Metro

Canadian condo complex takes ‘Upper West Side’ moniker

A Canadian real estate company is taking a bite of the Big Apple — snatching the name of one of the city’s swankiest neighborhoods and slapping it on a condo subdivision in the tiny burg of Barrie, Ontario, 60 miles north of Toronto.

“Manhattan Upper West Side” — the Canuck version — touts itself as a place “Where urban meets nature.”

The three 48-unit condo buildings — named Rockefeller, Bloomingdale and Empire — surround “a community amenity area that was inspired by Tavern on the Green,” according to builder Pratt Homes.

“You can run the track around the perimeter of water then finish out the work out on the outdoor fitness equipment. Getting fit in the fresh air!” gushes the property’s Web site. Across the street is a sister development — dubbed simply, “Manhattan.”

“To us outsiders, the Upper West Side feels like a place where people who are not from NYC can still feel like they’re home. That’s why it felt OK to bring a piece of Upper West Side to our small hometown,” said Pratt co-owner Kate Hansen. “It’s comfortable and cultural all at the same time.”

The condos include oversized windows, spacious balconies, “superior soundproofing,” and enough quality touches — including plastic laminate kitchen counters — to please “even the most discerning homeowners.”

The project, expected to be completed next year, also includes a running track and an “eco-park” stocked with wildlife, including a turtle nesting habitat.

But New York Upper West Siders said no way, eh? Imitation up there isn’t the sincerest form of flattery.

“In a million years it could never be the Upper West Side,” sniffed Alexandra Wu, 87, a denizen of the authentic nabe for 60 years. “I really resent these people coming in and grabbing our name — they really have no clue.”

Still, by NYC standards, the Canadian condos are a steal.

A three bedroom home can be had for $272,000, and a studio there goes for $150,500.

By comparison, a three-bedroom condo at 15 Central Park West is on the market for $31 million, and a five-bedroom apartment there rents for $125,000 a month.

The developer will look downtown for the name of its next development — Greenwich Village, which will incorporate elements of Washington Square Park. “I have already taken photos on my last trip to NYC of the famous barefoot-friendly fountain in the middle of the park,” Hansen said.

And more NYC ‘hoods are in the works.

“There are so many other areas in NYC that catch our fancy,” Hansen admitted. “Soho is always interesting and the Meatpacking District has incredible personality.”

Canadians weren’t surprised by the name game.

“There’s nothing glamorous in Canada,” said developer and interior designer Sasha Josipovicz, who said the Great White North has always had an identity crisis — torn between America and England. “People are being sold a fake American dream.”

“Since we’ve exhausted all the pompous names related to British high class society — Windsor, Buckingham — we are now turning toward New York,” he added.