Minto Longbranch 2 Urban Towns: Long Branch’s Entry-Level Townhome Condo

Minto Longbranch 2 Urban Towns is the cheapest way I know into a newer townhome-style condo near the lake in south Etobicoke. It is the later of Minto’s Longbranch corporations, and it has something its older neighbour does not: smaller suites, starting around 544 square feet, which brings the entry price down. The catch is the same as in every stacked-town community, and I will be blunt about it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The second corporation in Minto’s Longbranch community

Minto describes Longbranch as a 463-home community of stacked townhomes in two phases, at Lake Shore Boulevard West and Long Branch Avenue. It sits on former industrial land: UrbanToronto forum posts record a large industrial plant on the north side of Lake Shore, just east of Browns Line, being cleared for the project, with Diamond Corp and the Kilmer Group named on the early plans before Minto took over the site.

The community is split into separate condominium corporations. This one, TSCC-2769, covers the Urban Towns on Eastwood Park Gardens and was registered in April 2020. Its sister corporation, Minto Longbranch East on Long Branch Avenue, was registered in 2017. Minto’s own page says the community was complete in 2018, which does not line up neatly with a 2020 registration; registration often trails occupancy, but ask for the actual occupancy date if it matters to you.

Minto describes the architecture as urban and modern, with rooftop terraces and garden patios rather than balconies on a tower. It reads as a small neighbourhood of low-rise homes rather than a building, which is exactly why buyers who dislike elevator lobbies look here.

Smaller suites than Longbranch East, and that matters

Condos.ca puts the suite range here at about 544 to 1,363 square feet. Longbranch East starts near 1,000 square feet. That difference is the main reason to look at this corporation: there are one-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den plans here, not just family-sized suites, so a first-time buyer can get a townhome address without stretching to a three-bedroom budget.

The current listings show the mix clearly. Of the eight suites for sale when I checked, one was a one-bedroom, four were two-bedrooms, two were two-plus-dens and one was a three-bedroom. The two-bedroom is the core product, and it is where you will find the most comparables when it is time to price or sell.

Minto describes the Longbranch homes as stacked townhomes with rooftop terraces and garden patios, so a suite typically has its own front door and is either an upper unit with stairs up to a roof terrace or a lower unit with a patio. Ask exactly which level a suite is on and how many flights of stairs sit between the sidewalk and the bedroom. Two listings with the same bedroom count can live very differently.

Green features and what you pay for yourself

Minto says the first Longbranch phase was ENERGY STAR qualified and the second was certified LEED Silver. The “2” in this corporation’s name suggests it is the second phase, but I could not confirm that from Minto’s page, so ask the listing agent or check the corporation’s documents if certification matters to you.

Minto lists the community’s efficiency features as high-efficiency heating equipment, extra wall insulation, a heat recovery ventilator in each suite, low-VOC finishes, water-saving fixtures, a rainwater cistern and ENERGY STAR appliances. It also says each suite has its own meters for water and electricity.

That last point is the practical one. With individual meters, your water and hydro bills are your own, and they will not appear in the maintenance fee. Ask the seller for a year of utility bills so you can compare the real monthly cost against a tower unit where water is bundled in.

Living at the west end of Lake Shore

This is the far west of Toronto, at the Mississauga border. Lake Shore Boulevard West is the main street, with the 501 streetcar running along it, which Minto calls steps away, and Long Branch GO is nearby. The automatic panel on this page shows the exact transit and walking details.

The appeal of Long Branch is that it still feels like a village. The lake, Marie Curtis Park and the Etobicoke Creek trail are close, the houses around the community are mostly older and modest, and Lake Shore has the everyday shops you need without the condo-tower density of Humber Bay Shores.

The neighbourhood is changing, though. Minto launched Westshore, a new townhome community in Long Branch designed by BDP Quadrangle, in October 2023, with more than 500 homes planned over several phases. Expect construction activity nearby for some years, and expect new-build inventory to compete with resales here.

What it costs, and how it compares

Condos.ca puts the average here at about $682 per square foot, close to the roughly $663 it shows for Longbranch East. Both sit well below what most south Etobicoke condo towers trade at, which is the whole point of buying a stacked town: you pay less per foot and give up the elevator and the amenity floor.

When I checked, there were eight suites for sale and none for lease. Asking prices ran from about $549,000 to about $863,000 across the eight. The four two-bedrooms were asking roughly $795,000 to $863,000, and the two two-plus-den suites were asking about $819,000 to $849,000. Those are asking prices, not sold prices; the market data panel on this page shows what has actually traded.

Monthly fees on those listings ran from about $343 to $656, with most two-bedrooms in the low-to-mid $400s. That is low because there is no concierge, gym, pool or elevator to fund. Eight listings in a 130-suite corporation is a lot of supply at once, so buyers have room to negotiate, but it is worth asking the agent why so many owners are selling at the same time.

Building specifications

Amenities at Minto Longbranch 2 Urban Towns

There is no shared amenity floor here, and condos.ca lists no amenities. What you get is your own outdoor space, bike storage and a low fee, with the lake, Marie Curtis Park and the Lake Shore shops standing in for a gym and party room.

Jatin’s honest take on Minto Longbranch 2 Urban Towns

Minto Longbranch 2 Urban Towns — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.