The Radius, 18 Merton St: Two-Storey Lofts Steps Off Yonge Street

The Radius at 18 Merton Street is one of the few buildings near Yonge and Davisville where most buyers are really shopping for a layout, not a view. Its 80 suites are largely two-storey lofts with a double-height room, stairs inside the suite and a fee that already covers your heat and cooling. That fee is high on paper, and I’ll show you why it is less alarming than it looks. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two-storey lofts, not a stack of identical boxes

The reason to look at The Radius is the suite format. Rental and resale descriptions consistently describe two-level loft suites with an open staircase, floor-to-ceiling glass and a double-height living or dining room. One listing put that ceiling at about 17 feet; a rental listing described roughly 18 feet and suites around 26 feet wide.

That width matters as much as the height. A wide, shallow suite brings daylight deep into the living space, which is exactly where narrow modern one-bedrooms struggle. The upper level typically holds the bedrooms, so sleeping space is separated from the living room in a way a single-floor condo of the same size cannot match.

The trade-off is stairs. If you are buying for a parent, or you plan to stay into your later years, ask whether the suite you are seeing has a bedroom and full bathroom on the entry level. Some do not.

Seven storeys or twelve? Read the floor plan, not the brochure

Sources disagree on the building’s height. Condos.ca records seven floors, while a rental profile and at least one sale listing describe a 12-storey, 80-unit building, and suite numbers in the building run into the eleven-hundreds with penthouse units on top.

My read is that the stacked two-storey format explains the gap: a building of lofts can be counted by structural floors or by suite levels. It does not change what you are buying, but it does mean you should ignore floor numbers when comparing views. Ask which actual level the suite’s windows sit on and what faces it.

Penthouse-level suites at the top are where rental descriptions mention private rooftop terraces. If outdoor space is a priority, those are the suites to watch, and they come up rarely in a building this small.

A boutique building on a street that has grown up around it

The Radius predates most of what now lines Merton Street. Since it was finished in 2001, a series of newer condominiums has gone up along Merton, which gives you more nearby comparables than you would expect for an 80-suite building.

Merton Street runs along the northern edge of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the largest green space within walking distance and a quiet route for walks and runs. Yonge Street and the Davisville shops are a short walk west.

Being small has practical effects. Eighty owners share the cost of every repair, so a big project lands harder per suite than it would in a 600-unit tower. On the other hand, small buildings often have engaged owners and a board that knows the building well. The board minutes will tell you which kind this is.

Parking, lockers and the details listings agree on

Condos.ca lists parking as part of the maintenance fee, and the listings I reviewed described one underground space and one locker with the suite. Confirm both on the status certificate, because in older buildings parking and lockers are sometimes owned separately or assigned by the corporation.

Listings also describe in-suite laundry, central air conditioning and forced-air heating. Shared spaces include a fitness room, a meeting room, a party room, a rooftop deck, an outdoor patio with a barbecue and visitor parking. Condos.ca notes a pet restriction; ask for the exact rule before you commit if you have a large dog.

What The Radius costs, and why the fee looks high

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $815 per square foot. That is a reasonable number for Yonge and Davisville given that the suites are two-storey lofts with tall ceilings, but older than most of what surrounds them.

At the time of writing there were three active listings asking between $539,900 and $828,000, from a two-bedroom of about 700 to 799 sq ft up to larger two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den suites. Based on those listings, fees work out to roughly $1.50 per square foot or more, which is well above what newer buildings on Merton charge.

Before you rule it out, look at what that fee covers: heat, air conditioning, water, building insurance and parking, on top of common elements. In most newer buildings nearby, heating and cooling are on your own meter and parking can be a separate charge. Add those back in and the gap narrows. It does not disappear, though, and a fee this size also signals that the reserve fund study deserves a careful read.

Price per square foot can mislead here in the other direction too. A two-storey suite with a double-height room feels larger than its square footage, because the measured area does not count the air above the living room. When you compare The Radius with a single-floor suite nearby, compare the plans side by side and walk both, rather than relying on the numbers alone.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Radius

This is a modest amenity package: no pool, no concierge listed, nothing that drives the fee up through staffing. What you get is a gym, a party room and a shared rooftop and patio, which is about right for 80 suites whose owners mostly bought for the lofts themselves. A lean amenity list also means fewer shared systems to repair and replace as the building ages.

Jatin’s honest take on The Radius

The Radius — 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.