Upside Down Condos II, 812 Lansdowne Ave: Small Suites, Heat Included

Upside Down Condos II is the building I point first-time buyers to when they want the Junction Triangle without paying Junction Triangle loft prices. It is a 2014 mid-rise of compact suites, the fee covers heat, cooling and water, and it sits inside one of the biggest changes this part of the west end has seen in a generation. The trade-off is size, and I will be straight with you about it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One piece of a much bigger plan

This building only makes sense once you see the map around it. The land bounded by Lansdowne, Dupont, Davenport Road and the rail corridor was industrial for most of the last century. Neudorfer Corporation has been turning it into a master-planned community, and UrbanToronto’s coverage of the later Fuse towers describes Upside Down and Electric City as the first two phases, both completed by 2014.

That matters to you as a buyer for two reasons. First, the neighbourhood around 812 Lansdowne is still filling in, so the streetscape you see today is not the one you will see in five years. Second, the later phases brought the retail this pocket was missing. The Fuse podium at the northwest corner of Dupont and Lansdowne was planned with a Metro grocery store, a Shoppers Drug Mart and a bank inside a retained brick warehouse.

UrbanToronto also notes that Fuse was designed to echo the look of Upside Down. If you like the glass-and-precast language of the newer towers, this is where it started, at a lower price per square foot.

Who the suites are built for

The size range tells the story: roughly 512 to 854 square feet. This is a building of one-bedrooms and one-plus-dens at the core, not family-sized suites. Every active listing I reviewed at the time of writing was a one-bedroom or a one-plus-den between 500 and 699 square feet.

For a single buyer, a couple without kids or an investor, that is the right product. For anyone planning a family, it is the wrong one, and I would rather you hear that from me before you fall for a view. A one-plus-den here works as a home office; it is rarely a true second bedroom.

When you tour, look closely at the den. In compact plans the den is often open to the living area or has no window, and that changes both how you live in it and how a future buyer values it. Measure the bedroom with your own furniture in mind, and check whether the balcony is usable or simply a ledge.

Heat and cooling in the fee

The fee inclusions are better than many newer buildings. Heat, air conditioning and water are covered along with common elements and building insurance. Hydro is not on that list, so budget for it separately, and confirm with the status certificate whether parking and a locker are owned with the unit or carry a separate charge.

Bundled heat and cooling make your monthly costs predictable, which first-time buyers tend to underrate. The flip side is that the corporation, not you, carries the energy bill, so a rise in gas or electricity rates shows up in future fee increases. Ask how the last few budgets have moved.

On the active listings at the time of writing, fees ran from about $402 to $536 a month, which works out to roughly $0.80 per square foot. That is in line with a 2014 building where heat is included.

Daily life at Lansdowne and Dupont

This corner was built as a factory district, wedged between rail lines, and it still feels that way in places. Heritage Toronto’s history of the Junction Triangle lists the mills, carbon works, chocolate and biscuit makers that once lined these streets. Some of those buildings are now offices, studios and lofts; some are gone.

What has changed is everyday convenience. With a grocery store and a pharmacy planned into the Fuse base a short walk north, the errands that once meant a drive are now on foot. The West Toronto Railpath runs along the rail corridor to the west, which is a genuinely useful commuter and weekend route.

The honest caveat is noise and construction. Rail lines run near this site, and the master plan is still being built out. If you are sensitive to either, see the unit at rush hour and ask the property manager what construction is expected next door. The transit, school and Walk Score details on this page are in the data panel.

What Upside Down Condos II costs per square foot

The building average sits around $736 per square foot. For a 2014 mid-rise with heat and cooling in the fee, that is a reasonable entry point for this part of the west end. Compare it against the newer Fuse towers to the north on a per-square-foot basis, and remember to add heat back onto any building where it is metered separately.

Five suites were for sale at the time of writing, with asking prices from $339,900 to $495,000. That is enough active supply to compare layouts and exposures side by side, which is a real advantage over smaller buildings where you may wait months for one listing.

Three suites were listed for rent at the same time, so there is a steady rental market here. For the building’s recorded sales and lease figures, see the data panel, or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Upside Down Condos II

The amenity package is practical rather than resort-style: a party room, a media room and a meeting room you can book, plus visitor parking. There is no pool listed, which helps keep the fee where it is.

Jatin’s honest take on Upside Down Condos II

Upside Down Condos II — frequently asked questions

Looking at the Junction, Corso Italia, Hillcrest Village and west-central Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.