E Condos, 8 Eglinton Ave E: The Sky Pool Tower at Yonge and Eglinton

E Condos at 8 Eglinton Avenue East is the tower people point to when they mean the new Yonge and Eglinton. At 58 storeys it was the tallest building north of Yorkville when it opened, and its pool hangs out over Eglinton Avenue in a glass box halfway up. It is also a large, compact-suite investor building, and that is the lens you need to buy through. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The pool in the glass box over Eglinton

The feature everyone remembers is on levels 24 and 25. A two-level amenity volume cantilevers out from the south face of the tower over Eglinton Avenue, with a red-tinted lounge above and a glass-walled swimming pool below. Underwater windows face south toward the downtown skyline, and the same floor holds saunas, change rooms and guest suites.

A second amenity floor sits on level 4: a lounge, a party room with a catering kitchen, a fitness centre, a yoga studio, a tech lounge and a games room, with an outdoor terrace that wraps three sides of the podium. Mike Niven Interior Design did the common spaces and NAK Design Group the terrace landscaping.

For a 623-suite building, that is a strong package. A pool with a view is a real lifestyle feature, not just a line in a brochure, and it gives E Condos an edge over several newer towers at the intersection that skipped one.

Two towers, one condo

E Condos is a two-tower complex by Bazis, Metropia and RioCan. The 58-storey tower at 8 Eglinton East is the condominium. The 38-storey tower to the north on Roehampton Avenue was built as a rental building, so it is not part of the condo corporation you would be buying into.

The podium holds close to 2,000 square metres of retail and more than 3,300 square metres of office space, with residents entering through their own lobby on Eglinton. Retail and office neighbours bring activity to the corner and help keep the base lively, but they also mean shared structure and garage arrangements. Ask how costs are divided between the residential corporation and the commercial owners.

Architecturally, Christopher Hume gave the project a B in Storeys in 2019. He found the alternating clear and black glass a little trendy, but credited the towers with a strong relationship to the street and wide sidewalks on Eglinton.

Compact suites, built for the rental market

Condos.ca records suite sizes from about 466 to 1,240 square feet, and the active listings show the pattern: one-bedrooms under 500 square feet, one-plus-dens and two-bedrooms in the 600s, and only a handful of larger plans. This is a building designed with investors and young professionals in mind.

That makes it a liquid building to rent out, and a crowded one to sell in. With 623 suites, you will almost always be competing with several similar units. The suites that stand out are higher floors with south or west views, corner plans and the rare larger two-plus-den.

Balconies use a scrim of punched aluminum panels with clear glass. They look good from the street, but if you want an open view from your balcony, stand on it before you buy, because the panels change the feel.

Ask also about parking and lockers for the specific suite. In compact-suite towers like this one, smaller units are often sold without parking, and a suite that has a space usually sells and rents for more. Confirm on the status certificate whether the space and locker are owned, and what they add to the monthly fee.

Living at the busiest corner in midtown

You are at Yonge and Eglinton itself, with the Yonge-Eglinton Centre, restaurants and grocery shopping a short walk away. For people who want everything on foot, it is hard to beat.

The same corner is also intensely busy, and it is still growing. Several more towers have been built or approved within a few blocks, so views to the north and east in particular are not guaranteed to stay open. The south view over the lower blocks toward downtown is the one I would pay for.

Noise is the other trade-off. Lower floors facing Yonge or Eglinton take the full sound of the intersection, while suites higher up and on the quieter north and east sides are calmer. If you work from home or sleep lightly, visit at rush hour and on a Friday night before you commit to a plan on a low floor.

What E Condos costs, and the fee question

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $916 per square foot, which is in line with newer towers at Yonge and Eglinton. Small suites inflate price per foot, so compare plans of a similar size rather than the building averages alone.

At the time of writing there were six active listings asking from $439,888 under 500 square feet to $1,150,000. Monthly fees across those listings ranged from about $420 to $1,423.

Condos.ca lists only common elements, building insurance and air conditioning in the fee, so heat, hydro and water are likely your own bills, and parking may be separate. Across the active listings, fees averaged about $1.25 per square foot, which is high for a building where so few utilities are included. The two amenity floors, the pool and a large staff are part of the reason.

That fee level is the main thing I would question as a buyer, especially as an investor. Read the budget and the reserve fund study, ask how fees have moved since registration and compare carrying costs with a nearby building such as 101 Erskine before deciding.

Building specifications

Amenities at E Condos

Two full amenity floors, one at the podium and one in the cantilevered box at levels 24 and 25, give residents a pool, saunas, a gym, a yoga room, lounges and a large outdoor terrace without leaving the building. That package is a big part of what you are paying for in the fee, so only buy here if you will use it.

Jatin’s honest take on E Condos

E Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yonge & Eglinton, Davisville and North Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.