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The Louis Boheme condo tower
was a quantum leap in terms of residential construction.
With 270 condos and 28 floors, it dominated the Quartier des
Spectacles, and offered direct views over the Place des Arts
center stage area... until that is, the construction of
Le Peterson.
The Louis Boheme main entrance is at
350 de Maisonneuve West. This is a prime location as it is
just three minutes walk from the nearest access to the
McGill subway station and has an access from the building
into the Place des Arts subway and the east side of the
Underground city. However this isn't a direct access as it
requires residents to leave the building and go arond the
corner to enter the subay. This was deemed preferable for
security reasons. The other sides of the building either
face south with views of Downtown and the St Laurence river,
and those facing North West have views of part of Downtown
and the Mountain. Units that are lower down on that side
still have views over a small city park.
The building
is architecturally distinctive with a cubist style design on
the East side of the building and a monolithic dark grey
with a few bright red accents on the north side. The south
side is more conventional and has balconies and terraces and
is probably the side with the best views and orientation.
The neighbourhood has many restaurants, bars and cafes
and is ideally located for grocery stores of which there are
several within 10 minutes walk. There is even a store called
Fous d'ici
which is a mini market located on the ground floor of the
building which is ideal for purchasing high end produce,
marinated meats, salads and organic products. The building
is just minutes walk away from the only 24/7 pharmacy in
Downtown Montreal.
The condos in the Louis Boheme
building are rather conventional with 8ft ceilings until the
14th floor, at which stage they go to 9ft which makes a
surprising difference if visiting identical units from one
floor to the next. A feature one can find in almost all the
units is that of a moving partition wall between the living
room and the (or one of) the bedrooms. This can make the
units look larger and brighter.
The building's
amenities are excellent. The Louis Boheme has an indoor
endless pool which is the only one in the city to the best
of my knowledge (thats the pools which have a current to
swim against). There is also a large gym, a lounge, a dry
sauna, and an urban garden. The building also has a
concierge and 24/7 security.
PROS:
Great location overlooking the Place des Arts and the
Quartier des spectacles Building amenities are excellent and
nearby services are the best in the city. The 'sliding
walls' get mixed reviews but they are definitely a plus for
those who only use their second bedroom as a guest bedroom
(which would otherwise be wasted space). The building is
safe and the condos are well designed and make very
efficient use of the space.
CONS:
The Louis Boheme was built just after the 2008-09 recession
which means the market was relatively stagnant. As a result,
it is obvious that the developers had to make cuts. These
came in the form of finishings and materials in the
units and the common areas. The building recently
refurbished the lobby which had a positive effect but was,
after the gym, probably the area that was the least in any
need of any work. As a result of all of this, the some units
have aged very quickly (usually subject to how good the
occupants were at maintaining it). Nevertheless, if a unit
can be purchased at a good price, or in good condition, it
will be a good piece of real estate to hold onto. The common
areas will be upgraded eventually so these really are
temporary issues. |
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