Upper Beaches Condo, 3734 St Clair Ave E: 36 Suites, Every Utility In

Upper Beaches Condo is one of the smallest buildings I cover in Scarborough: six storeys, 36 suites, built in 1987 on a residential stretch of St Clair Avenue East in Cliffcrest. The suites are large, the fee covers every utility including hydro, and almost nothing comes up for sale. That combination is the appeal and the challenge. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A boutique building in a neighbourhood of houses

Cliffcrest runs along the lake between Midland Avenue and Bellamy Road, north to the CN rail line, and takes its name from the Scarborough Bluffs. Most of it is detached housing with high ownership and few mid- or high-rise buildings, which makes a 36-suite condominium here unusual.

The name is a marketing choice rather than a location. The Upper Beaches neighbourhood proper is several kilometres west in the old City of Toronto. The Beaches name turns up on other east-end projects too; a newer one, Upper Beach Club, went up on Kingston Road near Warden. What you are actually buying is a quiet Cliffcrest address near the Bluffs.

Estobrad Development Corporation is not a well-known name today, and I have not found a published architect for the building. At this age, the developer’s reputation matters far less than how the corporation has been run for nearly four decades.

Big suites, the 1980s way

Suites run from about 678 square feet to about 1,536 square feet, and even the smallest is larger than many new two-bedrooms. That is typical of the late 1980s, when mid-rise condominiums were built for owners leaving houses rather than investors renting to students.

Expect the strengths of that era: separate rooms, real dining areas and generous storage. Expect the weaknesses too. Original kitchens and bathrooms in older buildings are often dated, and the plumbing and windows may be original. I have not found published floor plans or ceiling heights, so get the measured plan from the listing agent.

In a small six-storey building, elevator service matters more than in a tower with several cars, because there may be no second option. Ask how many elevators there are and when they were last modernized. The panel on this page shows the public elevator record.

Large older suites also reward renovation. If a suite has original finishes, price in a kitchen and bathroom update, and ask the management office about the building’s rules for renovations, flooring underlay and contractor access before you plan any work.

An all-inclusive fee, including hydro

The fee covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, hydro, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is the unusual one: most buildings put suite electricity on your own meter. Here it is shared, so your monthly cost is close to a single number.

That predictability is valuable, but it comes with two trade-offs. First, every owner pays for everyone’s consumption, so the fee is higher than at a building where you pay your own hydro; compare total monthly cost, not the fee alone. Second, a small building of 36 suites has few owners to absorb increases in utility rates or a major repair.

I could not find current fee figures because nothing was listed when I checked. Ask the seller for the current fee, the fee history for the past five years and the most recent budget.

Keep in mind how lenders see an all-inclusive fee. A mortgage lender counts part of the condo fee in your debt-service ratios, so a higher fee that includes hydro can reduce how much you qualify to borrow, even if your real monthly cost is similar. Run the numbers with your mortgage broker before you fall for a suite.

Daily life on St Clair East

This is a residential street rather than a shopping strip. Daily errands happen along Kingston Road to the south and the plazas around it, and most residents will drive, so the parking included in the fee earns its keep.

Kingston Road itself is changing. UrbanToronto has reported mid-rise construction spreading along the corridor, encouraged by the City’s revitalization and rezoning of the strip, with retail following new residents. For an owner here, that means more shops nearby over time and a little more construction activity.

The bigger draw is the Bluffs and the lake. If you want a quiet building in a neighbourhood of houses, close to the water, without the upkeep of a detached house, this is the type of address to look for.

Pricing a building that almost never trades

There were no active listings when I checked, and condos.ca does not publish a reliable average price per square foot for the building. With 36 suites, a year can pass with only one or two sales, so pricing takes judgment rather than a quick comparable.

The right comparison set is wider than the building: other older mid-rises in Cliffcrest and Birch Cliff, newer Kingston Road condominiums, and the small houses nearby. Large suites in older buildings usually sell for less per square foot than new construction, and the all-inclusive fee changes the monthly math in both directions.

If you want to know when a suite here comes up, set an alert and be ready to move. My building sold report pulls the aggregate history so you can judge a fair price when one appears.

Scarcity also affects resale. When you sell, your buyer will face the same thin set of comparables, and some will be put off by the age of the building. The suites that sell best in buildings like this are updated, well-presented and priced against the market rather than against the owner’s hopes, so plan for that from the day you buy.

Building specifications

Amenities at Upper Beaches Condo

The amenities are modest and practical: an underground garage, visitor parking, an elevator and a rooftop deck with barbecues. Condos.ca also lists a concierge, which is uncommon in a building this small, so ask what the hours and staffing actually are.

Jatin’s honest take on Upper Beaches Condo

Upper Beaches Condo — frequently asked questions

Looking at Scarborough Bluffs, West Hill, Guildwood, Woburn, Malvern and Rouge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.