Market Wharf Condos, Toronto Condo Reviews 

The one bedroom units here are extremely small and no design effort has gone into them to make the space into a more comfortable living space. The kitchens are super tiny "Euro" style - with all cabinets and appliances planted on one wall. The fridge is VERY compact - size of a wine cooler. But the washer and dryer are full size. I would rather have a full size fridge. The elevators also keep breaking down. The one advantage of living here is the amenities - Nice modern full size gym.

Enough said,...the generous outdoor terraces give these units a special aura not experienced from the smokers' balconies of other bldgs.

I agree with Gen Parker that the building looks silly from most angles and with several other reviewers that the grey/black hallways are dingy and show dirt too easily. The layout of our south-east corner unit is great, our view is spectacular, and the building's location is perfect for us. However, Context cut too many corners on construction, with flimsy interior walls, sloppy workmanship, weak air conditioning, and many deficiencies, and some we reported months ago still haven't been fixed. The elevators are unreliable, the storage lockers are cramped, and parking access is awkward. Worst of all, Context has screwed up final closings, including ours. We'll keep our condo, but there's too much to put up with that should have been done better. It's a flashy building designed more to sell than as a place to live.

I'm an owner in Market Wharf. I've been to a number of condos in Toronto, and I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Buying preconstruction, I had my concerns about what the finished product was going to be, but I'm happy to say that I've been genuinely surprised and impressed. Market Wharf does just about everything well. The suites have been generally well done (you have your usual deficiencies) with good finishings and appliances. The balconies are spacious, and numerous units have natural gas BBQ hookups installed outside.

The amenities are good - the two-storey-high gym has plenty of machines and space, the multipurpose room is a great space for a party, and there's plenty of visitor parking (paid of course, otherwise, there would never be any available! But there's plenty of affordable parking in the neighbourhood). I agree with some of the previous commenters that the lobby isn't the fanciest, but at the same time, I feel that Market Wharf isn't supposed to be a fancy building. There's no pretentiousness to the building. It is what it is. The building's built form and materials in the red brick podium blends in nicely with St. Lawrence Market and the surrounding buildings, and the tower on the south end with its wavy glass balconies reflect the sky and water and adds to its aesthetic attractiveness.

The location is second-to-none. With St. Lawrence Market across the street, a Loblaws, 24-hour Metro, and an abundance of restaurants in the area, you'll never starve. You'll also never get bored of walking the neighbourhood with all the dogs, parks, and patios - great for people-watching. As for transit, it's less than a ten-minute walk to Union and King stations, and if you drive, you can hop on and off the Gardiner.

I think people are realizing more and more that this is a fantastic area. Liberty Village and Distillery are overbuilt and overcrowded, Entertainment District is too busy. Parts of the waterfront are congested and underserviced. For those who want to be close enough to the action but want to be in a walkable, diverse, friendly neighbourhood, there are not many areas that would beat St. Lawrence. A testament to this? I've listed three units in the building that have all leased within a week of being on the market, and most units have been leased within three weeks of being posted. This is a healthy, in-demand building - you'll want to live here!

I absolutely love the location... nothing beats the St-Lawrence Market shopping on a Saturday morning. The Esplanade and surrounding area has transformed well over the years.... however the exterior of this building, in my opinion, is hideous... rather than good design, the balconies look like they belong in a wacky house in a cheap amusement park... it is an eyesore that will quickly become dated.

Because I live here and it's absolutely fantastic! The view of the 2 balconies its amazing, great gym, nice people living here, location beats it all.

I'm in agreement with other commenters. The wavy balconies give the building visual interest, the location is fantastic (next to the Market, close to Distillery District, a short walk to King Station), and the outdoor spaces enhance the units. Great addition to the area.

I will say that the location and view from the building are great, build quality is good, nice amenities, and it is also very convenient to hop onto the Gardner for those who drive out of the city a lot. The biggest issues with the building are lack of visitor parking, and mostly the horrible elevators that are usually out of service. I think at this stage they should have worked out these kinks and had this resolved. I have moved into buildings as soon as they have opened in the past and have not seen this many elevator issues before. Once this is resolved it would be a great place.

I have been fortunate to live in many buildings in the St. Lawrence Market area over the last couple of years and Market Wharf is my favourite. Admittedly, people don't buy a unit strictly because of amenities so, part of my preference is due to the unit I currently occupy.

I haven't been here that long, as this is a new development, so perhaps more time is needed for a truly objective review. As the building is so new, I think I have to mention the developer and staff have been stellar when it comes to dealing with minor suite deficiencies and just in general. This is probably why this is the 3rd Context building I have lived in and I don't work in real estate.

I like the design of the exterior and well laid out unit plans. The common areas are always clean and well maintained. The gym isn't on the ground floor and has been situated so that is offers a view of the lake; not bad while trying to work out! A friend of mine who is a real estate agent was looking at a unit in here and commented to me that is it probably one of the best designed gyms he has ever been in. There is also a party room and media room, which brings this to the most amenities I have ever had access to.

The three things I am not a fan of are the lobby, carpets and the parking. The lobby wont be rehashed here, since I see others have commented and the carpets could be addressed by the builder or condo corporation however, I believe the parking deserves special mention.

The building has no visitor parking and so anyone visiting, should be prepared to pay their way. I think the ramps are narrow and the path separating visitor parking from the resident parking area, isn't well thought out, so if a resident is trying to leave and one is trying to enter, there will be some shuffling because the space cant accommodate more than one car. Fortunately, the building is across the street from possibly the largest Green P parking lot in the city. Also, as another person mentioned, getting in and out of parking if you are riding a bike, is a little inconvenient.

I was also lucky enough to get an oversized terrace, the location is hard to beat and development in the area indicates it will only get better. You can walk to the downtown core and a subway in 10 - 15 minutes, access the DVP and Gardiner easily and live across the street from one of the best food markets in the world, as rated by National Geographic! In closing, I really dont much to complain about and the parking situation isn't enough of an issue for me to lower my overall review so I consider this building the best one I have lived in to date.

I have several friends who live in this building so I've seen a few units and checked out a variety of views that the building has to offer. Some units give a 270 degree view of the city - amazing. Location-wise, being a few steps from St Lawrence Market and the lake, I sometimes feel like I'm either back in BC or back in Europe. You don't come across this vibe too often in Toronto.

A great project in a wonderful area. I won't repeat the positive things that have already been said about this building, but will point out that I think they fell short on the lobbies. The north lobby is bland and doesn't match the elegance of the overall building and the units themselves. I've seen the developer pull off much better - Spire is a perfect example. Still, a wonderful addition to the St. Lawrence Market.

I agree with most of the positive comments so i wouldn't repeat them. my biggest concern is the parking, the parking lot has an awkward setup. many occasions i've found another car parked in my spot because they couldn't figure theirs out and i've met people at the concierge complain about the same problem. I also do not understand why visitors have to pay for parking, i really don't. I also agree with the awkwardness of the lobby and i feel they should do more with the hallways. it reminds of an upgraded university dormitory i once lived in.

I've lived in Market Wharf for over a year now and keep up to date with the market as I am a real estate recruiter. From my experience, this building is mediocre at best - the elevators are the biggest downfall, they are constantly out of service - once I waited 45 minutes on the parking garage floor!! (4th in this case as it's not underground). That brings the next issue - I have a tiny little jeep and even passing a smart car in the parking could cause a problem. Very tight - good luck if you have a large vehicle!!

Inside the units are nothing special, it's actually quite cheap looking and the quality isn't great. A/C is weird and changes itself so you wake up sweating in the middle of the night. Loud corridors, you can hear everything through the door.

Positives are the views are mostly unobstructed so whichever side you are on, chances are your view will be stunning. The area itself is fabulous, walk-able to 2 major grocery stores and the market right next store as well as a strip of restaurants. The gym is really nice - I believe it won some type of award. The party room is really nice too, it has a nice walk out to BBQ's and a large deck area.. except for the night we rented it, in September of last year and they refused to unlock the doors to the patios so it was not accessible and we paid $150 for the evening - little did we know we could only use half of it. The staff are friendly. The balcony is the best selling point, its why my bf and I put an offer. Even the junior 1 bdrm's have oversized balconies (but there are A LOT of spiders). All in all, not the best but not the worst!

I generally agree with all the positive comments above. I also agree with Brooke that the lobbies lack luster. They are very plain and do not give the condo a great first impression to a new comer to the building.

I also wish to point out that it is very annoying having to duck under the gate in the parking garage with my bike. There is no space on the side to walk up the ramp and it is not sensitive enough on the way down to detect the presence of a cyclist.

Furthermore, I do not think the grey carpets in the lobbies were a great choice as they dirty so easily (some traffic heavy floors are already quite dirty). However, I do like the tasteful decor in general, particularly on the amenities floor.

Overall, I really like this building. My critiques are minor.

Market Wharf is a distinctive contemporary landmark, with high-quality architecture that makes an excellent contribution to the emerging character of the St. Lawrence district.

Visually, the building has a lot of style and is very interesting to look at. The curvaceous balconies are an elegant reference to the nearby Harbourfront and give the tower a recognizable profile on the skyline.

The interiors are modern and sleek and feature high-quality surfaces and finishes. The gym facilities were one of the best features of the project. Contained in a room with generously high ceilings, the exercise equipment is arrayed along a curving window wall which offers a panoramic view of Lake Ontario and the eastern shoreline. It's a suitably awe-inspiring environment for a great workout and is the kind of feature an owner can be proud to show off to guests.

There are some thoughtful and unexpected examples of rooftop vegetation and plantings on the podium rooftop and near the workout area, which lends a park-like aspect to the outdoor amenity areas.

The sidewalks and pedestrian areas around the podium have been upgraded to match the quality of the rest of the project and improve the neighbourhood's public realm, so it seems like no coincidence that the developer of this project is Context.

Overall, I was impressed with the building and with the area more generally. It would be a great place to call home.

We chose Market Wharf for several reasons - the location, the reputation of the architect and developer and the terrific layout of the unit we purchased. When we took possession, we were very pleased with the quality of the finishes - there were only some minor deficiencies (our previous condo had over 100 deficiencies)! We LOVE our suite. We are on the North East corner and the views are gorgeous. There is a balcony off the bedroom overlooking the market and one off the living room looking east over the lake and Distillery district. The only complaint are the grey carpets - they are already very stained on the 3rd floor where we catch the elevator from the garage. The carpet on our floor was put in only a week or two ago and some slob has already carried dripping garbage (or a leaky dog) and left a trail on the new carpet. BUT that's a minor complaint - in an otherwise gorgeous, perfectly located building.