HawthorneVillager.com

Oh I took care of that a while back...I made her move her business onto my driveway.

_________________
Some people are like slinkies. They're really good for nothing but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

The big brown condo complexes you can see from Main and James Snow. Is it Maple? I dunno the area very well due to it’s diveish nature. There aren't many big brown condo buildings in that area, you know what ones I mean.

Actually those condos have upgraded that area considerably. You must be referring to the townhouse rows with their frackyards facing Main?

Ugh, I can't believe I had to google this to show.

THESE: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.53725 ... 1&t=h&z=18

There is nothing about these that can be seen as an upgrade to anything. Slumville appartments. Rob Ford hangs out here.

Maple Crossing? Those are marketed as prestigious.

Seriously, are they filled with riff-raff?

I guess everyone has preferences but I think these buildings physically look pretty nice. These are like Trump Tower compared to the Bronte apartments.

Maybe I'm a little biased since I use to live in them, but I didn't find the Bronte apts as bad as everyone makes out, yet they seem to be the most talked in reference to Milton slums.

Seldom do I hear mention of Commercial & Derry, El Primo apts, Millside Dr, the apts above Brydens, or the places on Steeles west of Main (south side near Peru Dr), but to me, those are more sketchy than 122 Bronte St S.

What's the worst place in town?

Marketing is for suckers.

Those buildings are all over the place. Burlington and Oakville both have identical buildings. When I was looking for my first home in Burlington, my agent refused to show them to me because they were built so poorly.

Those building are all wood construction. They are as large as code allows a building to be made from wood, anything bigger requires concrete/steel. The things were built as cheaply as legally possible. Most builders would opt for more rugged materials simply because it’s the right way to go.

So not only is it a tinderbox, it’s not as solid as a concrete structure would be. I have never been in once, but I imagine sound from other units is a problem.

Those units are generally bought as investment units for rentals. To me the place screams future ghetto. It’s nice now because it’s all new, but it won’t stay that way.

I have seen lots of them around in the region, as well as Guelph.
I just thought they were a condo solution for where high-rises are not suited.
The ones in Guelph are heavily rented, mostly to students.

When we were looking to buy, I thought that area would be great as its close to the highway, yet close enough to amenities.

When I saw them getting built and saw others like them being done in Burlington I said the exact same thing.

Who would want to live in a condo made of wood? Ever heard your kids upstairs through the floor in your current house? Imagine them never coming downstairs and you living in your family room. I bet if you are on the ground floor, you can hear people from the 3rd floor with ease.

But as you mentioned, its golden for the builder. Build a multi-unit, paper mache complex for as cheaply as humanly possible and cram as many people as possible onto the lot. Reap profits. Rinse and repeat.

_________________

I have a couple of friends who live in those condos on Main St. / Maple. I always thought they were pretty decent. Spacious units, nice landscaping, and I'm pretty sure ceilings/floors are concrete.

They've just started building another complex right on the south corner of James Snow and Main though, it very well might begin to look a little "slum-like" with 18 identical low rise buildings all within the same block.

I was visiting one of these buildings 2 weeks ago, they seem to have concrete slab floor/ceilings. You can see the seams in the ceilings, and we didn't hear any stray noises. Smells? Different story.

These appear to be built reasonably well - not prestige builds by any means but not guaranteed ghettos either. What will speed their decent into poo will be just WHO winds up in there, and how well maintained the structures will be. Just a note, they appear to have the best lawn care you can get, looks perfect. We used to live in a condo, and found it absolutely crap for landscaping esthetics.

_________________
This one thing probably never goes away
I think this one thing is always supposed to stay
This one thing doesn't have to go away

I'm no engineer, but I'm not sure you can have a concrete sub floor on multi-levels with wood stud framing.

I'd be willing to admit I'm wrong if someone can provide pics - but I'm pretty sure those are all wood condos.

_________________

I lived in a stacked condo in Burlington with concrete floors. The unit under me heard nothing. I don’t know if it would work in a larger building like this, but I’d think it’s possible.

It’s good if they have, but I stand my by view of them being sh*t holes. They are all new at the moment, but as time passes the place will degrade.

Not an engineer either, and of course I stand to be chastised, but as you look along the ceilings, from one end of a 20' long room to the other, you are seeing seams about 1" wide every 4' or so. They kind of look like the lap joints between slabs of.....?? what material?? is it concrete? I presume it is concrete. Over the surface is the "blown plaster" cottage cheese material we see too often, to make it look swanky. Not.

If it's wood, there would be a traditional joist-based floor, with a smooth drywall ceiling, like our houses. Again I presume.

The "concrete slabs" (if in fact they are) do look like they exist to expedite / cheapen the construction process, they certainly do not lend to aesthetics, looks a bit like a commercial installation!

When they build the campus over on the SW end, Mattamy et al will build these piles of crap like there's no tomorrow, I will guess. By that time, they will have eroded the bylaws over construction height, let's see how high these piles of crap can get!

_________________
This one thing probably never goes away
I think this one thing is always supposed to stay
This one thing doesn't have to go away