The Braxton, 1750 Bayview Ave: 52-Suite Brick Mid-Rise Near Eglinton

The Braxton at 1750 Bayview Avenue is a six-storey brick building of just 52 suites at the Leaside end of Bayview, near Eglinton. I point downsizers here when they want a large suite, a small building and Bayview’s shops on the doorstep without moving into a tower. The price per square foot is low for the area and the fee per square foot is high, and you need to understand both before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small brick building on Bayview

The Braxton is a low, brick-clad building of six storeys and 52 suites, which a recent listing fairly describes as boutique. On a street where most new condos are concrete and glass, a brick mid-rise reads more like the houses of Leaside and Davisville around it.

Small buildings like this have a different feel from a tower. You get to know your neighbours, the elevator wait is short and the board is made up of people you will see in the lobby. A listing also notes on-site management on weekdays, which is not a given in a building this size.

The flip side is that every major repair is shared among only 52 owners. A new roof or garage membrane costs much the same whether it is split 52 ways or 300 ways, and that is why fees in small buildings tend to run higher per square foot.

Big suites, from 700 to over 2,200 square feet

Condos.ca puts suite sizes at roughly 695 to 2,258 square feet. Even the smallest suites here are larger than many one-bedrooms in new towers, and the largest are the size of a house. Current listings are all one- and two-bedroom plans, from the 700s to over 1,000 square feet.

One recent listing for a two-bedroom of about 1,100 square feet described 9-foot ceilings, an open living and dining area, a primary bedroom with a walk-in closet and ensuite, and a second bedroom that works as an office or guest room. It also came with one underground parking space and an extra-large locker.

This is the building for buyers who are selling a house nearby and want to keep their furniture. A dining table, a proper sofa and a guest bed all fit, which is not true of most new condos at the same price.

Large suites also vary more in condition. Some will have been renovated by owners who lived here for twenty years, others will be original. Budget for kitchens, bathrooms and flooring if the suite has not been updated, and check that any renovation work had board approval.

Bayview at the door, and the Crosstown across the street

The building is on Bayview close to Eglinton, at the point where Leaside’s shopping strip begins. Listings point to Bayview’s shops and restaurants, parks and TTC service close by. For daily errands, that is a very easy place to live.

A listing also describes a new LRT station across the street, on the Eglinton Crosstown line. For a building that has had only buses at its door for most of its life, rapid transit on Eglinton is the biggest change in the area in a generation, and it is likely to support demand from buyers who work along Eglinton or downtown. The data panel on this page has the current transit details.

The Crosstown has also brought new towers to Eglinton and Bayview. Expect more construction nearby for some years, and newer buildings competing with yours on resale, though very few of them will offer suites this size.

What the fee covers

Condos.ca lists the fee inclusions as air conditioning, common elements, heat, building insurance, parking and water. A listing summed it up as all utilities except hydro and cable, which matches.

With heat, cooling and a parking space inside the fee, your monthly cost is predictable across the year. That matters for downsizers on a fixed income, and it is part of why the headline fee looks high next to a new building where those costs sit on separate bills.

Read the budget in the status certificate with that in mind. In an all-inclusive building, utilities are one of the largest lines, and they move with energy prices. Look at how the fee has changed over the last few years and how much of each increase went to utilities versus the reserve fund.

What The Braxton costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $670 per square foot. That is low for Bayview near Eglinton, and the main reason is that the suites are large: big suites usually trade for less per square foot than small ones, even in the same building.

When I checked, five suites were listed for sale, asking from $628,000 to $865,000. Their monthly fees ran from about $800 to $1,143, which condos.ca works out at about $1.10 per square foot. That is high, and it reflects both the small number of suites and what the fee includes.

To compare fairly, add back what you would pay separately in a newer building: heat, cooling, water and a parking space. Then compare total monthly cost, not the fee alone. Five listings at once in a 52-suite building is a lot of supply, which can give a buyer room to negotiate. For closed results, use the sold data on this page or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Braxton

The amenities are simple: a fitness centre, a party room, a meeting room and bike storage. There is no pool or concierge listed, which is normal for a 52-suite building, and Bayview’s shops and parks do most of the work.

Jatin’s honest take on The Braxton

The Braxton — 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.