The Perry Condos, 128 Pears Ave: A Boutique Annex Building Review

The Perry at 128 Pears Avenue is the building I show to downsizers who are leaving a house in the Annex or Summerhill and refuse to move into a glass tower full of investor units. It is small, it was designed around full-time owners, and the finish package is the same whether you buy the smallest suite or the largest. That last point is rarer than it sounds. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Built for owners, not investors

When The Perry launched in 2012, the developer was open about who it wanted: end-users and downsizers from the surrounding neighbourhoods, not buyers looking for a rental unit. You can see that intent in the plan. Rooms were drawn slightly larger than the market norm, corridors are wider, and ceilings are higher, with the stated aim of recreating the proportions of a traditional house.

It was the first project for Mansouri Living, run by sisters Maryam and Nargues Mansouri, whose family had been building homes since 1988. A first project is a double-edged thing. There is no long track record to study, but there is usually a developer with a lot to prove, and the specification here reflects that.

The building rose beside a much larger Menkes project at Avenue and Pears, at a time when very little had been built north of the traditional Yorkville boundary. Today the Pears and Davenport pocket is one of the most developed stretches of the area, so the street around you has changed a great deal since the Perry was planned.

The same kitchen in a 540 sq ft suite as in a penthouse

Most developers save money by giving smaller, cheaper suites a lower finish package. The Perry did the opposite. Every suite was sold with Gaggenau appliances and Poliform kitchens, wardrobes and vanities, and the split-level kitchen island was standard rather than an upgrade. At launch the developer said no other Canadian condo offered that package in every suite.

For a resale buyer, that matters in a practical way. A smaller suite here should not feel like the leftover inventory of a luxury building, and you are not paying to rip out a builder-grade kitchen. Still, these are now several years old, so open every drawer, check the appliance panels and ask whether anything has been replaced or is under service.

Interiors were by DesignAgency, the lobby uses Carrara marble, and the piano lounge has chevron wood floors. Landscape design was by gh3, and the building was constructed by Tucker Hirise.

Two collections: Annex suites and Estate suites

The Perry was sold in two groups. The Annex Collection was the main body of suites, released first. The Estate Collection followed in 2013, and the difference was meaningful: Estate suites came with terraces instead of balconies, and with private elevator access.

Size ranges are wide for a building this small. Condos.ca lists suites from about 540 to 2,921 sq ft, and launch coverage talked about buyers of both 500 sq ft and 4,000 sq ft suites, which suggests some of the largest plans were combined or are not captured in the listing data. Where a suite on the south facade has no balcony, the design uses extra-large sliding doors onto Juliette balconies instead.

If outdoor space is on your list, be precise about which collection you are looking at. A Juliette balcony is a window that opens, not a place to sit. An Estate suite with a real terrace and private elevator access is a very different product from an Annex suite with a balcony, and it trades at a very different price.

Living at Pears and Avenue Road

The location is the meeting point of the Annex, Yorkville and the Avenue Road corridor toward Summerhill and Rosedale. Ramsden Park is a block away, and the upper suites were marketed on their views over the park and toward the downtown skyline.

Pears Avenue itself is a short, quiet side street, which is a large part of the appeal. You are off Avenue Road and Davenport rather than on them, yet Yorkville’s shops and restaurants are within walking distance. Transit, schools and walkability figures are in the data panel on this page.

The trade-off is construction. This pocket has seen several new buildings, so ask what is approved or proposed on the blocks around you before you commit to a view.

How to think about price here

There were no active listings in the data I had when writing this, and with only around 42 to 45 suites, the building can go months without a resale. That is normal for a boutique building, and it means you cannot price a suite here by looking at last week’s listing. My building sold report pulls the recent aggregate sales for 128 Pears so you can see the real range.

Expect pricing per square foot to sit at the upper end of the Annex and Yorkville market, reflecting the finish package, the low suite count and the 24-hour concierge. Large suites in buildings like this often trade on their own terms, so the per-square-foot figure on a 2,500 sq ft Estate suite will not match a 600 sq ft Annex suite.

On fees, condos.ca lists only common elements and building insurance as included. That suggests utilities are separately metered, but confirm it on the status certificate. In a small building, the cost of a 24-hour concierge is shared across very few owners, so do not compare fees per square foot with a 400-suite tower and assume something is wrong.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Perry Condos

There is no pool or big fitness floor here; the amenities are the quiet kind, such as a library, a piano lounge and a private dining room for hosting. For downsizers who are used to entertaining at home, the dining room and guest suites are the pieces that get used.

Jatin’s honest take on The Perry Condos

The Perry Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.