150 Beverley St: A 28-Suite 1986 Low-Rise on a Historic Street

150 Beverley Street is easy to walk past. It is a three-storey, 28-suite low-rise from 1986 on one of downtown’s most historic residential streets, a block from Chinatown and the Art Gallery of Ontario. It has almost no amenities and a relatively low price per square foot, and for the right buyer that is the point. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A low-rise on one of Toronto’s oldest residential streets

Beverley Street was once lined with mansions. The Grange, built in 1817 and now part of the Art Gallery of Ontario, gave the neighbourhood its name, and George Brown, founder of The Globe, lived at 186 Beverley. The family of William Lyon Mackenzie King lived at 147 Beverley, almost directly across the street from this building.

By the early 1900s the area had become a working-class immigrant neighbourhood of row houses, then the centre of Jewish life west of University Avenue, and later the western extension of Chinatown. Many Edwardian brick row houses still stand, and that mix of history and everyday city life is what living here feels like.

A three-storey building fits that streetscape. It does not tower over the houses around it, and it gives you condo ownership on a street where most homes are expensive freeholds or older rentals.

Frank Gehry’s grandparents also owned a row house further down the street, at 15 Beverley, and Gehry later designed the 2008 renovation of the AGO a few blocks away. It is a street with more stories than most, and a small building here sits inside that history rather than replacing it.

Suites from 366 to almost 1,500 square feet

Condos.ca lists suite sizes from about 366 to 1,487 square feet, which is a very wide range for 28 suites. At one end are small studio-style suites; at the other are suites larger than many new two-bedrooms.

The small suites are among the lower-priced ways to own downtown. They suit a student, a single professional or a pied-à-terre, but they are hard to live in for long with two people, and resale buyers will mostly be first-time buyers and investors.

The larger suites are the more interesting long-term homes. Ask for the floor plan of any suite, since a low-rise from this period can have unusual layouts, and confirm whether it is on one level or two.

In a three-storey building, ask whether there is an elevator. I could not confirm it, and if there is none, every move-in, grocery run and visitor means stairs.

If you are considering renting a suite out, small suites near the university attract a steady pool of tenants. Check the declaration for any leasing rules before you buy, and remember that a building of 28 suites notices every change in its mix of owners and tenants.

Fees, parking and the small-building trade-off

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Parking in the fee is genuinely valuable this close to the AGO and the University of Toronto, where street parking is scarce. Confirm that the suite you are considering actually comes with a space.

Heat and hydro are not listed as included, so ask how the suite is heated and what the bills have been. In a building this age, the heating system and windows have a big effect on comfort and cost.

With 28 suites and little in the way of amenities, there is less to maintain than in a tower. The flip side is that a roof, garage or window project is shared among very few owners, so the reserve fund matters even more than usual.

Ask, too, how the corporation is run day to day. Small, older buildings sometimes rely heavily on a few volunteer owners on the board, and the quality of record-keeping varies. Clear minutes, a recent reserve fund study and a current insurance certificate are good signs.

Between Chinatown and the AGO

Step outside and Dundas Street West gives you Chinatown’s grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants, with the Art Gallery of Ontario and Grange Park a short walk east. The University of Toronto campus and the hospitals along University Avenue are also nearby, which makes this a practical address for anyone who studies or works there.

Grange Park itself is the neighbourhood’s living room. The park dates to 1911, when the Boulton family property was gifted for the new art museum, and the City has maintained the grounds south of the Grange house ever since. Having that green space a short walk away is a real asset in this part of downtown.

It is a busy, practical part of downtown rather than a polished one. Transit, school and park details are in the data panel on this page.

A lower price per square foot, and why

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $751 per square foot. That is low for a location this central, and it reflects the building’s age, its lack of amenities and the large number of small suites.

Price per square foot can mislead with small suites. A 400 square foot suite may look cheap in total but expensive per square foot, while a large suite here can be one of the more affordable ways to get real space near the AGO.

Fees per square foot in older low-rise buildings can also run higher than you expect, because insurance, management and repairs are shared by few owners. Ask for the exact fee of any suite and compare it with similar buildings. I am not quoting individual listings; ask me for a building report for recent sales.

Building specifications

Amenities at 150 Beverley Street Condos

There are no shared amenity rooms. Visitor parking and permission for BBQs are the main conveniences, and you are not paying monthly for a gym or concierge you might not use.

Jatin’s honest take on 150 Beverley Street Condos

150 Beverley Street Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.