Yonge + Rich, a new development at Yonge and Richmond, with the at-once awkward and unimaginative name, actually looks quite promising. Its 50 stories won't be intrusive on the landscape in that part of the downtown, since it's already all highrise. And pricing starts at $289,990, a reasonable sum for city-style "home" ownership.

At the same time, the lobby kind of looks like a jail (or a bank), and the washrooms look pretty HoJo. But then these are early renderings — the development won't be ready for occupation until sometime around summer, 2018. And even if there are dreary common areas and washrooms, this building looks like it has top points in the quality of life department. The terraces look amazing, as do the views from said terraces. Apparently I'm easily bought by outdoor space, but I really don't care. Call me what you want, but I want to breathe in the smog from the relative privacy of my own home, thanks.

SPECS

Address: 25 Richmond St.
Floors: 50
Total number of units: N/A
Types of units: N/A
Unit sizes (in square feet): 450 to 926
Ceiling heights: 8'5" to 9'0"
Starting prices for available units: $289,990
Developer: Great Gulf
Amenities/building features: 24 hour concierge, rooftop deck, swimming pool, fitness centre, lounge.

THE GOOD

Floor plans haven't been released yet, nor have a ton of renderings, so it's hard to say exactly what they'll do with the units. But developers have one thing right: attention to the need for green space.

"Unlike many condo roof gardens, there are actually garden terraces on all sides of the building, accessed from the different lounges and gathering spaces on the amenity level," said John Hillier, the project's landscape architect. "In some cases, the glazed walls essentially fold back allowing the interiors to extend seamlessly to the roof gardens when the weather permits."

So, essentially, it's like living in the jungle. What could be more awesome?

The location is a plus here, too. If you're looking for hectic downtown living, this development is in an ideal location. It's also ideal if you're a shopaholic, as you can pretty much walk out your front door and into the glorious Eaton Centre. It's a 6 minute walk to the St. Lawrence Market, across the street from a great coffee spot, and snuggled in beside noteworthy restaurants like Richmond Station, Terroni on Adelaide, and the Gabardine.

THE BAD

The afore-bemoaned washroom and lobby might (might) point to more potential drabness in the design department. But it also might not; it's a tossup at this point.

And if you're looking for a home in a more peaceful environment, move to Roncy. This area is definitely not for you. It's noisy and hectic and full of tourists and those people who flail their arms at you (even though you're wearing headphones and clearly on your way somewhere) and try to get you to stop and chat for "just a second" and donate to their petting zoo/charity run/cloning operation. I should think that living in this area might be like being a tourist in your own city...which is weird to say the least, and would probably get exhausting.

OUR TAKE

At this point, Yonge+Rich seems like good value for the area and attention paid to certain design components. (Read: resort-style terraces).

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