Cedar Gardens, 285 Antibes Dr: Stacked Townhomes Near Bathurst & Finch

Cedar Gardens is the kind of building most buyers drive past without noticing, and that is part of its appeal. It is 56 stacked townhouses from 2006, tucked into the block between Antibes Drive and Cedarcroft Boulevard near Bathurst and Finch, with family-sized suites at a price per foot that is hard to find in North York. It is small and quiet, and it rewards buyers who do their homework. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Infill on an old tower-in-the-park site

Cedar Gardens was built on what used to be open lawn. City of Toronto planning documents from 2002 describe the site at 35 Cedarcroft Boulevard as a 13-storey rental apartment building on the east side of the lot, with a large open block to the west. The approved plan was a 56-unit stacked townhouse development in three four-storey buildings on that western block.

The planning rationale was to soften the step from a 13-storey apartment down to the two-storey houses on neighbouring streets. That is exactly how the place feels today: lower and quieter than the towers around Bathurst and Finch, but denser than the houses behind it.

The apartment tower next door is a separate property and not part of this condominium. When the townhouses were approved, the same City document recorded an agreement to keep that building as rental housing for 15 years. Its residents share the block with you, but not your corporation, budget or reserve fund.

Family-sized suites, all in a narrow range

Condos.ca lists suites from about 1,119 to 1,315 square feet. That is a tight range, which means the 56 suites are close cousins: family-sized plans, without studios or penthouses to distort the averages.

In a typical stacked townhouse, each four-storey building is split into an upper and a lower home. Lower suites usually have easier access and sometimes a patio; upper suites usually get better light and sometimes a terrace, but more stairs. Know which one you are looking at, because they appeal to different buyers at resale.

With suites this size, layout matters more than square footage. Count the bathrooms, check whether the bedrooms share a level with the living space, and look at where the laundry sits. Two suites of the same size can live very differently.

Because every suite here dates from the same 2006 build, the differences between them now come down to upkeep. Some owners will have replaced flooring, kitchens and bathrooms; others will be close to original. Price the work a suite needs into your offer rather than comparing asking prices at face value.

Parking underground, utilities on you

Condos.ca lists a parking garage, visitor parking and parking in the fee. The 2002 planning document set the townhouse parking at 1.75 spaces per unit, which is generous for a stacked townhouse complex. Do not assume a specific suite has two spaces, though. Confirm what is on title in the status certificate.

The inclusion list is short: common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Heat, hydro and air conditioning are not on it, so you are paying your own utilities on a two-level home. Factor that into any comparison with an apartment where heat is included.

A short inclusion list usually goes with a lower fee, and that is the trade. You control your own heating and cooling costs, and you are not subsidising a neighbour who keeps the thermostat at 25.

The Bathurst and Finch reality

This is a settled residential pocket west of Bathurst. The streets around Antibes and Cedarcroft are a mix of apartment towers, townhouses and detached houses, and the daily errands happen on Bathurst and on Finch rather than on your own street.

For families, the big attractions are space at a price and a quiet setting. For commuters, the panel beside this review shows the nearest transit options. Most owners here also drive, and Highway 401 is a short drive south.

Small complexes like this have a particular rhythm. Neighbours tend to know each other, turnover is low, and the corporation’s decisions are made by a small group of owners. That can be an advantage when the board is engaged and a weakness when it isn’t, so read the minutes.

The block is also not finished changing. In 2022, Novi Properties proposed a 29-storey, 259-unit infill tower at 25 Cedarcroft, beside an existing 13-storey rental building, using the surface parking and open space on that lot. It is a proposal, so check its status, but it shows that the same infill logic that produced Cedar Gardens 20 years ago is now being applied at a much larger scale nearby. Expect more construction and more neighbours over the next decade.

How Cedar Gardens is priced

Condos.ca puts the complex average at about $541 per square foot. For a family-sized home in North York, that is low, and it reflects the location, the 2006 construction, and the stacked format, which buyers tend to value below a conventional townhouse.

There were no suites listed for sale when I checked. In a 56-suite complex with long-term owners, that is normal, and it means the next listing will be priced off recent sales rather than off competing listings.

The sales panel beside this review shows what has actually traded. Because upper and lower suites can price differently, I would look at comparables for the same type of suite. If you are thinking of buying or selling here, book a call and I will walk you through them.

Building specifications

Amenities at Cedar Gardens

Condos.ca lists no gym, pool or party room, only parking, visitor parking, a security system and permission for barbecues. That is the trade that keeps a fee low: you are paying for grounds and a garage, and the rest of your life happens at home or in the neighbourhood.

Jatin’s honest take on Cedar Gardens

Cedar Gardens — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.