Avonshire Parkside Townhomes, Oakburn Cres: 51 Large Condo Towns

Avonshire Parkside Townhomes is what I show families who want house-sized space near Yonge and Sheppard but cannot stretch to a detached home in Willowdale. It is a group of 51 condominium townhouses from 2011, set inside the Avonshire community near Yonge and the 401, with plans from about 1,420 to almost 2,500 square feet. Listings are scarce and the fee works very differently from a tower’s, so read this before you compare. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Townhouses inside a tower community

These townhouses sit within Avonshire, the master-planned community Tridel built near Yonge Street and Highway 401. Tridel’s own description, quoted on the SkyriseCities forum, set out four condominium towers, one rental building and about 100 townhomes around a central park, with Kirkor Architects and Planners as architect and NAK Design Group on the landscape.

Condos.ca does not name a developer for this corporation, and I could not find a source that ties TSCC-2201 to a specific builder. The complex carries the Avonshire name and sits inside that plan, but if the builder matters to you, confirm it from the declaration or the status certificate.

The appeal of the setting is that you get the services of a dense neighbourhood, including the Yonge strip and the towers’ retail, without living in a tower. Your front door is at grade, and the neighbours on either side are other owners, not 400 suites sharing an elevator.

House-sized plans

Condos.ca puts unit sizes at roughly 1,422 to 2,487 sq ft. That is the size of many semi-detached houses, and it is far more space than nearly any condominium apartment around Yonge and Sheppard. Plans in this format usually stack living space over several levels, so expect stairs.

Stairs are the trade-off that rules some buyers out. Townhouses suit families and people who want separation between living and sleeping floors, but they are a harder fit for anyone planning to age in place. Walk every level, including the trip from the garage, before you decide.

Ask which unit faces the park and which faces the street or the towers. In a complex this size, orientation changes how much light you get, how much traffic you hear, and how private the outdoor space feels.

Underground parking is a real advantage in a townhouse complex. Many older condominium townhouses in North York have surface pads or tandem garages; here the cars go below grade, which keeps the grounds quieter and saves you clearing snow off a driveway in January. Confirm how you get from the garage to your own unit, and whether that route is indoors.

A different kind of fee

The fee here covers common elements, building insurance and parking, which condos.ca lists as an underground parking garage. It does not list heat, air conditioning, hydro or water as included, so you should expect to pay your own utilities, as you would in a house.

That is why comparing this fee with a tower fee is misleading. A tower fee often bundles heat and water and pays for a concierge, a pool and a large staff. A townhouse fee is usually leaner, but your own utility bills for a 2,000 sq ft home are real money, so add them back when you compare.

Find out exactly what the corporation maintains and what you maintain. In many townhouse corporations the owner handles windows, doors or interior systems while the corporation looks after roofs, the garage and the grounds, and the split is spelled out in the declaration.

Living at Yonge and the 401

The location works for commuters. Highway 401 is right at the south edge of the neighbourhood, and the Yonge subway runs up the street; the panel beside this review shows the nearest station and walking time. The Yonge strip north toward Sheppard has groceries, restaurants and daily services.

The Avonshire plan was built around a central park with a courtyard, promenades, lawns and playgrounds, which is the main reason families choose a townhouse here over a suite in the towers next door. Commenters on the planning thread years ago also flagged that traffic at Yonge and Avondale would grow, and the area remains busy at rush hour. Visit at the times you would actually be driving in and out.

Because the towers around you are already built, the immediate neighbourhood is largely settled. Change is more likely along Yonge itself, where older low-rise sites keep coming forward for redevelopment, so check the City of Toronto’s development applications map if a view or a quiet street matters to you.

What Avonshire Parkside Townhomes cost

Condos.ca shows a building average of about $540 per square foot. That is well below what condominium apartments nearby trade for per square foot, which is normal for large townhouses: the more space you buy, the lower the price per square foot tends to be, and the buyer pool for a 2,000 sq ft townhouse is smaller than for a one-bedroom.

There were no active listings for sale or lease when I checked. In a 51-unit complex where owners tend to stay for years, that is common, and it means you may need to wait and be ready to move quickly when a unit appears.

With so few trades, I look at Avonshire Parkside sales over a longer window alongside nearby condominium townhouses in Willowdale and Avondale. For what has actually closed here, use my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Avonshire Parkside Townhomes

There is no amenity floor here, and that is part of why the fee is lean. What you get instead is permission to barbecue, garage parking, fibre internet, and the park at the centre of the Avonshire plan.

Jatin’s honest take on Avonshire Parkside Townhomes

Avonshire Parkside Townhomes — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.