The Hammersmith, 2112 Queen St E: Two-Storey Townhomes on Queen

The Hammersmith is where I point buyers who want a townhouse in the Beach but not a freehold house’s price or upkeep. It is a 1991 low-rise of 36 suites on Queen Street East, laid out largely as two-storey units with balconies, terraces and a shared courtyard, and parking is in the fee. It is more than 30 years old, though, and that shapes everything you need to check. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Townhouse living on the Queen Street strip

The Hammersmith sits on Queen Street East near Hammersmith Avenue, in the stretch of the Beach where Queen narrows to one lane each way and the 501 streetcar runs down the middle. Condos.ca classes it as a three-storey low-rise, but the suites themselves behave like townhomes.

Recent listing descriptions call the units two-storey townhouses, with living, dining and kitchen on the main level and bedrooms upstairs. Some suites have a balcony facing Queen Street, and listings mention views toward the lake from upper levels. Others open onto a private terrace that steps out to a landscaped interior courtyard.

That combination is unusual. Most Beach condos are either flats in a mid-rise or full townhouse complexes on side streets. Here you get the townhouse layout with a front-row seat on the commercial strip.

Layouts, parking and outdoor space

Condos.ca records suite sizes from about 641 to 1,824 sq ft, which is a wide range for 36 units. The smaller end will be one-bedroom or compact plans; the upper end is family-sized by condo standards. A recent two-bedroom listing came in at roughly 1,000 to 1,199 sq ft, with a powder room on the main floor and a full bath upstairs.

Listings describe brick exteriors, hardwood and ceramic floors, central air and no basement. Two-storey suites mean an internal staircase and bedrooms separated from the living space, which many families prefer. The staircase is fine for most buyers but worth thinking about if you are buying to age in place.

Because suites vary so much, compare floor plans rather than bedroom counts. A two-bedroom on the courtyard side and a two-bedroom over Queen can be very different homes in terms of light, noise and outdoor space.

Parking is included in the fee, according to condos.ca, and listings mention one space and a storage locker with suites. On Queen Street East in the Beach, that is a real advantage: street parking is tight, and summer weekends make it tighter.

Outdoor space is the other draw, and the one I would look at most carefully. Balconies, terraces and the courtyard in a building of this age are often where water gets in. Ask which outdoor areas are exclusive-use for the suite, who pays to repair them, and whether any membrane or balcony work has been done or is scheduled.

Confirm too whether the parking is underground. If it is, the garage waterproofing is one of the largest future costs the corporation will face.

What a 1991 building needs from its owners

At more than 30 years old, The Hammersmith is past its first round of major repairs and into the second. In a low-rise like this, the big items are usually the roof, windows and doors, masonry and sealants, balcony and terrace waterproofing, and, if there is one, the parking garage.

Thirty-six owners is a better base for those costs than the eight or fifteen you find in some Beach boutiques, but it is still a small corporation. One large project can move the fee or trigger a special assessment if the reserve fund has not kept pace.

Read the reserve fund study for what is planned in the next five to ten years, then the last two years of board minutes for what owners are actually discussing. Ask the manager whether any windows or terraces have been redone, and whether owners or the corporation paid for that work.

Living with Queen Street at the door

The benefit of this address is that the Beach is on your doorstep: independent shops and restaurants along Queen, and the lake and boardwalk a short walk south. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools and parks.

The cost is noise and activity. Suites facing Queen hear the streetcar and the traffic, and summer brings crowds. Courtyard-facing suites trade the street view for quiet. Visit at night and on a weekend so you know which you are buying.

Nearby, the 101 Hammersmith complex offers a similar townhome format on a quieter side street, and it is worth comparing the two directly if you are choosing between Queen and a residential block.

What The Hammersmith costs to own

Condos.ca shows an average of about $546 per sq ft, which looks very low for the Beach. With 36 suites and few sales, that number may be built on older transactions, so I would not treat it as today’s value.

There were no suites for sale or for rent at the time of writing, so I can’t quote a current asking range. For a two-storey townhouse-style suite here, the right comparison is other Beach townhome condos and small freehold houses nearby, adjusted for the fee and the age of the building’s systems. Because listings here are infrequent, have your financing and your lawyer lined up before one appears, so you can review the status certificate quickly.

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Heat and hydro are not on the inclusions list, so ask for the seller’s utility bills to get the true monthly cost. For actual traded prices, request my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Hammersmith

There is no gym, pool or concierge, and the fee reflects that. What you get instead is the courtyard, private outdoor space with many suites and a parking space, which for most Beach buyers matter more than a party room.

Jatin’s honest take on The Hammersmith

The Hammersmith — 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.