puts you in walking distance from four great neighbourhoods to explore: Little Italy, Rosedale, Summerhill and the Annex. Or hop on either subway line and check out the rest. Although, the longer you live at Bay and Bloor, the more you’ll want to keep it close.

Have a look at our floor plans and give us a call at 416-961-4998.

Everything about living at 44 Charles was designed to be easy. The location makes it easy to enjoy the city. The amenities make it easy to live healthy. The Manulife Centre below us makes it easy to run errands, plan a date, catch a flick, stock your fridge and wine rack. And the underground parking makes winter so much easier.

We’ve added to the ease even further with pre-authorized payments for rent, which you can now sign up for in the property management office downstairs off the main lobby.

And if you sign up for Pre-Authorized Rent Payment by December 20th, you’ll be entered into a draw for one of three $250 Manulife Centre gift cards  perfect for last-minute holiday shopping, or holding onto until Eataly opens in 2019.

Why pre-authorize?
Well, for starters, you won’t have to remember to cut cheques. Your rent will be automatically withdrawn from your account every month. Easy.

It’ll also be far easier to manage your money because you won’t have to wait for your cheque to be cashed. On the first of every month, you’ll know exactly what you have.

And if you’re worried about us reaching into your account every month to withdraw money, you shouldn’t be. You’d preauthorize us to take the same amount every month (as in, we wouldn’t be allowed to take any more). And because it’s all done electronically, we don’t actually go into your account so it’s not like we’d be snooping around in there.

Pre-authorization is common practice these days. You may already have it set up for your phone or cable bills.

And should you decide to move, the pre-authorized payment is easy to cancel at any time. Again, just a quick visit to the property management office is all it would take.

The draw for the gift cards will happen on December 21st, which means you have three weeks to switch to pre-authorization. And once you switch, you’ll see how much easier it’ll be for you to pay your rent, balance your accounts and live even better at 44 Charles.

Our city expands out from the core. The more central you can find an apartment to rent in Toronto, the more access you have. That’s especially true if you’re on the subway line, and doubly so if you’re in the centre core where the two subway lines intersect.

That’s where we are. And for over 30 years, our residents have raved about the convenience of living where they do, and a few comments kept coming up.

Window shopping

They call our stretch of Bloor Street the Mink Mile because it’s lined with ultra-high-end boutiques including the new Hermes flagship store. Of course, Yorkville’s just north of Bloor and you could daydream through there all day. And on days where you need a different kind of escape, one of Toronto’s best movie theatres is just steps away at Manulife Centre.

Indoor winters

The buildings on the east side of Bay Street (including 44 Charles Street) are connected to the mid-town underground. Residents love that they can get to Yonge or Bay subway stations without going outside, and that they can get a lot of their shopping done without needing to bundle up. Of course, with Manulife Centre below us, our residents have it particularly good. And when Eataly arrives, they’ll have it really good.

Highway access

Routes to Rosedale Valley Road are just a few blocks away. It’s one of the easiest and fastest ways to cut across to the Don Valley Parkway, and by far the prettiest.

Incidentally, according to City of Toronto figures, congestion at around the Bayview/Bloor ramps is over 20 percent lighter in both directions so getting on and off the highway is rarely an issue. Our residents appreciate this, and also appreciate our underground parking lot with an in-house car detailer.

Long walks

The best of Toronto is accessible by foot from Bay and Bloor. North takes you to Yorkville/Cumberland and into Ramadan Park and mansion-lined Rosedale. East is the fun Yonge Street and the super-duper fun of Church Street. West is U of T, one of Canada’s premier universities (and university campuses), along with the tree-lined student village complete with cheap eats, great bars and energy. South is the core: the financial district, the CN Tower and many of Toronto’s biggest attractions and our beautiful lake.

Our residents also get to enjoy Toronto from the comfort of home. When you live in our high-rise tower you get to enjoy fabulous east, south and west views from the pool deck on the 51st floor!

Space to move

Crowded sidewalks aren’t a problem around here, mostly because of how wide the sidewalks are ¾ especially so on Bloor Street. The city recently completed a massive pedestrian experience enhancement project and we can absolutely feel the difference. Our residents come in and out on Charles Street, a pretty side street just south of Bloor. Here, there’s always room to stretch your arms.

Thinking about Bay and Bloor for your next home? Have a look at our floor plans and give us a call at 416-961-4998.

First, great choice. You couldn’t have picked a better city at a better time. Seriously, it’s absolutely booming here. You surely noticed all the construction. It’s everywhere. Heck, we’ve even got our own little project going on here on the block: bringing the first Eataly to town!

But this boom is so much more than what’s coming, because Toronto’s already an amazing place to live. Here’s why:

You’re going to eat so well in Toronto

There’s a vegan restaurant called Planta up the street from us. They replicate dishes like short ribs, sliders and crab cakes. It’s so innovative, which is so typical of Toronto’s food scene. All over town, chefs inspired by the diversity of the city are doing some pretty unique things. You can pick by trend, style or ethnicity (we’re still the world’s most multicultural city and you can taste it). Here’s BlogTO’s list of this season’s top 10 restos. Also, if you don’t know about BlogTO yet, you should bookmark it right now.

You’re going to love walking it off through Toronto

Toronto’s best enjoyed on foot, especially from where we are on Charles Street. In 45 minutes, you can take in the high-end Mink Mile (which includes our neighbours to the north Manulife Centre), stroll through the University of Toronto’s beautiful campus and make your way into dynamic Korea Town. If you walk south from our place for half an hour you’ll pass by Queen’s Park (where the Ontario Government sits), the Discovery District, and then you’ll find yourself on trendy Queen West. No matter where you are in town, you’ll have the same experience because neighbourhoods spill into each other here. And everybody gets along.

You’re going to have something to do all the time.

Theatre. Film. Art. Sport. Food. All of it’s on full display in the city, most of it’s walkable from where we are at Bay and Bloor, and if it’s not, the subway’s accessible to 44 Charles without even having to go outside. But our residents have told us that the best deal for this kind of stuff is three blocks away at the University of Toronto. They put on fantastic showcases all the time, and Varsity Stadium’s one of the best spots in the city to catch a game.

And you’re going to love it here

We look after each other. We value our green spaces and keep them clean. We brave the winter together. We make it easy to live downtown, and easier to enjoy everything the city has to offer.