Tag Archives: Yonge Street
Where are Toronto’s prime real estate pockets?
Carolyn Ireland – The Globe and Mail
Toronto’s capricious spring real estate market has lots of people feeling perplexed.
Sales have been tumbling for months in a row but prices have held on or continued to climb.
Comment: We all know by now that sales have fallen 10-15% every month since the new mortgage rules came into play. Once we hit July and are comparing months with the same rules, suddenly sales will stop falling – or even rise. And this whole discussion will vanish. Prices have not just held on, they have risen 4-8% month after month, even with fewer sales.
Some houses draw 11 bids; others see their offer dates come and go.
Comment: More because the demand has dropped and too many people think too highly of their houses and expect to get bidding wars that do not materialize. People will only fight for something worth fighting for. It is not a comment on the market as a whole, just on some sellers and their agents.
Buyers question whether prices are finally on the verge of a decline, and they only have to look as far as Vancouver to see people who bought last year only to see their new house slide in value in 2013.
Comment: Seriously? Vancouver has NOTHING to do with Toronto, and their values have been dropping for years. People have called for Toronto prices to fall for a decade now – not going to happen. Prices will continue to rise as demand outstrips supply. With a constant flow of people moving to Toronto, they need somewhere to live. Investors will still buy condos when the vacancy rate is under 1% and there are multiple offers on rentals. Houses still get bidding wars. Every couple that buys a new condo will likely want a house for their family in the future. Mortgage rates will continue to stay low for the next few years. Where is the downward pressure coming from? Nowhere…
Move-up buyers don’t have it any easier: They may buy a grand new property and get caught in the uncomfortable squeeze of not being able to sell their current house or condo.
Comment: Not if they have anything decent and are realistic about their price.
So for people who want to buy or trade up now, one strategy that makes sense is to put a greater emphasis than ever on finding a stellar neighbourhood. These pockets tend to hold up better in a market slump and are likely to rise higher still if prices resume their climb.
Golden neighbourhoods have attributes that make them great places to live, regardless of what the market is doing.
Comment: Really? Not like real estate agents have been preaching “location, location, location” since, like, forever.
Their solid schools, good housing stock, desirable shopping and proximity to a pleasant park or a stretch of shoreline will make them comfortable places to ride out any potential downturn.
Republic of Rathnelly
A few choice streets make up the Republic of Rathnelly, which is a cossetted pocket west of Avenue Road and north of Dupont.
The rolling and curvy streets of Rathnelly Avenue, Poplar Plains Crescent, Cottingham Street and McMaster Avenue make up the counter-culture republic, which was founded on July 1, 1967. On a lark, a band of residents declared independence from the rest of Canada after helping to successfully stave off the Spadina Expressway. They still mark the anniversary with a street party.
These days, more earnest parents are eager to pack their kids off to Brown Junior Public School, which offers English and French immersion classes, and has a reputation for academic excellence. It’s also a platinum-certifited eco school that promotes “anything but car” days and litterless lunches.
The houses are mostly solid, but unpretentious, detached and semi-detached brick dwellings from the Victorian era.
Even the climate is rarified in parts of the republic: Houses built part way up the escarpment formed by the shoreline of the ancient Lake Iroquois have reverse ravine lots which benefit from a slightly warmer micro-climate that allows flowers to bloom a little bit earlier than they do in surrounding gardens.
Comment: Sure, but this is one of the most expensive and exclusive neighbourhoods in Toronto. Average prices are multi-million and listings are very rare. Kind of an odd one to suggest… This is above the pay grade of most people, and likely all first-time buyers.
Lansing
This little corner of the city is still quite bucolic considering how quickly one can hop onto Highway 401 from here.
The area is just above the highway, with Yonge Street to the east, Bathurst to the west, and Burnett Avenue running along the northern boundary. The Don River Valley cuts through the area and separates it from the well-known Earl Bales Park, where legions of kids have taken to the bunny hill for their first run on skis.
There’s still an abundance of greenery, despite the fact that many small bungalows have been torned down and replaced with newly built dwellings with main floor family rooms and cathedral ceilings. Some of the houses even have ravine lots.
Residents can walk to bustling Yonge and Sheppard to eat, shop and yawp at the construction of fast-rising condo towers.
Schools include the private Little Owl Preschool Elementary, University Preparatory Academy, Don Valley Preparatory Academy, the Toronto Cheder and Cameron Public School.
Comment: My sister-in-law’s family lives here, nice spot!
Dufferin Grove
Dufferin Grove Park and the nearby Dufferin Mall had a pretty nefarious reputation in decades past but they’ve long since undergone remarkable transformations. But even while the park was the site of sketchy activity and the mall was rather tattered, the imposing Victorian and Edwardian houses to the east tended to attract upstanding urbanites who liked the lovely, leafy streets and the proximity to College Street.
For years the solid housing stock drew writers and university professors who could afford property values that lagged behind those of the Annex and High Park. Today, hordes of young families are attracted by more moderate prices around the $600,000 mark.
It’s still a great investment, it’s a very good neighbourhood. Meanwhile, the hippest boutiques, galleries and cafes of have migrated farther west and now sit just a short stroll away. Those sections of Bloor, College and Dundas are gentrifying and changing so much.
Comment: No news here, this stretch has been getting more and more popular for years now. Ever since residents took the park back for families, with farmers’ markets and more. Check out dufferinpark.ca for more.
The sweet spot of Leslieville
For people who crave French brioche, vintage coffee tables and the softly poached eggs of free-run chickens on Sundays, Leslieville is neighbourhood gold and the intersection of Queen and Carlaw is at the centre.
Streets running north and east of the intersection of Queen and Carlaw are considered the most desirable. Avenues such as Boston, Brooklyn, Bertmount and Coady provide quick access to a stool at the window of Te Aro Coffee Roasters. Parents can stop in after the daily run to Morse Street Junior Public School.
Comment: I have been preaching the gospel of Carlaw Avenue for years now, I love the east end. I grew up on Broadview, so this is my home turf.
Allenby Junior Public School is a big draw here. According to the Toronto District School Board, the documented history of this slice of Toronto dates back to the 1400s when a tribe of Huron Iroquois settled in a longhouse village. The school is popular for its French Immersion program for kids in Grades 3 through 6.
If you stand on the northwest corner of Avenue Road and Eglinton, then venture into the mannerly blocks north and west, you’re in Allenby, where families vie to buy Tudor-style houses on such streets as Briar Hill Avenue, Roselawn Avenue, Willowbank Avenue and Castle Knock Road.
Many of the houses have been enlarged but the neighbourhood retains a traditional feel.
The shopping strip along Eglinton West is packed with upscale boutiques.
Comment: Another very high end location, between Wanless Park and Lawrence Park. You best be ready to spend a million or more to get into this neighbourhood.
Fallingbrook
Sitting atop the Scarborough Bluffs, Fallingbrook is a niche within the neighbourhood of Birch Cliff, which is in turn a pocket within Scarborough. This area is replete with curving streets named Fallingbrook: If you’re invited to dinner there, either rely on the GPS or leave extra time to distinguish between Fallingbrook Road, Drive, Woods and Crescent.
Fallingbrook Road runs just west of the rolling golf greens of the Toronto Hunt Club and south of Kingston Road.
The houses lining the promontory above Lake Ontario range from gracious 100-year-old mansions to renovated mid-century dwellings and newly built architectural wonders. Houses on streets such as Courcelette, Blantyre and any of the Fallingbrooks are highly sought-after.
In many ways, the neighbourhood seems like an extension of The Beaches, just the other side of Victoria Park. Residents of this area have quick access to Queen Street East shopping but fewer day-trippers to contend with on the weekends.
Comment: Staying north of Kingston Road here cuts your price almost in half. And there are still bargains to be had on Courcelette or Blantyre, even south of Kingston. I still kick myself over a semi I was literally a couple hours too late on… could have bought it on Blantyre for $380k – worth a couple hundred grand more now. Always one that got away…
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
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Condo plan for major downtown Toronto site may include a park
Tara Perkins – The Globe and Mail
A developer that has just beat out a number of rivals to buy a much-coveted piece of land on Wellesley Street West near Yonge Street is now in talks with the city about scaling down its condominium plans to make room for a park.
As a result, Toronto Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is now confident her long-held desire to see this particular parcel of land become home to some sort of green space, something local residents have also pushed hard for, will be realized.
The turn of events comes after Ms. Wong-Tam fought a losing battle last year to persuade Infrastructure Ontario to let the city lease the land and build a park, potentially with an underground parking lot to raise revenues for both governments. Infrastructure Ontario was selling the two-acre-plus site in order to raise money for the province.
“We would have loved to have been able to purchase it from the province, but the province invited the city to bid on the land in competition with developers,” Ms. Wong-Tam said in an interview. “And we were not successful at being creative and creating a new working relationship with the province because they wanted maximum dollar, and there’s just no way the City of Toronto could compete with deep-pocket developers.”
After two rounds of bidding, the site went to Lanterra Developments, whose CEO Barry Fenton says the company paid $65-million, more than original estimates of what the site would go for. Mr. Fenton said that when the company acquired the nearby Sutton Place Hotel on Bay Street, which it is now turning into The Britt Condos, it paid $58-million. “But it came with a building in place and a lot of infrastructure. This site is barren,” he said in an interview. “It’s a lot of money to spend for 2-1/4 acres of land.”
He added that his understanding is that the province received numerous offers from condo developers, office developers, pension funds and other real estate players.
Now Lanterra is planning to submit an application to the city this week to obtain about 950,000 square feet, enough space for two condo towers. But Mr. Fenton and Ms. Wong-Tam are in talks about doing something different on the site.
“We are in fluid discussions with the city councillor, and the game plan is to see if we can work something out over the next few months that provides more of a park concept with one tower, and that’s something that we would look to do,” Mr. Fenton said.
Ms. Wong-Tam suggested she’s optimistic.
“The province was suggesting to developers that they can develop the site by putting in two to three condominium or office towers,” she said. “Lanterra has been put on notice, and I did tell them that I would expect to see a park as soon as possible.”
The land was once supposed to become home to a ballet and opera house, but governments withdrew the funding for that project in the recession of the early 1990s.
Ms. Wong-Tam said the neighbourhood is one of the most dense parts of the city and there are few remaining opportunities to create park space. “As we lose all the infill sites, opportunities to create new community amenities and new community spaces are lost forever,” she said.
“I believe the end result will be a win-win,” Mr. Fenton said. He expects condos won’t be completed on the site for five or six years, with marketing likely to begin more than a year from now after the zoning application is approved.
He remains a believer in the strength of Toronto’s condo market, despite falling sales across the city and the warnings of economists who suggest the market is overvalued. “I’m spending a lot of money on something when people are telling us every day it’s doom and gloom,” he said.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
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Davisville Village Condos and Condos on Merton Street
Centrally located and popular with young professionals and families, Davisville Village is an attractive area in Midtown Toronto between St. Clair and Eglinton which offers an unprecedented array of condo options. Depending on what part of the neighbourhood you are in, you will see anything from smaller boutique buildings and converted office buildings, to walk-up townhouses and towering high-rises circa the 1970s. Look below to see what the choices offer.
Call Laurin at 416−388−1960 or or email him today if you are interested in any of these Davisville Village or Condos on Merton Street! Please be sure to let us know if you think a condo is missing.
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 Domain – 319 Merton StreetIn the heart of pleasant Mt. Pleasant Village, Domain Condos is a condominium development of two buildings at 13 and 14 storeys. With a total of 241 units, available suites range in size from one bedrooms to two bedrooms with den. Balconies or terraces overlook the midtown Toronto skyline. Domain is conveniently located near the plethora of shops, restaurants, and cafes that make the area so charming. There are several amenities in the building, such as an indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, party room, and landscaped patio. There are also exercise facilities and a games lounge. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 Greenwich Terrace – 111 Merton StreetGreenwich Terrace is a true boutique building and one of the older condos on Merton Street. It started life as an office building, but was converted to residential condominium apartments in the mid-1990s. The suites offer high ceilings, great natural light, roomy terraces, Juliette balconies and well-thought-out floor plans. The condos range from studios up to two-bedroom-plus-dens, some with 3 bathrooms. Amenities include security system, exercise room/gym, party/meeting room, rooftop terrace with BBQs and guest parking. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 The Metro – 119 & 139 Merton StreetThe Metro at 119 Merton Street and 139 Merton Street offers a range of single storey condos and 2-storey soft lofts. The loft floor plans feature great natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows, soaring 18-foot ceilings. South-facing units offer wonderful views of the greenbelt and the downtown Toronto skyline, which will never be blocked because of Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Right on the Key Gardiner Beltline Trail, bikers and rollerbladers will love this location. Floor plans range from 1-bedroom to 2-bedroom-plus-den configurations. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 180 Merton Townhomes – 180 Merton StreetThese luxurious executive townhomes are located at 180 Merton Street. These Georgian-style towns are their own little gated community. Built by Curated Properties in 2001. They offer exquisite finishings, with marble, beautiful hardwood, crown mouldings, high ceilings, gas fireplaces, private rooftop sundecks with gas lines for BBQs and a gated driveway allowing access to individual built-in garages. Very low monthly maintenance fees, rarely offered for sale. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 The Rio – 35, 195, 225 & 253 Merton StreetTower 1 at 35 Merton Street was the first of four Rio projects built on Merton Street. The others are at 195, 225 and 253 Merton. Surprisingly, they are named The Rio II, The Rio III and The Rio IV. They are all similar in size and offer suites ranging in size from 1 bedroom, up to 3 bedrooms. Amenities include 24-hour concierge, security system, exercise room and gym, party room, visitor parking, sauna & whirlpool. They are know for their excellent amenities. Merton Street is a hot location, with restaurants, shopping and the subway literally at the end of the block. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 The Hampton Boutique – 260 Merton StreetThe Hampton Boutique is a small boutique Merton Street condo that features a variety of well laid out 1 and 2 bedroom suites, each offering a balcony or terrace. This intimate & elegant condo in Davisville also has penthouses with unobstructed views from open balconies overlooking gardens and the rose courtyard. Amenities include a common bike storage, party room with billiard table, big screen tv, kitchen and walkout to garden with lots of guest parking. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 151 Merton Townhomes – 151 Merton StreetSandwiched between Rio IV and The Metro, you will these lovely little towns. Set in a tranquil courtyard setting near the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, each of the 17 townhomes at 151 Merton Street boasts three-four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Near the subway, shops, restaurants, and the Beltline Trail, they’re great value for its size and location. The security of underground parking is available. Each unit also includes a private patio for outdoor entertaining. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 The Parkside – 245 Davisville AvenueIf you know the area, then you are familiar with the condo with the round balconies. The intimate lowrise condominium apartment building located on the South West corner of the intersection of Davisville & Mount Pleasant Road, offers suites in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The building overlooks the public green space, baseball, soccer, tennis & playground facilities in June Rowlands Park to the North. The condos range from one bedroom to two bedrooms with a den. The building has a security system, exercise room & gym, recreation room and a guest suite. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 300 Balliol – 300 Balliol Street300 Balliol Street is a condo apartment building located at on the North West corner of Balliol Street and Mount Pleasant Road (one block south of Davisville Ave). This lowrise building offers floor plans ranging from ground floor suites with private walk-out gardens, up to penthouses featuring large private terraces. Smaller one bedrooms and large two-plus-dens, with everything in between. Features include security system, exercise room, recreation room, games room. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 Chaplin Place – 20 Glebe Road WestRarely available, Chaplin Place is a small boutique building In Midtown Toronto near Yonge and Davisville. The condos are large, some one one level and others on two. Expect solariums, fireplaces, parking and lockers. Each condo is large, with two bedrooms and two washrooms. Most do not have balconies, as they have solariums, so outdoor space is only available in the ground level units with walkout terraces. Condo fees are rather low considering the age and size of these condos. Commercial tenants are on the main floor and there are no amenities to speak of. Sizes range from around 600 square feet up to over 1,000 square feet. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 The Phoenix – 1901 Yonge StreetLocated on the South East corner of Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue, this building started life as an office tower, and was converted to condominium loft apartments in the mid-to-late 90s. The lofty suites at The Phoenix are very nicely laid out, offering high ceilings, lots of natural light and quality finishes. Amenities include 24-hour concierge, security system, exercise room, media/recreation room and a rooftop garden. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 The Radius Wide Lofts – 18 Merton StreetThe Radius Lofts are directly above the Ethan Allen shop at the corner of Yonge and Merton. The Radius is just around the corner from some of the finest upscale restaurants, cafes, shops, fresh food and flower markets, clubs, big-screen theatres and the Davisville subway station. There are a total of 80 soft lofts, all with 2–level loft layouts and 18 foot ceilings. All of the suites at 18 Merton have balconies, terraces or both. Amenities include a party room, workout facility – plus the garden terrace with BBQs. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 Le Corbu Lofts – 194 Merton StreetOriginally an office building, Le Corbu Lofts at 194 Merton Street is a rare and popular loft. Located in the south end of Davisville Village, this art-deco inspired building features 34 converted Toronto lofts. The rooftop deck is perfect for hosting your next barbecue, and the exercise room will keep you in shape. The lofts are meant for spacious open-concept living, homey touches such as wood laminate flooring and fireplaces in some suites allow you to take advantage of typical loft characteristics such as ten foot ceilings, while you enjoy all the comforts of home. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
 Merton Yonge Condos – 25 Merton StreetMYC – Merton Yonge Condominiums are situated at the corner of Merton and Yonge streets, the 24-storey, glass and steel tower will have floor-to-ceiling windows and wraparound balconies overlooking tree-lined streets, Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the downtown skyline. Suites include 9-foot ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, designer kitchens, hardwood flooring in living areas, granite or caesar stone counter tops in kitchens, marble counter tops in bathrooms, ensuite laundry and stainless steel appliances. Contact us today if this condo interests you. ———- |
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Davisville Village is named for John Davis, who came to Canada from Staffordshire, England in 1840. John Davis was Davisville’s first postmaster and helped found the Davisville Public School. He also operated the Davis Pottery, originally located on Davisville Avenue, which became the Village’s largest employer. Neither the Pottery nor the wood and paper mills that used to be mainstays of the area, currently exist – they made way for residences, shops and businesses long ago. However, the two-storey building that was the site of the former Davisville Post Office is still standing on the north-east corner of Yonge & Davisville.
The south part of Davisville was subdivided in the 1860’s on land owned mostly by the Davis family. The north part of the Village belonged to the Church. This latter tract of land, known as the Davisville Glebe, remained undeveloped until 1911 when it was sold to the Dovercourt Land and Building Company, the same company that oversaw the development of the Lawrence Park neighbourhood.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416−388−1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
