The warmer months may present lots of vacation opportunities, but Toronto's hot real estate industry has very little down time. The housing market keeps on moving while the rest of us are relaxing at the cottage, hanging out on a patio, or enjoying those Friday summer half-days at work.
On this long weekend, we've rounded up some of our readers' summer favourites. Click the headlines to view the full stories.
5. At Home With Natasha Koifman
Natasha Koifman, president of NKPR, one of Toronto’s top public relations agencies, invited us in to her elegant-chic home and regaled us with its interesting history dating back to 1888. Her house is mostly neutral, but she has perfect pops of colour in her extraordinary art pieces and flower arrangements professionally arranged weekly. Koifman's wardrobe, the bulk of her closets (plural!), as well as her two adorable dogs, are black.
Koifman is a powerful woman dedicated to her family and staff. She enjoys being a role model to the women and men she works with, as well as to her son, who just finished law school. Read about what makes Koifman tick and check out her awesome living space. With beautiful photos by Toronto's Jordan Prussky.
4. Toronto restaurateur is front-of-house in her Rosedale home
It’s not every day that the owner of a few of the city's most successful restaurants invites her staff to her own home for a meal. But that’s Janet Zuccarini for you. Zuccarini runs Toronto hot-spots Café Nervosa and Gusto 101, and will soon be opening a Jamaican restaurant called Chubby’s.
The Top Chef Canada judge hosted a Thai-themed meal fit for royalty in her beautiful Rosedale home, with nary a Pad Thai in sight. The dishes were not to be believed.
3. Out with the old — Forest Hill gets a facelift
Forest Hill, a popular Toronto area, is undergoing rapid change. As one demographic moves in, another begins to move out, and with this shift comes some remodeling.
Forest Hill residents experience their fair share of door knocking. In this article, an elderly couple who have lived in their home for 40 years had a younger couple knock on their door and ask to buy their house. The price they offered was too good to pass up, and the elderly couple decided to downsize. But for many of these younger couples offering millions, it’s the land they want. Read about this couple’s experiences.
2. Muskoka Dock Party attracts the A-listers
A crowd of Canadian celebrities came out in style to an exciting event at a cottage in Muskoka. Captured by celebrity columnist Shinan Govani, who also attended, Muskoka Wave dancers, a Grand Electric taco truck and a Canadiana-styled yurt added more coolness factor. Yes, yurts are cool.
Guests at the party, hosted by cottage owners Tamara Bahry and Rob White on what is most probably one of the biggest docks in existence, drank Frosés and had their pictures taken by famed photographer George Pimentel.
Such celebrities as Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary were in attendance, along with Joan Kelley Walker of The Real Housewives of Toronto.
1. An Open Letter to Toronto, from millennials
Toronto Storeys went viral! Toronto’s housing market has been quite unkind to buyers in 2017, especially first-timers looking to get a foot in the door. Millennials too have it tough. The single-detached house in the city many grew up in may be out of reach for this generation to buy. Toronto Storeys staffer Emily Wilchesky penned a letter to Toronto about how the city is hurting her chances at home ownership, and she struck a chord. Global News did a segment featuring her, and reporter and radio host Matt Gurney wrote a piece in response, with other media organizations chiming in.
