Yonge Love: Our BIA's Plan for Change

We’re really lucky to live in such a great community. Yonge Street is what some people call the artery of Toronto, and our friends at the Downtown Yonge BIA have made it their mission to make this 'artery' one of the best neighbourhoods in Toronto. In 2014, our BIA was promoting the Yonge Love campaign which called upon people in our neighbourhood to share what living on Yonge means to them and what they’d like to see from it in the future. Now, the results are in!

Tips for Hosting the Holidays at Aura

One of the perks of living in a condo with great amenities is that it’s incredibly easy to host your friends and family for the holidays -- or any occasion really. In Aura we have our entire 5th floor dedicated to amenities that our owners and tenants can use all year round to entertain and keep the party out of their own space (bonus!).

Your Shots of the Eaton Centre's Holiday Decor

If you’ve stepped foot in the Eaton Centre lately, you’ve definitely seen their holiday decor. It really helps to get in the mood for some holiday shopping with such festive decorations all over. From their gigantic glowing tree to their massive reindeer, it’s hard to resist snapping a photo!

5 Best Sustainable Buildings in the World

Buildings around the world are becoming more and more sustainable. It’s clear that this isn’t just a trend, it’s something that’s going to stick with us when it comes to building. From China to the United States, we’ve rounded up some of the best when it comes to green buildings around the world.

Host a Movie Marathon in our Private Theatre: Christmas Edition

It’s crazy to think that not long ago our movie marathon suggestions were for Halloween, and now we’re on to Christmas! Since most of us have time off of work and school during the holidays, it’s the perfect time to spend some quality time with friends and family. If we had it our way, that would mean hosting an all-day Christmas movie marathon to get us excited about the season. Wouldn’t you agree? And our private movie theatre on the fifth floor is the perfect spot to host.

Catch up with friends at Happy Hour near Aura

Winter is coming, which means catching up with your friends has to move indoors. Instead of being cooped-up in your condo over a glass of wine and watching Netflix, you should be taking advantage of all the great spots to grab a drink or two in our neighbourhood. We promise you don’t have to go very far for a great deal either! We rounded up the best happy hour deals in our area by day of the week, so you don’t have to worry about choosing where to go. Check it out.

CTBUH Awards 2015: The Best Tall Buildings

The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat awards are a big deal. Each year CTBUH looks at the latest and greatest projects from all over the world who have demonstrated excellence or surpassed a record, and honours them at their annual awards ceremony. Some of the award categories include Best Tall Building, Urban Habitat, Innovation, Special Global Icon, and Performance. We, of course, like to focus in on who was nominated in the Best Tall Building category!

The Story of... The Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers are the tallest twin towers in the world and can be found in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They are meant to capture and depict the country’s culture, ambitions, aspirations, and advancement on the world stage. Named after Malaysia’s national oil company, Petronas, one of the towers is fully occupied by the company as their office space while the other acts as office space for a number of smaller companies. Together, the Petronas Towers also act as one of Malaysia’s main tourist destinations.

Your Shots of the #AuraLights

You’ve all seen it - that pinnacle in the Toronto skyline, all lit up at night. That’s us! The #AuraLights have been lighting up our city each night for a few months now, and you can’t miss it. Since the lights look so stunning against the dark sky, we’ve seen tons of photos of the scene trickle in over the last little bit. After all, it’s hard to take a photo of the downtown cityscape without our lights shining through!

The Story of... One World Trade Center

As we all know, the new One World Trade Center was developed with the spot’s intense history in mind. It’s just one part of a larger complex whose main purpose is to commemorate what was lost on September 11, 2001. With the new building having been open for almost a year now, the amount of time and effort that was put into making the building perfect definitely shines through.

Hosting a Movie Marathon in our Private Theatre: Halloween Edition

Halloween might just be our favourite holiday. Not only is it acceptable to eat excess amounts of candy, but it’s a good excuse for a party and to dress up as whatever you’d like. In addition to this, it’s also the perfect time to put on a scary flick and get spooked!

As you already know, we have an amazing private movie theatre as part of our amenities on the 5th floor of the building, so why not make use of it and throw a Halloween movie marathon this year? Leading up to Halloween you can reserve the space for the night, invite your friends over, and indulge in some classic Halloween flicks together.

Live in Style with this Fully Furnished 2-Bedroom Suite

You know what’s even better than moving into the tallest condo building in the city? Moving into a completely furnished one! For this rental closeup, we’re featuring a unit that’s way up on our 65th floor and comes fully furnished so that you don’t have to worry about any heavy lifting.

Ready for a tour?

How It Works: The CN Tower Light Show

Everyone who lives in Toronto has seen the CN Tower lit up. It becomes a pinnacle in the skyline at night because of the bright lights and constantly changing colours, but did you know that those colours actually hold a meaning? Every day of the year the lights shine a different colour, sometimes relating to a local or worldwide event, to bring awareness to a particular cause, or to celebrate a holiday.

Get Your Caffeine Fix at Zavida Coffee

You don’t have to go far to get a good cup of joe around here.

This year Zavida Coffee opened up shop on the ground floor of our building, which we know has made everyone’s morning a lot brighter as you make your way to work and school. The coffee company itself has been around for over 35 years, and is trusted to make some of the best coffee you’ve ever had. Move over, Starbucks!

Photo via galleriartframe on Instagram

They serve locally roasted fresh coffee, a variety of teas, and have an assortment of pastries in case you’re feeling hungry. One thing we love about their business is that for every ten cups purchased from their shop, they plant one tree somewhere around the world, so it’s like you’re saving the world while you get your caffeine fix.

Photo via syng on Instagram

All things caffeine aside, the shop itself is really beautiful. With beautiful details on the floor, twinkly lights hanging from the ceiling, and cozy seats hanging all around the store, we highly recommend you enjoy your coffee in the shop every now and then. It’s a great place to get some work done or catch up with a friend.

Zavida is located on street level on the north side of our building, and they’re open 7 days a week!

Photo via zavidacoffeeroasters on Instagram

Buildings casting light on their city’s skyline around the world

One thing we love is pairing great architecture with vibrant lighting displays - they have a major impact to city skylines. At Aura, you may have noticed the lights at the top of our tower that make a statement on the Toronto skyline. Our light feature consists of a series of LED strips, which illuminate the top portion of our building every evening between 8pm and 10pm.

The Story of... The Gherkin

Who would have thought one of the most iconic building in the London skyline would be strikingly similar to the shape of a pickle?

The Gherkin is arguably the city’s most distinctive skyscraper and we’re not mad about it.

Drink Up at the Toronto Cider Festival

Move over, beer! There’s a new festival in town.

For those of you who aren’t a big fan of beer (or are gluten-free), the Toronto Cider Festival is coming to Yonge-Dundas Square on September 26th and we highly recommend you take advantage of it. It’s the perfect way to cap off the summer, and since we’ve been having a hot September it will be extra refreshing.

It's all in the Details: Trinket Shopping in Toronto

Pulling together the perfect space takes some time. You need to pick the kind of vibe you want, what you want to hang on your walls, and what kind of furniture would suit the room. You may think once you’ve got all these basics down pat your place will feel like home, but you’re not finished yet. The key to pulling a room together is in the details - the trinkets.

Living With Roommates: Rent a 2-bedroom in Aura

One of our most coveted two bedroom units is available for rent right now! This unit is way up high and has never been lived in - it’s perfect for a pair of roommates looking to live in the downtown core. Being on the 73rd floor of our building would also mean you have one of the best views of the city, and live close to work, school, and all the amenities you could ever need.

Get Ready for Fall with Fashion on Yonge

Downtown Yonge is bringing Fashion on Yonge back to the neighbourhood for yet another year, but this time with a new venue! For the past two years this has been one of our favourite events because it shows off just how vibrant our neighbourhood is, especially when it comes to fashion.

Yonge Street goes car-free for Open Streets TO

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Open Streets TO is coming back to Toronto for its second year! Last year, the concept was tested on Yonge and Bloor streets and was met with a ton of enthusiasm. The streets were entirely closed off to cars for a few days last summer and instead were infused with bikers and pedestrians. The main goal of the project was to promote physical activity but also prove that people in Toronto would run, hop, skip, and jump on the opportunity to have a car-free area like this.

The Story of... The Shard

Been across the pond before? Then you’ve probably spotted The Shard in London, England.

The Shard is a supertall glass pyramid skyscraper situated in Southwark, London, designed by Renzo Piano (think the Whitney Museum or the New York Times building in NYC). It’s 87 storeys, 309.6 metres, or 1,016 feet tall, making it the tallest skyscraper in the European Union, and the second tallest free-standing structure in the UK.

Cozy up in this 1 Bedroom Rental

The number of units available to rent in our building is getting smaller and smaller, so if you want to make your friends jealous by living in the tallest condo in Toronto, now’s the time to make the move! If you’ve been on the lookout for the perfect one bedroom condo in the downtown area you’re in luck because we have two left and they just so happen to have the exact same outstanding floorplan. One of the units is on our 42nd floor, while the other is on our 40th floor - both about halfway up the building.

Aura's Landmark Glow

Last evening, some of you may have noticed Aura's signature lighting feature.  We've been hard at work in the final tweaking stages of this spectacular LED lighting display that not only completes the construction of Aura but illuminates the Toronto skyline and beyond like no other building. 

The 5th Floor Outdoor Terrace: Our Patio, Your Party

Our 5th floor outdoor terrace has been finished for a few months already, but now’s the time to really take advantage of it! With plenty of seating including chairs and tables, loungers, and massive couches, it’s a great place to hang out, enjoy the view down Yonge Street, and entertain your friends (those who live in the building or don’t).

Toronto Buildings That Haven't Changed One Bit

Over the last decade, Toronto has seen an incredible amount of change. The cityscape is taller than ever, more attention has been paid to public spaces, and the downtown area has shifted toward a younger, more renter-friendly demographic. The ‘new’ Toronto is fantastic, but amongst all of this change we are still incredibly grateful that so many of our favourite old, historic and heritage buildings in the city are still standing and in use today.

Let’s take a look at a few Toronto buildings that you might not know are over a century old, and are still kickin’.

The Story of... The Bow

Living in Toronto we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing tall buildings wherever we go, but you should know not every Canadian city is like that. Many of them don’t have towering skyscrapers like we do, which is why when one is built (and a stunning one at that) it’s a big deal. If you’ve ever been out west - or specifically to Alberta - you’ll know we’re talking about The Bow.

Interior Design in the Penthouse: An Interview with Kathy Chow

As you probably already know, Aura's 79th top floor Penthouse Suite is now complete! It's the most luxurious and tallest Penthouse in our entire building (and in Toronto for that matter) with the best views in the entire city. Part of that luxury comes from the expert layout of the space, which has been styled by our talented interior designer Kathy Chow.

National Post: Soak it all in

The National Post spoke with the interior designer of our 79th floor Penthouse Suite, Kathy Chow, to learn more about how she chose to design the space. Take a look.

Update: The City of Toronto's Plans for College Park

You might be wondering what’s been going on at College Park these days, so we’ve got an update for you! 

Later this year, the City of Toronto hopes to start a multi-million dollar revitalization of College Park's existing Barbara Ann Scott Park and its surrounding open space, approximately 0.75 hectares. College Park is located in the core of downtown Toronto surrounded by College St., Gerrard St., Bay St. and Yonge St.  Plans for a beautiful and sustainable public open space is the main goal for this major park revitalization. 

Live the Loft Lifestyle in this 1 Bedroom + Den

Did you know that there are lofts in our building? It’s true! If you’re someone who likes to have their living and dining and sleeping spaces separate, then the loft lifestyle is perfect for you. Luckily, there’s one available for rent right now on our 57th floor.

Welcome to the Top: Our 79th Floor Penthouse Suite

Back in May, we took a group of industry leaders through the most coveted and largest Penthouse at Aura - our 79th top floor, 3,055 square foot Penthouse Suite. Now it’s your turn! It’s time to take you on your own tour of this luxurious Penthouse in the sky.

The Story of... Burj Khalifa

When it comes to tall buildings, nothing comes close to Burj Khalifa.

This Dubai-based skyscraper is one of a kind and holds an incredible amount of world records, mainly to do with its height. Standing at 2,716.5 feet, it’s the tallest building in the world, the tallest free-standing structure in the world, it has the highest number of stories, the highest occupied floor, the highest outdoor observation deck, and the tallest service elevator in the world. Pretty incredible.

An Exclusive View Inside Our 79th Floor Penthouse

We couldn’t have been more excited to finally unveil Aura's most luxurious Penthouse Suite in the building, our top floor Penthouse on the 79th floor! We introduced our brand new Penthouse model suite on May 13th to industry leaders to experience all 3,055 square feet of the space and explore everything this extraordinary two bedroom + den/library Penthouse has to offer. Everyone was in awe.

Then & Now: Watch as our building travels through time

Back in 2010, construction began at the corner of Yonge Street and Gerrard Street on what would become one of Toronto’s and Canada's most iconic buildings... AURA.

We can now watch and marvel how Aura, an 80 storey tower, was built from the ground up. From January 2010 to November 2014, we documented the progress at our construction site each day and night, floor by floor, and after 4 years we can now see Aura grow and soar into the sky in this 3-minute timelapse video.

Take a look and see if you can spot features like the 5th floor terrace or our penthouse suites coming to life!

    

Going for a stroll? Head to Allan Gardens

One of the city’s best kept secrets is Allan Gardens. If you’ve never been before, you should go, as it’s one of our favourite places in the city to escape and see a little bit of greenery while we’re at it.

Get Outside: Our Favourite Public Spaces in the City

Being a downtown dweller is great - everything is right at your fingertips, especially in our neighbourhood. However, sometimes it’s nice to break away from the concrete jungle and hustle and bustle of the city and head to a place with a more outdoorsy feel. It’s important to soak in as much Vitamin D as possible before the weather turns (you know how fast that can happen!), so why not spend your summer weekends hanging out at some of the city’s most popular outdoor, public spaces.

These are some of our favourites:

The Story of... The CN Tower

The CN Tower is an icon in not only Toronto, but in Canada. Standing at 1,815 feet you can see it from just about every neighbourhood in the city, and most of you have probably taken a trip to the top of it at some point in your life. The CN Tower put Toronto on the map as a leader in innovative architecture, but did you know that it was actually commissioned for a very practical reason?

New to Town? This One-Bedroom Rental is Perfect for you

New to the city? Not sure where to live, or dine, or workout, or how to get to the subway? All of those problems are solved when you’re renting in our building. If you’re just starting out in Toronto and are planning to live alone, we can definitely help make the rental process easier resulting in a smooth transition. Right now we have a one-bedroom rental unit - Unit 4611 - which is on our 46th floor, is 584 square feet, and has got everything you need for comfortable living in the city.

The Most Luxurious of Them All: Our 76th Floor Penthouse Suite Rental

With a new season comes the urge to make a change. If that change is a change of your scenery, we can definitely help you out with that. We’ve got some incredible rental suites available in our Aura building for people looking for a way to live the downtown lifestyle without committing to purchase.

Being the tallest residential building in Canada, having a great view of the surrounding city is a given. The unit we’re looking at today is on the 76th floor and is currently one of the highest rentals you can get in our building - it also just so happens to be one of our penthouse suites. If you’re looking for something more high-end (literally), then this 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom penthouse suite rental is for you.

Thinking Ahead: The Most Futuristic Skyscrapers

The future is here! Well, almost.

For years, architects and designers have been obsessed with coming up with out-of-this-world concepts for buildings. An annual competition from eVolo calls upon people to submit the craziest, most futuristic idea for a skyscraper that they can think of, and entrants oblige. These concepts often centre around sustainability or surviving a post-apocalyptic world, but more often than not it’s just all about what’s on the outside.

10 Ways to Save on Downtown Living

Living in a city can get expensive. There’s so much to do and see that it’s almost impossible to get bored, however most of the things you want to do cost money. That, however, is not to say that there aren’t ways to get around those costs. You’d actually be surprised at how many of your everyday activities have a cheaper alternative, so we’re here to let you in on the secrets.

The Story of... The Empire State Building

What was once the tallest building in the world is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. The Empire State Building is an icon of New York City - a pinnacle for building tall, a historical landmark, and of course a popular movie prop (think King Kong and Sleepless in Seattle). All of these things you probably already knew, but there’s a lot more to the building than that, that’s why we’re here to shed a bit more light on the story of the Empire State Building.

Living with Transit: Our Convenient Connection to College Station

If there’s one thing that’s important to any urban dweller, it’s their proximity to transit. In Toronto we have streetcars, buses, and subways, and having easy access to them is key. The fastest and most preferred transit method is of course the subway, and being close to a subway station is something a lot of Torontonians think about when they’re choosing a neighbourhood to live in. We don’t exactly want to rub it in, but here at Aura we’re pretty lucky to not only have College Station right beside our building, but we don’t even have to walk outside to access it!

Dine at Aura: Duke's Refresher

The options for grabbing a bite in our building are endless. You already know about our food court, Scaddabush, and Reds Wine Tavern, but there’s also Duke’s Refresher! Known for its fun drinks (hence the name “refresher”), Duke’s has a booming atmosphere and should be your go-to spot for drinks after work. Its original location is up north in Muskoka, but we’re happy they chose the bottom of our building for their first expansion.

Grabbing a Bite in the Aura Food Court

A big part of our goal when building Aura was to provide our residents with more than just a space to live. Without even leaving the building, those who live here have access to a number of places like Duke’s Refresher, Reds Wine Tavern, and Scaddabush, as well as Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshalls, and the 40,000 square foot Hard Candy Fitness gym. On top of that, we also recently opened our indoor amenities on the 5th floor which includes party rooms, lounges, a private movie theatre, a pool room, and come the spring will stretch out onto the 5th floor outdoor terrace.

Your Perfect Guide to Toronto's PATH

The PATH system is a total blessing for Toronto. The 30 kilometre underground system is the largest of its kind and makes the majority of our downtown core accessible without even having to go outside. Perfect for our truly Canadian winters! Aura has an underground connection to the PATH system right from the building which is just a 3 minute walk from the P1 resident access doors to College station. This makes it convenient and quick for residents to get to work or to school, access lots of shops and restaurants underground and giving thousands of daily commuters access to our building’s retail services as well.

Chatting with Glen & Jamie from the GTA Home & Reno Show

Move-in dates have come and gone for many of our purchasers and renters. It's so exciting to see Aura come to life with all of the people living in the building! Putting together a new home, though, can be difficult. Making a space feel like home is always a work in progress and we wanted to share some tips from the pros for decorating a brand new space. 

We spoke with Glen Peloso and Jamie Alexander, one of Toronto's foremost interior design teams, about decorating and designing for small spaces. They will be at the GTA Home & Reno Show this weekend and we're giving away 3 pairs of tickets on Twitter! Here's what they had to say.