Bohemian Embassy, 1171 Queen St W: The Condo That Changed West Queen West

Bohemian Embassy is the building people in West Queen West still argue about, fifteen years after it went up. It takes up most of a block across from the Gladstone Hotel, and it was the project that showed what this stretch of Queen would become. Set the debate aside and what you get is a 2011 building with an unusually generous fee structure and a location most buyers cannot get anywhere else at this price. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The project that remade this end of Queen

Bohemian Embassy was launched in 2005 by Baywood Homes, a year after the Drake Hotel reopened and turned this end of Queen Street into a destination. The plan was two buildings: a mid-rise on Queen itself and a 19-storey tower behind it, looking south over the rail corridor. It was one of the first big pieces of what planners called the Queen West Triangle, the former industrial land between Queen, Dovercourt and the railway.

It was controversial from day one. The name borrowed from a 1960s Toronto literary reading series, and its founder objected publicly. Local artists and community groups pushed back on the scale of the whole precinct, and a deal with the City eventually set the heights and added contributions toward community and arts space. Excavation started in 2008.

Construction stalled in early 2009, and later that year the site passed to Pemberton Group, which finished it. That history matters less today than it did, but it is useful context: the building you buy into is a Pemberton-completed project, registered at the end of 2011, and it has now operated for well over a decade.

Two buildings, two different ways to live

Sources disagree on the height of the Queen Street building. Early planning material described it as eight storeys, while a 2010 blogTO piece called it nine. Either way, it is the lower block with the street presence, and it includes a tower element and an archway that leads through to the mews behind. The 19-storey tower sits back from Queen, toward the tracks.

In practice, the two buildings suit different buyers. Suites in the Queen Street block face the street and the Victorian commercial buildings across from it, with the Gladstone right there. That is a real view of old Toronto, but it comes with street noise from one of the city’s busiest nightlife strips. The tower suites are quieter and higher, and the upper floors look east to the downtown skyline.

UrbanToronto’s project thread lists Page + Steele and IBI Group as architects, and the interiors were by II BY IV Design. Suites range from about 474 sq ft to roughly 1,638 sq ft, so there is a real spread here, from compact one-bedrooms to large corner and penthouse plans. The building was marketed as flats and lofts, and some suites have the exposed concrete and taller ceilings of a soft loft. Confirm the ceiling height of the specific suite you are looking at, because it varies.

Why the fee looks better than it first appears

The fee here covers heat, air conditioning, water, common elements and building insurance. That is a more complete list than many newer buildings nearby, where heating and cooling are on your own meter. When you compare monthly costs, add a realistic heating and cooling bill to the cheaper-looking building before you decide.

Active listings work out to roughly $0.89 per square foot in fees. That sits in a sensible range for a 2011 building of this size with a concierge and a rooftop, and with climate control included it is competitive. Parking and lockers are not on the inclusion list condos.ca shows, so ask how each is held and whether either carries its own monthly charge.

Living across from the Gladstone

This is the core of the West Queen West strip. The Gladstone Hotel is across the road, the Drake is a few minutes east, and the galleries, bars, restaurants and design shops that gave the area its name are all walkable. Trinity Bellwoods Park is a straightforward walk east along Queen.

The neighbourhood has kept changing around it. Westside Gallery Lofts, The Curve and Epic on Triangle Park filled in the land behind the building over the following years, along with a new park, so the area is denser and more finished than it was in 2011. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, walkability and nearby parks.

The trade-off is noise and activity. If you work early and sleep lightly, look at the tower, or at suites facing away from Queen. If you want to be in the middle of things, the Queen Street block is the point.

What Bohemian Embassy costs today

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $915 per square foot. That is on the higher end for a 2011 building in this part of the city, and it reflects the location. You are paying for Queen Street, not for new finishes.

Four suites were listed for sale when I checked. One-bedrooms in the 500 to 699 sq ft range were asking between about $529,000 and $549,000, and the full range across all four listings ran up to about $765,000. Monthly fees across those listings ran from roughly $469 to $772.

With 364 suites and a steady trickle of resales, there are usually comparables here. That helps both sides: as a buyer you can anchor your offer to recent trades, and as a seller you are rarely the only data point. If you want to see what has actually traded, my building sold report shows the aggregate figures.

Building specifications

Amenities at Bohemian Embassy

The rooftop deck with barbecues is the amenity owners talk about, because the views over Queen West and east to the skyline are hard to match at this height. The rest is a practical package: a concierge, a party room, guest suites and bike storage, rather than a pool or a big fitness complex.

Jatin’s honest take on Bohemian Embassy

Bohemian Embassy — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.