A recently launched quarterly about the fabulousness of life in the King West area is, as expected, a thinly veiled condo catalogue. Created by Freed Developments, the glossy is filled with ads for and profiles of the company’s condo projects, such as Six 50 King West and Five Hundred Wellington West. There’s a two-page article about the Fashion House condo—an ad for it appears three pages later—as well as a two-page pictorial profile of the Thompson Residences, a six-page article about the Thompson Residences and an ad for the Thompson Residences. Also, to really drive the point home that King West has condos, there’s an article called “City’s Condo Craze.”
Condo content aside, the mag’s other editorial content pretty much sums up why some people avoid the neighbourhood:
• Oversexed nonsense. The fashion spread featuring pouting models in skimpy black outfits might as well be called “The servers of King West.” It’s so dark we can barely make out the clothes.
• Ridiculously over-aspirational swagger. This thing has reviews of the Audi R8 V10 (starting at $141,000) and the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (approximately $200,000). The Porsche can go from 0 to 100 in 3.4 seconds, though presumably not on King Street.
• An overall lack of self-awareness. The cover has not one, but two crowns to drive home that the street has the word “King” in it and is, therefore, classy. The cover’s tagline also reads: “Design, art, real estate, everything regal.” Calls to Buckingham Palace to see if the Queen approves of the topless model on the contents page were not returned.
Joking aside, we should note that the magazine isn’t all pretentious, self-promoting froth. Writer Rick McGinnis, whose interesting pieces for BlogTO and Metro have garnered him a steady following, has an article in here about King West’s history dating back to the War of 1812. There are also interviews with Broken Social Scene and Susur Lee, a wine guide in which prices go from a cheap $11 to a reasonable $30, as well as a look at the neighbourhood’s Italian restaurant boom.
It is so unfortunate to see a great publication like Toronto Life slagging a new publication, which in my perspective is on the money for what King West is. I think the art direction is excellent and perfectly targets the mean demographic of King West. Your smart ass remarks about not driving a P Turbo down King Street at high speeds are irrelevant and juvenile. I gather whomever wrote this article lives in a cardboard box in a park and has no aspirations to attain the “finer” things in life………Just ‘cause you (whomever writes this column, remains nameless) don’t or can’t (the more likely of the two) live above the poverty line, doesn’t mean that those of us that do, shouldn’t !!!
July 12, 2010 at 2:36 pm | by Living in King WestAnd for the record I love the kingwest logo, if you’d take the time to look at it is quite smart graphically………. Thanks for your opinion, but no thanks.
Oh, “Living”. The finer things in life aren’t on King West, to start with. If you think so, you really need to spend more on travel and less on crantinis at Cheval. Second, you do not universally “attain” finer things, because not all that’s fine are “things”, and can be even BE “attained”.
So, after that aspirational opener, that you mouth off about the “poverty line” suggests all the gloss you’re caught up in thinly disguises both insular arrogance and sheer idiocy. For someone who uses “juvenile” as an insult, you display it quite readily.
The point of the piece is “Kingwest” (the magazine) embodies far too much empty arriviste frontin’ … that you show up with more of the same in an attempt to DEFEND this condo-ad-cum-lazy-fash-spread speaks volumes. Ugh.
July 12, 2010 at 3:08 pm | by HKJNot surprising that TL would slag KW. TL must absolutely defend the notion that all the finer thing in life choose to settle in Yorkville or Rosedale. I must admit TL has stopped updating us with the progress of Rosedale mansion renos. If only they could do the same about Jian Ghomeshi’s party whereabouts.
July 12, 2010 at 6:05 pm | by Dryden Price“HKJ” you sound like one of the disgruntled people that unfortunately get left standing on the sidewalk outside of King West bars!!!! That includes CHEVAL, so be careful whom you slag. As a representative of Toronto Life, I’m amazed that they allow you to post stuff like that, as our advertising dollars that contribute to the publishing of Toronto Life and could easily hang in the balance. T Life’s perspective of King West is OFFENSIVE. Why don’t you stay wherever it is you live in and leave the ppl. that like King West, to King West.
July 12, 2010 at 7:09 pm | by Living in King WestAs for your “go travel” remark, I can almost guarantee I’ve seen much more of the world than you ever will!!! And Ya, I do fly 1st, ‘cause I can.
” gloss you’re caught up in thinly disguises both insular arrogance and sheer idiocy” …… It’s amazing, why does being able to afford the “finer” and yes materialistic “things”, ‘cause at the end of the day that’s all they are, make you a bad person?
It’s amazing that you seem to think that all KW types are a bunch of douchebags, for the record we raise funds, donate venues and oh yeah, just to reiterate, advertise with Toronto Life.
“Living” is totally not an offended writer/publisher. Not at all.
July 12, 2010 at 7:19 pm | by Ssorry “s” im neither …………
July 12, 2010 at 7:46 pm | by Living in King Westmaking it sound even MORE pathetic.
I live in the East Annex, but I adventure out into the whole city and try to take advantage of all it has to offer. If King West, its residents & businesses have a new magazine to celebrate their ‘hood, good on them! I’ll probably still only go there for the clubs, bars, restaurants & shows but maybe someone else who picks up the magazine will choose to live in one of its many condominium options which cater to all sorts obudgets. Good for them! Good for all of us. Go T.O.!
July 13, 2010 at 9:42 am | by Finer ThingsI liked the Wine piece and the Susur Lee article too. I’d like to check out that new condo for sure.
July 13, 2010 at 12:11 pm | by James White MurphyI think I know who wrote this. Anonymity is so spineless when it comes to such diatribe! So much easier to slander than it is to create, I guess.
Congrats on the mag!!.. well done KW!!!
July 13, 2010 at 12:26 pm | by SNPI love the fact that I’m not the only one that loves the fact that whomever the spineless wonder that wrote this article is hides behind their anonymity…………..
July 13, 2010 at 6:44 pm | by Living in King WestSo are publications like this a symptom of the growing class divide in Toronto? Or are they perpetuating it?
July 14, 2010 at 2:14 am | by JBanyone else nitice how whomever the snide remarks about the king west area and the people in it were muzzled as soon as the mention of yanking advertising was mentioned……loosers.
July 14, 2010 at 12:42 pm | by Living in King WestWow, this criticism is really sad. I personally think KW is one of the friendliest, hippest neighboorhoods in Toronto and is just getting started!! I think the mag is beautifully done. Congrats!! I have been enjoying the neighborhood for the last 6 years and look forward to whats to come.
July 14, 2010 at 8:37 pm | by DanielleThe real issue with the King West magazine, which Toronto Life only briefly alludes to, is that it’s just a glossy, over-the-top expensive piece of advertising for Freed Developments – passing itself off as a magazine, no less.
However, on another level, a magazine filled with thinly veiled advertorial might just be emblematic of this “hip” “new” neighbourhood…
July 15, 2010 at 9:35 am | by SophieI certainly understand some of the negative points, but here’s another thing: This magazine is FREE!! You have a choice to pick it up or not. The publisher is not forcing anyone’s hand in grabbing a copy, but only trying to build a buzz around the neighbourhood and is doing so of their own financial doing. I, for one, appreciate the effort in trying to stimulate interest in a great neighbourhood.
I think the writer of this article, who has chosen to remain nameless, is only trying to brew negativity, rather than make any attempts to encourage growth to our already sometimes “self deprecating” city. I am so tired of this type of criticism and would love to one day be part of a united front, praising this great city and ALL it’s fine neighbourhoods.
July 16, 2010 at 10:39 am | by SNP