17 Pembroke St Townhouses: A Gated 1980 Courtyard by Moss Park

17 Pembroke Street is a gated courtyard of townhomes a block from Moss Park, the kind of small 1980 complex most people walk past without noticing. Inside the gate it is green and quiet, and the homes are bigger than most condo suites nearby. The neighbourhood around it is about to change a great deal, which is the main thing to think about before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A gated garden courtyard off Pembroke

The complex is arranged around a landscaped courtyard behind a gate, with mature trees and gardens. Listing records describe it as a well-kept enclave, and that matches what you see: the courtyard is the shared amenity, and the homes look onto it.

With 30 homes, the corporation is small but not tiny. It is large enough to justify professional management, and Maple Ridge Community Management runs it, yet small enough that owners can know each other and follow what the board is doing.

Pembroke is a short residential street of Victorian houses and newer infill between Sherbourne and Jarvis. Being off the main streets gives the complex a quieter feel than its downtown address suggests.

Stacked homes, terraces and what to check

Building data lists the complex as three storeys, and listing records describe stacked townhomes, with two-storey homes set over or under one another. One recent listing described a two-level home with an open living and dining area with a fireplace, a kitchen with an island, a walkout terrace over the courtyard and a second private terrace off the bedrooms, with in-suite laundry.

Listings describe forced-air gas heating and central air in the homes, which usually means each home has its own furnace and air conditioner and pays its own gas and hydro. That makes the fee look higher or lower depending on what you compare it with, so ask what the fee covers.

In a stacked layout, ask which floors the home occupies and who is above or below you. Upper homes get more light and the best terraces; lower homes are often closer to the courtyard. Sound between stacked homes is worth testing in person.

Stacked townhomes share more than row houses do. The roof of one home is the terrace or floor of another, so water management matters. Ask for the history of terrace and roof repairs, and look for stains on ceilings under terraces when you tour.

The underground garage is the other big-ticket item. In a complex of this age, ask when the membrane was last replaced and how the reserve fund study schedules the next round. Then look at the windows and doors, which in many 1980 complexes are due or overdue for replacement.

Moss Park is about to be rebuilt

The biggest change around 17 Pembroke is a block away. The City is replacing the John Innes Community Recreation Centre on Sherbourne with a new four-storey centre of about 75,000 square feet, with a 25-metre lap pool, a leisure pool, a double gym with an indoor track and a rooftop terrace. The park itself is being redesigned with a central lawn, a playground, a splash pad, community gardens, an off-leash dog area and new trees.

At the same time, Metrolinx is building an Ontario Line station at Moss Park, with work scheduled to run to about 2030. The southern half of the park is closed during that work. City timelines put the new centre’s construction in the late 2020s and the park work around 2028 to 2030, and the dates are subject to change.

For an owner, that means several years of construction noise and disruption nearby, followed by a new recreation centre, a rebuilt park and a new subway station close by. Buyers planning to stay through the construction period are the ones most likely to benefit.

The new centre was designed by MJMA in structural timber and glass, and the plan shifted the focus toward recreation after an earlier concept was judged not feasible. The arena’s exterior is also slated for a remodel. Watch the detailed design and the construction tender over the next year or two; they will tell you how firm the timeline is.

Daily life between Queen and Shuter

Queen Street East’s shops and restaurants are a short walk south, St. Lawrence Market and the King East strip are a little further, and Allan Gardens is north up Jarvis or Sherbourne. The Eaton Centre and Yonge Street are within a walk.

Sherbourne and Queen is a busy, very urban corner, and the area has a mix of social services, older housing and new towers. Walk it at different times of day before you decide. The panel on this page covers transit.

Pricing a small complex with few sales

With 30 homes and usually only one or two listed at a time, sales are infrequent. At the time of writing there was one home for sale and one for rent, so there is no reliable building-wide price per square foot or fee average.

When I price a home here, I use several years of sales in the complex, other condominium townhouse complexes downtown east, and freehold row houses and semis on the surrounding streets, then adjust for size, terraces, parking and condition. Stacked homes with large terraces and underground parking usually command a premium within a complex like this.

Compare the total monthly cost, not just the fee: fee, taxes, and your own gas and hydro. For a sales history, ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 17 Pembroke St Townhouses

The courtyard is the amenity, and it is a good one: green, private and shared by only 30 households. There is no gym or party room, but the new recreation centre planned a block away will offer more than any condo could.

Jatin’s honest take on 17 Pembroke St Townhouses

17 Pembroke St Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.