Everywhere you look there seems to be a new condo building sprouting up and adding to the Toronto skyline. Each offers its own unique architectural style, with many featuring the highly sought-after floor-to-ceiling window. But did you know that there are some hidden gems that many Torontonians don’t even notice sitting in plain sight? It may be easy to overlook these established condos, but there are three particular buildings that I want to share with you and will hopefully make you think twice about vintage condos. So without further ado here are, in my opinion, some of the best older condos in Toronto!
Granite Place Condos – 61/63 St. Clair Ave West
Built-in 1979 at 61/63 St. Clair West, Granite Place condos is located right in the heart of Yonge and St. Clair. Consisting of twin high-rise condo towers with a beautiful atrium in the lobby, you’ll be seriously impressed with what this condo has on offer. Individual suites feature open balconies, generous windows with natural light and open concept living spaces.
When it comes to condo amenities, older condos can often be lacking. This is not the case with Granite Place. Residents of the building can enjoy concierge services, a fitness facility, whirlpool and steam room, meeting and party rooms, as well as an immense saltwater indoor pool all located at 63 St Clair Avenue West.
40 Homewood Avenue
This is a centrally located building near the corner of Jarvis and Carlton. Considering how serene and peaceful the location is, you would not have a clue that you were downtown! The building provides picturesque city views to the west, as well as delightful vistas of Cabbagetown and mature treetops to the east.
40 Homewood Avenue was built in late 1972 and for a long time, it looked like it was built in the 1970s. However, the building has recently enjoyed a major lobby makeover and is currently updating its hallways. There are also plans to replace all old doors and windows with new, high-quality ones. One of my favourite aspects of 40 Homewood Avenue is that despite the size of your unit, you will always enjoy your own enormous deck.
If the tunnel design apartment that is common in most modern-build condos is not your style, you will appreciate the wide floor plans of 40 Homewood Avenue. Because they are so wide, they tend to provide windows on more sides and natural light can flood the suite at different times of the day, rather than having one giant window in your living room.
120/130 Carlton Street
Some of the best older condos in Toronto are located close to one another in the central core. This is another building that is located near Carlton and Jarvis that offers a great taste of the downtown city life. 120 Carlton features commercial units while 130 Carlton houses residential units, but they share the same amenities.
This building, like 40 Homewood Avenue, has also enjoyed some modern renovations such as a freshly painted and re-imagined outdoor exterior. Updates to the hallways, meeting rooms and pool have also recently been done making this a great older condo.
One of the best things about this condo is that not only does it feature some of the largest condos in the city (the smallest unit being 1,256 square feet!) but that it is also one of the most affordable condos in Toronto. Additionally, with south-facing views overlooking Allen Gardens, it really is hard to find a downside to this 1985 condo.
65 Scadding Avenue (“St. Lawrence On The Park”)
If you are searching for a quiet street that is within walking distance of the bustling downtown Toronto core but want to be a little further south, 65 Scadding Avenue is the place for you. Built in 1988, it is the newest of all the condos mentioned and it is located off Lower Sherbourne and The Esplanade.
This building was ahead of its time when it was constructed, as it has been repeatedly used as a model for mixed-housing neighbourhoods due to its amazing success in integration. Similar to the other buildings, it is beautiful inside and out as it features a new lobby and updated hallways. Some of the upper floor units offer a fireplace – something that you will never find in a modern condo! The views from all directions are generally unobstructed, and some units can even see the lengthy boulevard parkette along the north side.
While it is undeniable that the newly built condos or pre-construction condos in Toronto are stunning to look at and offer a variety of amenities, there is a charm about established condos that should not be ignored. Some have features that are no longer offered in modern buildings, while others offer a respite from the vibrant downtown city life, while still being a stone’s throw from all the action.
If you are looking to move into a Toronto condo, consider older condos as well as new ones, especially when you can now see what the best older condos in Toronto have to offer. Contact me to learn more!
