Lakehouse Beach Residences, 1960 Queen St E: 28 Suites, Big Terraces

Lakehouse Beach Residences is one of the few places in the Beach where you can buy a modern suite with a terrace the size of a small backyard, a short walk from the boardwalk. It is a six-storey, 28-suite building at Queen and Kenilworth, on the corner where Lick’s Homeburgers used to be. It is also one of the most expensive condos per square foot in the east end, and you should know why before you pay it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A glass building on a brick street

RAW, the Toronto practice led by Roland Rom Colthoff, designed Lakehouse as a stack of glass enclosures that step up in size as they rise, offset with smaller elements in brick and ipe wood. The masonry and timber are there to tie a contemporary building to the scale of Queen Street East, where most frontages are two- and three-storey brick.

The design was not universally loved when it was proposed in 2011. UrbanToronto’s coverage noted local debate about the height and the glass-box look, and the City asked for a study of the Queen Street segment from Woodbine to Hambly before it moved forward. Today it reads as one of the more distinctive modern buildings on the strip.

The site at 1960 to 1962 Queen Street East was home to Lick’s Homeburgers before redevelopment. Occupancy was originally targeted for late 2013; the condominium was registered in January 2017, so the build took longer than first marketed. For a resale buyer today, what matters is how the finished building has performed since, and that is in the corporation’s documents.

The terraces are the product

Reserve marketed Lakehouse on outdoor space, and the numbers back it up. UrbanToronto’s database lists terraces and wraparound balconies of up to 1,058 square feet, with the upper floors set back so the terraces read as framed outdoor rooms rather than exposed ledges. Balconies and terraces were fitted with gas barbecue connections.

The project launched with 16 floor plans, all one-bedroom or two-bedroom, at a marketed range of about 550 to 1,880 square feet. Condos.ca records a narrower range of about 578 to 1,256 square feet, which likely reflects the suites that have actually traded or been listed. Ask for the registered plan of any suite, and measure the outdoor area separately from the interior.

Suites were marketed with 9-foot ceilings, Scavolini kitchens, AEG and Liebherr appliances, deep soaker tubs and frameless glass showers. That is a high finish standard for a 2017 building, but finishes age, so judge each suite on its condition rather than the brochure.

Living above Queen Street retail

The building has retail at grade along Queen Street East, and the residential entrance is on Kenilworth Avenue, reached by a landscaped walkway. That separation is a good thing: you come home on a quiet side street, not through a shop frontage.

Queen-facing suites look over the streetcar line and the Beach’s main retail strip. That is lively in summer and part of the appeal, but it is not silent. Suites facing Kenilworth or the rear, and suites on the upper floors behind the setbacks, are the quieter choices.

With only 28 suites, this is a building where you will know the board and most of your neighbours. It is also a building where every major repair is shared among few owners, which I come back to below.

Condos.ca lists an outdoor patio and permission to barbecue, and parking is included in the fee. In the Beach, where many older buildings and houses have no parking at all, a space bundled into the fee is worth real money. Confirm which space is tied to the suite and whether a locker comes with it.

How it compares with Bellefair Kew Beach

The closest comparison is Reserve’s other Beach project, Bellefair Kew Beach Residences at 2000 Queen Street East, about a block east. Same developer, same architect, a similar boutique scale. Bellefair is a conversion of the former Beach United Church, completed in 2015, and condos.ca puts its average at about $1,012 per square foot.

Lakehouse trades a little higher, and it has a better fee inclusion list: condos.ca shows parking and water included here, while Bellefair lists heat and water. Bellefair has heritage character; Lakehouse has the terraces and a purpose-built modern plan. Choose based on which of those matters more to you.

Why it costs over $1,000 a square foot

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $1,067 per square foot. That is among the highest figures for condos in the east end, and it reflects three things: a Queen Street East address in the Beach a short walk from the lake, a small new building with high-end finishes, and outdoor space that is not counted in the interior square footage you are paying per foot for.

There was one active listing when I prepared this page, so I am not quoting an asking price or fee; one listing is not a market. With 28 suites, sales are infrequent and the building average can move with whichever suite sold last. The data panel on this page shows twelve-month medians, and I would always compare a terrace suite only against other terrace suites.

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, parking and water as included. Heat and hydro are not listed, so expect to pay your own. In a building this small, fees per square foot tend to run higher than in a large tower, because fixed costs are shared among few owners. For recent trades, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Lakehouse Beach Residences

There is no gym, pool or party room here, and you should not expect one in a 28-suite building. The amenity is your own terrace, plus the boardwalk, the beach and Queen Street a short walk away.

Jatin’s honest take on Lakehouse Beach Residences

Lakehouse Beach Residences — 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.