Vida Condos, 621 Sheppard Ave E: A Stepped Mid-Rise in Bayview Village

Vida Condos is what Bayview Village looks like when a developer builds low instead of tall: a stepped eight-storey building on Sheppard Avenue East with 210 suites, finished in 2020. It is new enough that the warranty still matters and old enough that real resale data exists. The catch is the fee, and I will walk you through it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A mid-rise that steps down to its neighbours

Most new buildings near Bayview and Sheppard are towers. Vida was designed by HCA Architecture as a stepped mid-rise, rising from three storeys to six and then eight, which is why it reads as smaller from the street than its 210-suite count suggests.

Launch coverage described the exterior as iridescent glass broken up by linear bands of concrete stone, with an arched entrance framed in stone and glass leading into a lobby lounge. That kind of terraced massing has a practical payoff: the setbacks create terraces on the upper levels, and the developer’s marketing said every suite would have a balcony or a terrace.

Castle Group Developments is a smaller developer than the names that dominate North York. That is not a mark against the building, but it means there is less of a track record to look at, so the corporation’s own documents carry more weight when you assess it.

Compact suites, including small two-bedrooms

Condos.ca records suite sizes of about 431 to 1,151 square feet. The original marketing quoted a wider range, roughly 328 to 1,600 square feet, across studios, one-bedrooms, one-bedroom-plus-dens, two-bedrooms, two-bedroom-plus-dens and three-bedrooms. The difference is likely the smallest and largest plans being rare on resale, but ask for the measured size of any suite you see.

The detail I notice most in the current listings is how many two-bedrooms fall in the 500 to 699 square foot range. A two-bedroom in under 700 square feet is efficient for renting out, but it is tight for living. Check that the second bedroom has a window and a closet, and that you can fit a real bed in it with the door closed.

Launch materials promised nine-foot ceilings, laminate plank floors, granite counters, ceramic tile backsplashes, European-style cabinetry with full-size stainless steel appliances, and bathrooms with a deep soaker tub or a stand-up shower. Those are solid mid-market finishes for 2020, not luxury ones, so judge each suite on how it has been kept.

Why the fee runs high, and the warranty clock

Condos.ca works out an average fee of about $1.14 per square foot across active listings, and current fees range from about $626 to $1,037 a month. That is high for a building completed in 2020. Part of it is scale: a concierge, a gym, a party room with a chef’s kitchen and a sports bar are shared by only 210 suites, so each owner carries a bigger slice.

Condos.ca does not publish what the fee includes. In buildings of this age most suites have their own meters, so do not assume heat or hydro are covered. Ask for the budget and compare the fee only after you have added your own utilities back.

Timing matters here. Under Tarion’s new home warranty, coverage for major structural defects in the common elements runs for seven years from the date the condominium is registered. For Vida, registered in February 2020, that window closes in early 2027. Ask the board whether a structural review has been done and whether any warranty claims are open, and read the minutes for how they were handled.

A young building also tends to have a young reserve fund. Look at the most recent reserve fund study, the planned contribution increases, and whether fees have climbed quickly since registration, because steep early increases are common as developer budgets give way to real costs.

Bayview Village, between two subway stations

Vida sits on Sheppard Avenue East between Bayview and Bessarion, both stations on the Sheppard subway line. Exact walking times are in the panel on this page.

The neighbourhood’s anchor is Bayview Village Shopping Centre, which has a public library branch on site, and Highway 401 is a few minutes away by car. Launch coverage also pointed to Rean Park, Hawksbury Park and Bayview Village Park, which links to the wider ravine trail network.

The newest local asset is the City’s Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ Community Recreation Centre and Library at 100 Ethennonnhawahstihnen’ Lane, which opened in March 2024 with an aquatic centre and a child care centre. For a building without a pool, that is a real substitute within the neighbourhood.

What Vida is asking, and what drives it

At the time of writing there were eight suites for sale and five for rent on condos.ca. Asking prices across the eight ran from $415,888 to $769,000, and most of the listings were in the 500 to 699 square foot range.

Because so many suites are small, price per square foot matters more than the headline figure. Small suites usually carry a higher price per foot than large ones in the same building, so compare like with like, and add the fee per foot into your monthly cost before you compare Vida with an older tower nearby that includes heat and water.

For what has actually sold and leased here over the last year, use the recorded figures on this page. If you want comparables for a specific layout, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Vida Condos at Bayview Village

The package is built around entertaining: a party room with a chef’s kitchen, a dining room, a games room and a patio with barbecues, plus a gym and a concierge. It is good for hosting, but there is no pool, so swimmers will be using the City’s new aquatic centre nearby.

Jatin’s honest take on Vida Condos at Bayview Village

Vida Condos at Bayview Village — 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.