90 Kippendavie Ave: A 13-Home 1977 Condo Complex Near Queen and Woodbine

90 Kippendavie is for buyers who want the Beach at ground level and would rather share a roof with 12 neighbours than own a 100-year-old house alone. It is a 1977 complex of only 13 homes near Queen and Woodbine, managed by a professional firm, with visitor parking and very little turnover. It is also one of the older condominium corporations in this part of the city, and that is where the real work is. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One of the Beach’s earliest condos

Condominium law in Ontario only dates from the late 1960s, so a corporation registered in June 1977 is an early one. The YCC prefix, for York Condominium Corporation, marks it as one of the early Toronto registrations, before the MTCC and TSCC prefixes that came later. Corporations from this era tend to be small, low-rise and built more like housing than like towers, and 90 Kippendavie fits that pattern.

Condos.ca calls it a low-rise condo, and other directories describe it as townhomes. In practice you should expect ground-oriented homes with their own front doors rather than an apartment building with a lobby. Confirm the layout of the specific home, including the number of levels and whether there is a basement, from the listing and the floor plan.

Thirteen homes is a very small corporation. It feels more like a private lane than a building, and that is the appeal for most buyers. It also means every owner carries about a thirteenth of every repair.

What a 1977 complex needs now

At almost 50 years old, this complex has been through at least one full cycle of roof, window and siding replacement, and possibly two. The questions are what has already been done and what is coming. The reserve fund study answers both, and with only 13 owners it is the most important document you will read.

Look closely at the items that are usually common elements in older townhouse condos: roofs, exterior walls, windows and doors, decks and fences, driveways and paving, and underground services such as water and sewer lines. In an older complex the buried services are often the surprise, because nobody thinks about them until they fail. Ask whether any have been inspected or replaced.

Also check the declaration for what each owner maintains. Some older corporations leave windows, doors or furnaces with the owner, and some do not. The answer changes both your fee and your risk.

Professional management in a tiny corporation

Many complexes this small are self-managed. 90 Kippendavie is listed with City Sites Property Management, which means there is a firm handling the books, contractors and the status certificate. That is a plus for a buyer: records are easier to get, and the board does not depend on one volunteer.

The trade-off is cost. A management contract is a fixed expense split across only 13 homes, and it shows up in the fee. Ask what the contract costs and whether the board has reviewed it recently.

Insurance is the other fixed cost to watch. Premiums for condominium corporations have risen sharply across Ontario in recent years, and older, small complexes feel it most. Ask what the corporation’s deductible is, because in many buildings an owner can be charged up to that amount for damage that starts in their home. Then make sure your own condo insurance covers it.

Queen and Woodbine, day to day

The location is the reason to buy here. You are near the western edge of the Beach, where Queen Street East’s shops and restaurants meet Woodbine Avenue, and close to the lake, Woodbine Beach and the parks along the waterfront. Kippendavie itself is a residential street, so home is quieter than the strip. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools and parks in detail.

The Kew, a newer four-storey building at 66 Kippendavie, is a short walk away and is the natural comparison. The Kew offers an elevator, newer systems and a more modern fee structure; 90 Kippendavie offers ground-level living, fewer neighbours and the age of a 1977 complex. They suit different buyers.

Summer in the Beach means crowds and tight street parking near the lake. The visitor parking listed here is useful, but ask how many spaces there are and how they are managed.

What 90 Kippendavie costs to own

Condos.ca shows no average price per square foot here, and with 13 homes and very few sales, any number would be thin. There was nothing for sale or for rent at the time of writing, which is normal. Months can pass between listings. If this is the building you want, have your financing approved and a lawyer lined up in advance, because a well-priced home in a complex this small can sell within days of listing, sometimes with a short condition period for the status certificate.

With so few sales, I price homes in a complex like this against nearby freehold houses and townhouses of similar size, not condo apartments. A buyer here is usually choosing between this and a small Beach house. Start with what a similar-sized freehold home would cost, then adjust for the monthly fee, the shared ownership of the land and the condition of the reserve fund.

Condos.ca does not publish the fee inclusions. Ask whether the fee covers water, parking and exterior maintenance, and which utilities each owner pays. For recent results nearby, see my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 90 Kippendavie Condos

There are no shared rooms or facilities to speak of, and that is how it should be in a complex this size: you are not paying to run a gym or party room. The amenities are the lake, the parks and Queen Street East, all within walking distance.

Jatin’s honest take on 90 Kippendavie Condos

90 Kippendavie Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Leslieville, Riverdale, the Beaches, Danforth and Leaside more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.