Skyview, 5444 Yonge St: Two Pools, Tennis and the Lowest Price per Foot

Skyview on Yonge is where I point buyers who want a resort-style amenity list and the most square footage their money can buy on this stretch of Yonge. This 1985 tower has an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, tennis and squash courts, and suites that run past 2,400 square feet, at a price per foot well under what newer towers ask. The catch is a 40-year-old building and fees to match. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An amenity list from another era

The reason buyers seek out Skyview is the recreation package. Between condos.ca and REW, the building lists an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a tennis court, a squash court, a sauna, a gym, a library, a multimedia room, a party room, guest suites, a barbecue area and a car wash bay, with 24-hour security.

Very few towers built in North York in the last 20 years have a tennis court or two pools, because the land and operating costs are hard to justify. Here they were built in, and the cost of running them is spread across 281 suites.

That is a strength for an owner who uses them and a cost for one who does not. Pools, courts and car wash bays all need upkeep, and in a building this age they will need major work at some point. The reserve fund study tells you when, and how it will be paid for.

Named plans and big rooms

REW lists three named floor plans: the Doulton, a one-bedroom, and the Chippendale and the Tiffany, both two-bedrooms. Condos.ca puts the overall range at about 839 to 2,420 square feet, so even the one-bedrooms here are larger than many new two-bedrooms on Yonge.

The larger suites at the top of the range are aimed at owners moving out of houses. Expect separate kitchens, formal dining space, big closets and the defined rooms of 1980s planning rather than open-concept layouts.

Original suites will need work: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and possibly the in-suite heating and cooling units. Price that into your offer, and ask the seller what has already been updated and when.

Ceiling heights in towers of this era are usually standard, and I could not find a reliable published figure for Skyview. If height matters, measure at the showing. Balconies and window walls vary by plan and floor, so stand in the suite at different times of day before you decide.

Tridel, Del and the age question

REW names Tridel as the developer, while condos.ca leaves the field blank, so treat the attribution as likely rather than certain. Both sites list Del Property Management as the manager.

Condos.ca lists 22 floors and REW lists 21, a common difference that usually depends on whether a ground or mechanical level is counted. Either way, it is a mid-height tower by today’s standards on this stretch of Yonge.

At 40 years old, Skyview is past its first major renewal cycle and into its second. Windows, balcony guards, elevators, the garage membrane and the central plant are the big-ticket items. A well-run building of this age can be an excellent buy; a poorly funded one can leave owners facing steep fee increases. The status certificate and reserve fund study show you which one you are looking at.

Ask, too, about what the building has already done. Older corporations that have replaced windows, modernized elevators or redone the garage recently are in a very different position from ones that still have all of that ahead of them, and the board minutes usually tell the story.

Between North York Centre and Finch

Skyview sits on the west side of Yonge, between North York Centre and Finch. Pulse Condos, at 5500 Yonge, is a newer neighbour a short walk north. You are on the Yonge strip, with Korean and Persian restaurants, grocers, clinics and banks around you, and North York Centre’s civic and office buildings a little to the south.

Subway access is the panel’s job, and it shows the exact walk to the nearest station. The broader point is that this part of Yonge keeps densifying, and the Line 1 extension north from Finch will add more activity at the north end of the strip over the coming years.

Check the City of Toronto development applications map for the blocks immediately around 5444 Yonge. A new tower next door can change your view and bring years of construction noise, so it is worth knowing before you choose a side of the building.

What Skyview costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $482 per square foot, among the lowest figures I see on Yonge in North York. That discount reflects the building’s age, high fees in dollar terms and the cost of renovating original suites.

When I checked, four suites were for sale, asking between $549,000 and $1,250,000, with monthly fees of about $880 to $1,655. The wide spread reflects the range of suite sizes here. For what has actually sold, see my building sold report.

Before you call the fees high, remember what they cover: hydro, heat, air conditioning, water, cable and parking, plus a pool, courts and staff. A newer building with a lower fee will often leave you paying hydro, internet and parking separately, so compare total monthly cost, not the fee alone.

A 2,000-square-foot suite at this building’s average works out to under a million dollars, a figure that buys a far smaller suite in most new towers on Yonge. That is the core of the value case here: you pay less per foot, you get more rooms, and you accept a building that needs ongoing reinvestment.

Building specifications

Amenities at Skyview on Yonge

Two pools, tennis and squash give Skyview one of the deepest amenity lists on this stretch of Yonge, enough to replace a club membership for an active owner. Guest suites and a car wash bay are the small, practical extras that make large-suite living in a tower easier.

Jatin’s honest take on Skyview on Yonge

Skyview on Yonge — 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.