The Southport, 60 Southport St: Big 1972 Suites, Some on Two Levels

The Southport is what I suggest when a buyer wants the square footage of a house near High Park at condo prices and does not need a new lobby. This 1972 Bramalea building on Southport Street has nine storeys, 232 suites that start at roughly 1,000 square feet, and two-storey layouts that hardly anyone builds anymore. The catch is that you are buying into a 50-year-old building, so the paperwork matters as much as the suite. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An early Bramalea condo, built for owners who stay

Condominium ownership was still new in Ontario when the Southport was registered in August 1972, and its corporation number, YCC-87, shows how early it was. Bramalea, the developer better known for building a whole planned town in Brampton, put up a nine-storey slab here with big suites aimed at owner-occupiers rather than investors. CondoInvestments.ca credits the design to architect John Nielson; I could not confirm that anywhere else.

The ownership pattern still reflects that intent. Strata.ca’s data shows owners holding their suites for around 24 years on average before selling, and only a handful of sales and leases in a typical year. That is a quiet, stable building, which is good for living in and harder for a buyer, because suites do not come up often.

Across Southport Street is Grenadier Gardens, a two-tower complex from 1973 managed by the same company. If you are shopping on this street, view both. The comparison will tell you more than either building’s listing will.

Suites from 1,000 square feet, and two-storey layouts

Condos.ca puts suites at roughly 988 to 1,526 square feet. Strata.ca’s range runs a little wider, from about 880 to 1,600. There are no small units here. The building was designed in an era when a two-bedroom was meant to replace a house.

The distinctive feature is the two-level suite. Some units are laid out like townhouses inside the building, with living space on one floor and bedrooms on the other. Recent listings have described them as among the largest plans in the building. If you want stairs and separation between living and sleeping areas but also want an elevator and no snow to shovel, few buildings in the west end offer it.

Condition varies widely. Many suites have been renovated with new kitchens, hardwood and updated bathrooms, and some have ensuite laundry. Others still have original finishes and carpet. Price the renovation into your offer, and ask the corporation what alterations it allows before you plan to move walls or plumbing.

What the fee covers, and why sources disagree

Condos.ca lists the monthly fee as covering common elements, heat, hydro, water, cable TV, building insurance and parking, and recent listings say the same. Strata.ca shows hydro, heat, air conditioning and water as excluded. Those two versions lead to very different monthly budgets, so this is the first thing to settle with the status certificate.

If the inclusive version is right, which the listings support, a large fee here will look expensive next to a newer building but may cover almost every utility you would otherwise pay on your own. When you compare, add hydro, heat and parking back on to the other building.

A building from 1972 also means older central systems. Ask how heating and cooling are delivered to the suites, whether individual suites have air conditioning, and when the main mechanical equipment was last replaced.

Swansea, between the park and the river

Southport Street runs north from The Queensway into Swansea, a residential pocket between the west edge of High Park and the Humber River. Day to day, that means the park’s trails and Grenadier Pond on one side, the river and the Martin Goodman waterfront trail to the south, and Bloor West Village for shopping. The panel beside this review shows transit and walking data.

The street is about to get much busier. State Building Group’s 34 Southport, on the west side of the street, is a multi-tower project; UrbanToronto’s project database still lists it as pre-construction, while a June 2026 article describes it as under construction. To the east, Toronto Community Housing’s Swansea Mews site at The Queensway and Windermere is being redeveloped with two rental towers of 20 and 35 storeys, approved by City Council in March 2026, with a grocery store planned at grade.

For an owner, that means years of construction nearby, but also new retail and a grocery store within reach of a part of Swansea that has always felt a little cut off.

Price per square foot: why the Southport looks cheap

Condos.ca puts the building’s average at about $560 per square foot. That is well below newer condos near High Park, which typically trade far above that, and it is the clearest signal of what you are buying: space, not finishes or a new building.

The closest comparison is across the street. Condos.ca puts Grenadier Gardens at about $573 per square foot, almost the same figure, for suites of a similar size and age. When two buildings on one street trade this close together, condition, fee inclusions and the health of each reserve fund are what separate a good purchase from an average one.

Strata.ca’s recent transaction data shows two-bedroom suites averaging in the low $700,000s and three-bedrooms in the mid $800,000s, with sales closing slightly under asking. No suites were listed when I checked. In a building where owners stay for decades, that is normal, and it is a good reason to set up an alert and check the sold report before you write an offer.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Southport

An indoor pool, sauna and tennis court in a 232-suite building is a generous package by today’s standards, and recent listings also describe exercise and studio rooms. It is a 1970s package, so ask when the pool and its mechanical systems were last overhauled.

Jatin’s honest take on The Southport

The Southport — frequently asked questions

Looking at High Park-Swansea more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.