Investors, quite predictably, have snapped up The Broadway, cozy 440sqft studios that will be well suited to short term renters and those in need of a pied-à-terre—starting at $180,000 these made for an attractive investment:
The "People's Choice Award" goes to The Howston, a 1-bedroom plus den at 660sqft facing Rideau St — possibly because of its views of the East Market Lofts and other points north? As of this posting, all but two of the Howston units have been sold, priced from $258,000 to $295,000:
With regards to the Howston layout, I must confess that I remain ambivalent about the overall usefulness and desirability of "the den". With laptops and Blackberrys being the modern choice for home technology, these spaces often see more use as a TV room, rather than an office or guest room. That said, the den has become something of a fixture in Ottawa's new condo market and seems to be with us for the forseeable future.At any rate, the Howston den is actually an alcove between the bedroom and the bathroom, space I would rather incorporate into the bedroom, with a walk-in closet connecting to a "cheater ensuite".
The trade off in buying a unit facing South will be the eventual view of Claridge Plaza 4, but on lower floors this will be compensated by the planned greenroof between the two towers, but more importantly the absence of the transport trucks that ply their way along Rideau St at all hours of the day and night.
This would be one of the reasons my pick of this project is The Canal, a well designed floorplan that covers 665sqft with a generous bedroom at 10' x 11.5' and a separate walk-in closet with almost a third as much space.
Although this one bedroom is only 5sqft larger than the Howston's one plus den, I find the living/dining room more useable as well as more generous, spanning a full 21ft. I also prefer that the entry closet is adjacent to the front door, not the washer/dryer:
Lastly, I love that the balcony is framed on its left by the unit itself, rather than jutting out from the building, which has sadly become the norm. Is it just me that feels somewhat uncomfortable drinking a martini on a glassed-in precipice, 15 storeys high? OK, maybe it's just me...
