Tuesday, 14 February 2012 14:47

Toronto’s weekly magazine and daily website, The Grid, published an article on January 31st which asked if “Liberty Village [is] family unfriendly?” and whether ‘Liberty Village is a thriving, 21st-century urban community, or a soulless, pre-fab condo wasteland catering to a limited demographic of drunk twentysomethings?”

Let’s get a few things straight. The fact that Liberty Village has experienced an 143 per cent growth since 2006, the highest in Toronto, is no coincidence. This unprecedented growth has been led by like-minded individuals who just happen to be some of the most creative and ambitious entrepreneurs in the country. The growing number of restaurants, lofts, supermarkets and recreational parks is a testament to the success of their vision.

Residents of Liberty Village, young professional urbanites, are sidetracking traditional rituals in order to live and work near downtown Toronto. They are working longer, delaying marriage and refusing to relocate to the suburbs. Many, including the Grid, have used these characteristics to criticise Liberty Village and its highrise community, labelling them as dog-owners rather than child-bearers.

Is this however not the present state of Western society? Aren’t marriages down because couples continuously pursue their professional careers? Can you blame people for being hesitant about taking out a substantial mortgage loan on a house, in these uncertain economic times?

The overriding issue many have with Liberty Village is the high-rise community which it has developed into. The truth is, and this again applies to most of the GTA not just Liberty Village, that modern condominiums present a more affordable option for young-urban professionals. There is a reason Toronto has gone vertical, as the Toronto Star reveals that “Toronto’s population rose 4.5 per cent from 2006, as demand for land has led developers to build vertically, encouraged by government policies designed to curb sprawl.”

Real-estate agent Christine Cowern states that “there are two types of people that live in Liberty Village... younger people who can’t afford a house, and older couples who were living in a house and decided to downsize.” While her analysis may be presently accurate, let’s not forget that Liberty Village has only been around since 2004. A community is not created overnight or over a few years, it takes time for residents to establish a sense of belonging in their neighbourhood. Fortunately, according to real-estate statistics, many in Liberty Village already do and this will only increase as more businesses and residents venture west.

Residents have flocked to Liberty Village because it offers an attractive mix of business and suburbia, with its elegant boutiques and ample pedestrian walkways. Liberty Village appeals to this specific demographic and it has never suggested otherwise. The condominium-boom has attracted a lot of envy, and it seems it is often coming from those who make the tediously long commute from the suburbs. The landscape of the city is changing and that has angered traditionalists, who fail to understand the advantages of living in Liberty Village.

There is no doubt that Liberty Village faces many challenges to establish itself as a sustainable neighbourhood, community centres, schools, better traffic safety and a new street in the southern part of the neighbourhood wouldn’t hurt. It is a neighbourhood in transition, and one that should be embraced and advertised as a continuing attraction to the city. It’s a shame The Grid failed to see it this way.

Christopher Alvarado