I have rented at most of the available rehearsal studios near the downtown core, and been in and seen the ones that aren't close as well. Puddletown is my tops, and I currently rent a room there and have for a couple years now.
1. Nic who runs puddletown keeps things decent. Hallways are clean, light bulbs changes, bathrooms are kept up, things are fixed when they break. I have had problems with building maintenance at several places. When water leaks through the roof onto your gear, it's painful. When you fall down the stairs because there is no light when loading in at 2:30 AM after a gig, it sucks.
2. No stairs to load gear up and down. All the puddle town spaces allow load in/out without stairs. This is key.
3. Reasonably prices, rates are competitive.
4. 24 hour access, no restrictions.
Yes, these rooms are "sealed" to keep bleed down, no ventilation. It's the trade off of isolation vs airflow. Yes the isolation is not going to stop the technical death metal band in the next room from being heard, but if you play amplified, once you start playing, it's not a big deal.
I will upload a picture of our room, which we treated acoustically and hung fabric over the walls for a better look. If someone finds a better place close to downtown for rehearsal spaces, please let me know. read more