Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Whether it be a crumbling church or a long-abandoned factory, authentic lofts have a way of preserving vintage structures that would otherwise be demolished or forgotten. As is the case in Toronto’s Cabbagetown-South community, where a former afternoon newspaper office got a second chance as an intimate, yet highly-desired collection of hard loft residences.
The red-brick exterior of 264 Seaton Street, near Gerrard and Sherbourne Street, blends seamlessly into this Victorian-style neighbourhood. The two-storey building was once the home of the Toronto Evening Telegram (later the Toronto Telegram), which ran in print from 1876 to 1971. In 2003, developers breathed life back into the property by converting it into ten hard loft condominiums, dubbing the recreation the Evening Telegram Lofts. This week, one of these ten exclusive residences hit the market.
Unit 207, listed by Scott Ingram of Century 21 Regal Realty, is asking $699,000 for one bedroom and one bathroom across 970 square feet of living space. It comes with all of the hard lofts features you’d expect — concrete floors, brick walls, lofty 14-foot ceilings, and exposed pipes and ductwork to boot.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
The living room is the star of the show in this home. The building’s last original skylight draws an abundance of natural light down into the lounge space, where a boxy natural gas fireplace sits in the corner. There aren’t a ton of windows available in this unit — save for the large one on the far wall — so the added boost of light from the ceiling is a great help in illuminating the open-concept residence.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
While old-timey buildings are aesthetically pleasing in design, their original construction didn’t include today’s central air and heating systems. The listing touts that thousands of dollars have been invested in the current radiator system. The ceiling fan installed above the living space will help to circulate warm air from the radiators and coolness from the air conditioning wall unit. Hydro is said to be about $50 per month, which is lumped in with the additional $402 condo fee.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Contrasting against the neutrals of the living space, the small kitchen nook adds some warmth with natural wood cabinetry, butcher block countertops and a knotty pine-clad ceiling. The industrial loft-style isn’t lost in this room, with some of the lower workspace cabinets donning metal filing cabinet-like drawers. It takes a second to realize that the appliances aren’t the usual stainless steel suspects you’d expect in a modern kitchen. Instead, the included fridge, stove and dishwasher are white, blending seamlessly with the subway tile backsplash.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Upstairs is space for a bed and storage, which is open to the rest of the residence. There doesn’t seem to be any formal closet space, so the future buyer will have to get creative on where to hang their clothes.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
The entrance hallway houses the singular bathroom and some useful wall-to-wall storage closets.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
To top it all off (literally), Unit 207 comes with its own fenced-in, 167-square-foot private rooftop terrace. Plop a few deck chairs and shrubs down and you’ve got a great spot to suntan or sip cold ones in the summer.
Photo: Century 21 Regal Realty Inc
The glory days of the tangible newspaper are long gone, and the remnants of Toronto’s print industry lingers in some buildings, like these beautiful lofts on Seaton Street. Support your local news, kids.
