Twenty One Clairtrell, 21 Clairtrell Rd: Boutique Suites to 2,500 Sq Ft

Twenty One Clairtrell is one of the few buildings in Willowdale East where a downsizer can buy something close to the size of a house. It is seven storeys and 128 suites, with fenced garden suites on the ground floor, 14 penthouses on top and suites up to about 2,525 square feet. It is a small, quiet building, and listings here are few, which is both its appeal and its challenge. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A boutique building with house-sized suites

Condos.ca gives a suite range of about 518 to 2,525 square feet. That top end is rare in North York, where most new supply is one-bedrooms. UrbanToronto’s project record shows Rockport Group designed the building with this in mind: 14 penthouses starting from about 1,463 square feet, each sold with two parking spaces, and a Garden Collection of ground-floor suites from about 720 square feet.

The garden suites are the format I find most interesting. They were sold with fenced and gated patios and a security package, which gives you something close to a townhouse experience with a concierge and elevator in the same building.

The suites were marketed with 9 and 10 foot ceilings, engineered hardwood floors and lacquered kitchen cabinets. Finishes are now more than ten years old, so ask what has been updated in the suite you are viewing.

Rockport launched the building with prices from the low $300,000s to just over $1.4 million, which shows how wide the spread of suite types was from the start. Few buildings of 128 suites cover compact one-bedrooms and 2,500-square-foot penthouses under one roof. That range means you are not buying into a building of near-identical investor suites, and the owners’ priorities reflect it.

Who built it, and the twin next door

Rockport Group, led by CEO Jack Winberg, developed the building. Condos.ca leaves the developer field blank, which is why some buyers do not realise who built it; UrbanToronto’s project page and condos.ca’s own overview both name Rockport.

The architect was Kirkor Architects, who also designed Jade Condominiums next door at 399 Spring Garden Avenue. The two are both seven storeys and were finished a year apart, so they look like a pair from the street. They are separate corporations with separate fees and reserve funds.

The differences matter. Twenty One Clairtrell has fewer suites, a much larger top end and a higher average price per square foot, while Jade’s fee includes parking and Twenty One Clairtrell’s, per condos.ca, does not.

Outdoor space and shared rooms

The building leans on outdoor space. UrbanToronto’s record describes a sixth-floor lounge and bar opening onto a terrace, and rooftop space on the seventh floor; condos.ca lists a rooftop deck and barbecues as permitted.

The amenity list is practical rather than flashy: an exercise room, a guest suite, bicycle storage, a concierge and visitor parking. The original plan also included a pet mud room for washing dogs after a walk. Condos.ca lists pets as an amenity, but I have not seen the rules themselves, so read the declaration and rules for any limits on number or size before you buy with a pet.

There is no pool. For a building of 128 suites, that keeps the shared costs under control, and most buyers here are trading a pool for space inside the suite.

Small buildings also tend to have more engaged owners. With 128 suites, a handful of residents can shape decisions at the annual meeting, so read the recent board minutes and the last two budgets to get a sense of how the building is run, and how fees have moved, before you buy.

Daily life on Clairtrell

Clairtrell Road sits in a residential pocket east of Yonge, between the Yonge and Sheppard towers and the Bayview Village area. Rockport’s marketing placed the building between Bayview Village and North York Centre, which describes the appeal well: low-rise streets, with shopping and transit in both directions.

You give up the convenience of a subway-connected tower for a quieter address. The transit, parks, schools and food listed in the data panel on this page show what is nearby; walk your commute before you commit.

The surrounding streets have been changing as older houses are replaced with large custom homes and the Yonge and Sheppard corridor adds towers. A seven-storey building like this one sits comfortably between the two.

Price per square foot, and a thin market

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $830 per square foot. That is a premium over Jade next door at about $709, which reflects the larger suites, the penthouse and garden formats, and the higher ceilings.

There was only one suite listed for sale when I checked, so I am not quoting an asking price; one listing does not tell you what the building is worth. The sold data panel on this page is the better reference, and in a building this small, the sample will often be thin.

That thin market cuts both ways. Buyers may wait months for the right penthouse or garden suite to come up, and sellers of the largest suites may find few direct comparables. Pricing a 2,000-plus square foot suite here takes judgement, not a formula.

Condos.ca lists air conditioning, heat, building insurance and water in the fee, but not parking. Check whether the suite’s parking is deeded or carries a separate charge, and whether a penthouse’s two spaces are both included. Small buildings also spread fixed costs over fewer suites, so expect fees per square foot to be higher than in a large tower.

Building specifications

Amenities at Twenty One Clairtrell

The sixth-floor lounge and terrace and the rooftop deck are the spaces owners actually use, especially in summer. A guest suite is a real asset for downsizers whose family visits from out of town.

Jatin’s honest take on Twenty One Clairtrell

Twenty One Clairtrell — 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.