The Kew, 66 Kippendavie Ave: A Four-Storey Beaches Boutique by AUDAX

The Kew is what most people picture when they say they want a condo in the Beach: four storeys, brick, a side street, and the lake a short walk south. It is small, it is quiet, and it is priced like it knows that. Before you buy, you need to understand why the published facts about this building don’t all agree. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Why the published facts don’t line up

Condos.ca lists 57 suites and a suite range of about 565 to 2,484 square feet. The Globe and Mail’s coverage at launch described 65 suites from 548 to 1,590 square feet, with occupancy planned for fall 2012. Condos.ca even refers to the building as 76 Kippendavie in one place, while its address is listed as 66.

My reading is that some suites were combined during or after construction, which would explain both a lower suite count and a larger top end. Occupancy also clearly ran later than planned, since TSCC-2380 was registered in May 2014. But that is my interpretation, not a documented fact.

The practical advice is simple. Confirm the suite count, the legal description of your suite and its parking and locker units on the status certificate. In a building this small, the difference between 57 and 65 owners also changes how a large repair is shared.

Brick, black metal and ten-foot ceilings

The Globe credits AUDAX Architecture with the design and Worsley Urban Partners as developer; condos.ca does not list a developer at all. The facade is red brick with black metal cladding, chosen to sit comfortably beside the houses on Kippendavie. Alex Chapman of Chapman Design Group did the interior finishes.

Inside, most plans are one- and two-bedroom suites with ten-foot ceilings, open principal rooms and large windows facing the trees or toward the lake. Most suites have a balcony or a patio. Hardwood floors, porcelain tile, deep soaker tubs and built-in European-style kitchen appliances were the standard finishes at launch.

The penthouses are the most interesting suites. They were designed with rooftop sunrooms and private terraces, some described at up to about 1,352 square feet, and several terraces have built-in planters and green roofs.

The planting was part of the pitch, not an afterthought. Greenery around the suites and green roofs on the penthouses were meant to soften the building and cut summer heat on the roof. Those features look good when they are maintained, and they cost money to maintain, so ask how the corporation budgets for them.

The rooftop, and the question of pets

The shared rooftop was the main amenity in the plans: cabanas, fireside seating, a covered barbecue and dining area, living green walls, and a patch of green space that the developer described as doubling as a dog run.

That last point needs care. Condos.ca now lists a pet restriction for the building. A dog run on the roof and a pet restriction can both be true, for example a limit on the number or size of pets, but I could not find the actual rule. If you have a dog, read the declaration and rules before you make an offer, not after.

Beyond the roof, condos.ca lists a party room, an outdoor patio, an elevator and a parking garage. There is no concierge, gym or pool listed, which is normal for a four-storey building and helps keep the fee down.

Daily life on a Beaches side street

Kippendavie is a residential street, so the building is noticeably quieter than anything fronting Queen Street. You are close to Kew Gardens, Woodbine Beach, Ashbridges Bay and Woodbine Park, and the Queen Street shops and restaurants are a short walk north.

The trade-off is the one every Beach buyer accepts. This part of the city is further from downtown than Leslieville or Riverdale, and summer weekends bring crowds to the beaches and Queen Street. For people who live here year round, that is part of the appeal, but it is worth a summer Saturday visit before you commit.

The obvious comparison is next door at 60 Kippendavie Avenue, an older four-storey brick building of about 30 suites completed around 2000, with minimal amenities and a small, owner-run corporation. Choose 60 Kippendavie if you want a lower entry point and are comfortable with an older building; choose The Kew if you want newer construction, higher ceilings and a shared rooftop.

Among the highest prices per square foot in the east end

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $1,172 per square foot. That is well above most condos in Leslieville and Riverdale, and above many newer mid-rises on Queen East. You are paying for the Beach address, the small size of the building, and the ten-foot ceilings.

The fee is the counterweight. Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water as included, which is about as complete as fee inclusions get. At launch the fee was projected at 49 cents per square foot plus individually metered hydro; expect it to be meaningfully higher now, and check the current budget.

One more thing on parking. At launch, parking spaces, storage lockers and bike lockers were sold separately from the suites, and only eight spaces were set aside for visitors. Condos.ca now lists parking in the fee, which likely refers to the upkeep of the garage, not a guarantee that every suite owns a space. Check what is actually attached to the suite you are buying.

There were no active listings when I checked, which is typical for a building with so few suites. Resales are infrequent, so you may wait for the right layout, and sold comparables are thin. I would look at sales in other small Beach buildings as well as this one before making an offer.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Kew

The amenity package is small and centred on the roof. For most owners here, the real amenities are the beach, Kew Gardens and Queen Street, and the building is set up for people who use those rather than a gym on the ground floor.

Jatin’s honest take on The Kew

The Kew — 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.