1.2K 
We recently were given a tour of Urban Capital Property Group and ALIT Developments' Nicholas Residences, a 35-storey, Core Architects and Goldsmith Borgal and Company Architects-designed condominium tower now topped off on St. Mary Street just west of Yonge. In the first instalment of our tour, we looked at the podium and its common spaces and amenity areas, and today we return for a look at the suites and views found in the tower's upper half.
The suites at Nicholas Residences are exceptionally lit thanks to the large floor-to-ceiling windows. In the image below, we get a good look at one of the kitchens in a typical suite with features like stainless steel appliances and a split-level kitchen island.
The floor to ceiling glass not only allows natural light to flood in to the suites, it also keeps residents connected to the city around them. While all of the suites have either a juliet or full balcony, some of the suites have projecting balconies which give residents an even more commanding view.
Easily the most crucial element in any high-rise, Nicholas Residences elevators are just about ready for use, and it won't be too much longer until we see the disassembly of the tower's external construction hoist. In the images below, we can compare an elevator lobby on one of the building's upper floors versus the much further along ground floor elevator lobby.
As you would expect from a downtown high-rise, the views from Nicholas Residences are nothing short of spectacular, with vistas of the growing Bloor-Yorkville skyline to the north, the ultra-dense high-rise communities to the south, east and west, and of course Yonge Street down below. The view to the north is one of the most dramatic, allowing us to take in some major changes underway including the construction of Great Gulf Homes' One Bloor East to the centre-left, and the peekaboo appearance of the crane for Cresford Developments' Casa II on Charles Street near the right edge of the image.
Views to the east show even more growth than the close-in views to the north. The borders between the fast-growing Bloor-Yorkville and Church-Wellesley neighbourhoods, disputed by marketing teams and neighbourhood associations, are are blurred out of existence where high rise condominium and apartment towers continue to rise where the two districts meld into each other.
The views to the south are dominated by the high-rises which line Yonge and Bay Streets, including MOD and Graywood's FIVE Condos, currently under construction on St. Joseph Street, just west of Yonge.
FIVE is located far enough to the south of Nicholas that it contributes significantly to the south views instead of blocking them out.
Surrounding high-rises help to make the views from Nicholas Residences unique, but it is the street life of Yonge Street below that will likely be the prized view for residents of the tower.
At the time of our visit, the internal elevator was being prepped for service while the external construction hoist was being readied for disassembly, leaving the stairs as the only option. This made reaching the top of Nicholas rather difficult, making unobstructed west views out of our reach for this tour. We plan to return to Nicholas Residences in the near future to explore the final floors, including the building's glazed mechanical penthouse at its top.
For now, additional information and renderings can be found in our Nicholas Residences dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments sections provided at the bottom of this page.
| Related Companies: | Cecconi Simone, Core Architects, Ferris + Associates Inc., Isotherm Engineering Ltd., TUCKER HIRISE Construction |
