Chestnut Residence facts for kids
The 89 Chestnut Residence is a cool place where students from the University of Toronto live. It's right in downtown Toronto, across from a big hotel. This building used to be a hotel called the Colony Hotel. In 2004, it was changed into a student home to make space for many new students joining the university.
A Look Back: From Hotel to Home
This building was first built as a hotel in 1972. It was one of the biggest hotels in Toronto back then, with 749 rooms! It cost about $18 million to build. The hotel was bought in 1989 for $73 million and renamed the Colony Hotel.
In 2003, the University of Toronto bought the hotel for about C$67.6 million. They turned it into a residence for students. Before buying this building, the university used to rent rooms for 400 students at another hotel.
Today, nearly 1000 students live at Chestnut Residence. Most are from the University of Toronto and the Ontario College of Art and Design University. Until 2008, students from George Brown College and Ryerson University could also live here.
Cool Features and Student Life
The Chestnut Residence has some unique features. It has a special area for meetings and events. On the 27th floor, there's a revolving room that used to be a restaurant. Now, it's a student lounge called The Lookout, where you can relax and enjoy amazing views!
Chestnut is known for being one of the most comfortable residences at the University of Toronto. It even kept the hotel's chef, so residents enjoy great food. Many international students choose to live here, making it a very diverse and exciting place.
Students at Chestnut have their own group called the Chestnut Residence Council. This group plans lots of fun activities for everyone. They organize events like a semi-formal dance, open mic nights for talent, ski trips, and sports tournaments. It's a great way to meet new friends and get involved!
