The Carlyle, 55 Delisle Ave: 64 Suites, Big Layouts, Heat and Parking In

The Carlyle is the quietest of the three early-2000s buildings on Delisle Avenue, and the one I show buyers who want space more than amenities. It is a 2006 Laudervest brick mid-rise of only 64 suites, with layouts that run past 3,000 sq ft, a concierge, guest suites and a fee that covers heat, cooling, water and parking. Small, solid and a short walk from Yonge and St. Clair. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The smallest of the Delisle Avenue trio

Delisle Avenue runs west from Yonge just north of St. Clair, and within one short block it holds three condominiums built within four years of each other: 33 Delisle from 2002 with 108 suites, The St. Clair at 10 Delisle from 2004 with 226 suites, and The Carlyle at 55 Delisle from 2006 with 64 suites.

The Carlyle is the smallest and the furthest from Yonge, which is the point. Sixty-four suites over 12 storeys works out to only a handful per floor, so hallways are short and the lobby is calm. Listing agents describe it as a boutique building with a community feel, and the numbers support that.

Having two similar buildings next door is useful when you buy. You can compare fees, reserve fund health and price per square foot across three buildings of the same era without changing neighbourhoods, and see which one the market rewards.

Brick, and suites built for owners

The Carlyle is a brick mid-rise, a deliberate choice that ties it to the older apartment buildings and houses around Deer Park rather than to the glass towers along Yonge. It has worn well; brick buildings of this era tend to look less dated than early-2000s glass.

Suites range from about 630 sq ft to about 3,010 sq ft, and the current listings tell you where the building’s weight sits: two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den suites, many of them large. This is an owner-occupier building, with more downsizers than investors.

Large suites in a building this size mean that floor plans vary a lot. The two-plus-den plans that make up much of the current supply give you a den that can serve as an office or guest room, while the smallest plans are compact one-bedrooms. Finishes also vary, because owners of large suites tend to renovate, so judge each suite on its own rather than assuming a building standard.

Heating and cooling are forced air with central air conditioning, and a recent listing noted Level 2 electric vehicle charging in the underground garage. If you drive an EV, confirm how charging is assigned and billed before you buy, because in older garages it is often limited to a few spaces.

A fee that covers most of the bills

The fee here includes heat, air conditioning, water, parking, building insurance and common elements. Hydro is usually the owner’s only major utility. That is a much more inclusive package than a newer building with suite-metered heating and cooling and separate parking charges.

Fees are high in absolute terms because the suites are large. Across the three suites listed when I checked, fees ranged from roughly $1,400 to $2,300 a month. Compare them per square foot and on an all-in basis, after adding the heating, cooling and parking costs you would pay elsewhere.

In a 64-suite building, the fee also funds a full-time concierge and a guest suite for relatively few owners, which is part of the cost of a quiet building. Ask for the budget and the last few years of fee increases to see how it has been trending.

One more point on fees: because heat and cooling are shared, the building’s energy costs sit inside the budget. That keeps your bills steady month to month, but it also means a rise in gas or electricity prices shows up as a fee increase for everyone, whether you run the air conditioning all summer or not.

Yonge and St. Clair, from a side street

Daily life here is about being close to Yonge and St. Clair without living on it. The shops, grocers, cafes and restaurants of the intersection are a short walk, and Deer Park’s residential streets are right behind you. Transit, schools, parks and Walk Score are shown in the data panel on this page.

The area around the corner of Yonge and Delisle is changing. A tall, Studio Gang-designed tower called One Delisle has been planned for that corner, and the stretch of Yonge around St. Clair continues to attract new development. Being at the quiet west end of Delisle insulates the building from most of that, but expect construction activity nearby for some years.

Where The Carlyle sits on price

Condos.ca reports a building average of about $934 per square foot. That is close to its neighbours: 33 Delisle at about $901 and The St. Clair at about $970. For three buildings of similar age on the same street, a tight band like that is what I would expect, and differences between individual suites will come down to size, floor, view and renovation level.

When I checked, three suites were for sale, asking from about $950,000 to about $1.6 million, all two-bedroom or two-plus-den plans. There were none for rent. That spread mostly reflects size and finish rather than any change in the building’s value.

With only 64 suites, sales are not frequent, so I price suites here against the building’s own sales history and against the other two Delisle buildings. Ask me for the building sold report for the recorded sales.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Carlyle

The amenities are modest and practical: a concierge, a gym, a party room with a kitchen, guest suites for visiting family and a patio. There is no pool, and for most buyers here, that is a cost they are happy not to carry.

Jatin’s honest take on The Carlyle

The Carlyle — 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.