2 Lynwood Ave: 16 House-Sized Suites in South Hill, Midtown Toronto

2 Lynwood Avenue is not a condo in the way most people use the word. It is three storeys and 16 suites, every one of them at least the size of a large townhouse, on a residential street in South Hill. Buyers come here when they are leaving a big house and refuse to give up the space. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Sixteen suites, three storeys

Most boutique buildings in midtown have 40 to 100 suites. This one has 16, spread over three storeys, which is closer to a small apartment house than a condominium tower. You will know every neighbour by name within a month.

Listings describe it as being in the heart of South Hill, the pocket between Forest Hill, Casa Loma and Yorkville, with St. Clair West to the north. Condos.ca files it under Casa Loma. Either way, it sits among large houses on quiet streets, and from the outside the building is designed to fit in rather than stand out.

The condos.ca record names Krcmar Surveyors as the builder. That is the name of a land surveying firm, so I would read it as the surveyor on the registration rather than the developer. I could not confirm who actually built the building.

Suites the size of houses

Suites run from about 1,470 sq ft up to about 4,600 sq ft. Even the smallest is larger than most new two-bedroom-plus-den plans, and the largest is bigger than many detached houses in the city.

The top-floor penthouses are the standout. One recently marketed penthouse was laid out over two levels, with a two-storey entrance, a great room with very high ceilings and a gas fireplace, a library with its own fireplace and wet bar, and a lofted office upstairs. It also came with four underground parking spaces and a locker, which tells you who this building is designed for.

Lower-floor suites will be single-level and more conventional, but still very large. In a building of 16 suites, layouts are close to custom, so do not assume any two are alike. Ask for the floor plan of the specific suite and walk it with your furniture list in hand.

The amenities, and where the sources disagree

Condos.ca lists a concierge, a sauna, a party room, a meeting room, a security system, an underground garage and visitor parking. A blogTO feature on one of the penthouses mentioned a gym, a sauna and concierge service. A brokerage listing for the same suite mentioned a pool and sauna and did not mention a gym.

I can’t resolve that from the public record, so ask the property manager directly what is in the building today and what condition it is in. In a building this small, a pool is a large cost to share among 16 owners, and you want to know whether one exists and what the reserve fund says about it.

A staffed concierge for 16 suites is the real luxury here. It is also expensive per suite, and it is one of the main reasons the monthly fees are high.

Ask, too, how the building handles deliveries, moves and contractors. In a building this small, one major renovation affects everyone, and a concierge who controls access is part of what keeps the place calm.

Living in South Hill

South Hill is one of the quietest addresses in central Toronto. You are close to Forest Hill Village and the shops on St. Clair West, Yorkville is to the south, and Casa Loma is within walking distance.

The side streets here are mostly large houses, which is a big part of the appeal. The bigger change is along St. Clair West: at 135 St. Clair West, for example, a 49-storey rental tower has been proposed to replace a 1960s office building. Transit, schools and Walk Score are in the data panel on this page.

Day to day, this is a car-friendly address as much as a walking one. The penthouse that came with four underground spaces is an extreme example, but parking is in the fee and the building has visitor spaces, which matters for owners who are used to a driveway and guests who drive in.

Pricing and fees at 2 Lynwood

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $732 per square foot. That is well below newer midtown buildings such as The Code at 6 Parkwood (about $968) and older high-rises like 40 Rosehill Avenue (about $950). Very large suites usually trade at a lower price per foot, and age and renovation needs pull the number down further.

The total, not the per-foot figure, is what decides most purchases here. A 3,000-square-foot suite at that rate is a house-level price, and the fee is house-level too. The fee covers water, parking, building insurance and common elements, but heat, hydro and cooling are not listed as included, so add those to the monthly cost.

When I checked, there was a single suite on the market and nothing for lease. I don’t quote one listing’s price or fee. With so few suites, every sale is a different product; ask me for the building sold report and I will walk you through what each comparable actually was.

Building specifications

Amenities at 2 Lynwood Avenue

The amenity list is short and personal: a concierge, a sauna and a few shared rooms for meetings and gatherings. Whether there is also a gym or a pool depends on which source you read, so confirm it with management before you count on it.

Jatin’s honest take on 2 Lynwood Avenue

2 Lynwood Avenue — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.