188 Spadina Ave: A 1986 Boutique Condo With a Pool and Big Suites

188 Spadina is a rare combination: a building of only 58 suites that still has an indoor pool, a sauna and a concierge, on Spadina just north of Queen. It is from 1986, the fees are high, and the suites are larger than almost anything built in this area since. If you want space downtown and can live with an older building, it deserves a look. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A mid-1980s building on old Spadina

This building went up at a time when there were very few condominiums along Spadina. The street was the heart of the garment district, lined with brick-and-beam warehouses, and the grand nineteenth-century houses it was once known for had mostly gone.

A local history post from 2012 describes a residential and commercial building called King’s Court, built in 1985 on the west side of Spadina a short distance north of Queen, beside an early 1900s warehouse. That matches this building’s location, date and developer name, Kingscourt Developments. I could not confirm the address directly, so treat the link as likely rather than certain.

At 10 storeys and 58 suites, it is small for a building with this many amenities. Buildings of that era often packed a pool and staff into a modest number of suites, a model few developers would choose today because of the running costs.

Large suites, including three-bedrooms

The current listings are both three-bedroom suites, which tells you a lot. New condos in this area are mostly one-bedrooms and small two-bedrooms, and a true three-bedroom near Queen and Spadina is hard to find in any building.

With a fee in the $1,500 to $1,700 range for those suites, you can infer that they are large; a fee at that level usually reflects a big share of the building. Ask for the exact square footage and floor plan for any suite you are considering, since older buildings sometimes measure differently from newer ones.

Larger, older suites also tend to have more storage, separate dining areas and real hallways. The trade-off is that kitchens and bathrooms may be original or partly renovated, so budget for updates if the suite has not been redone.

If you are coming from a newer condo, walk the suite with that in mind. Older buildings often have fewer, smaller windows and lower ceilings than today’s glass towers, but thicker walls and better separation between rooms. Decide which matters more to you before you compare.

A fee that covers nearly everything

The fee includes heat, air conditioning, water, parking, building insurance and common elements. Including both heat and air conditioning removes most of the utility guesswork, and parking in the fee is valuable on Spadina, where street parking is limited.

That inclusion list, plus a pool, sauna, gym, concierge and security for only 58 suites, is why the fees are high. Each owner carries a bigger share of the staff and amenity costs than in a 400-suite tower.

When comparing this building with a newer one, add back what you would pay elsewhere for heating, cooling and a parking space. The gap narrows, although for most suites it will not close entirely.

Two things to check in a fee this inclusive. First, utility costs are shared, so if gas and electricity rates rise, your fee rises with them however careful you are. Second, look at the last three to five years of budgets to see whether increases have been steady or whether the board has been holding fees down and drawing on the reserve fund.

Living on Spadina north of Queen

This stretch of Spadina sits between Queen West and Chinatown, with Kensington Market a short walk north and west. Spadina is a wide, busy street with a streetcar line, so suite orientation matters. Suites facing the back of the building will usually be quieter than those facing the street.

The building also puts you in the middle of two very different areas. Queen West to the south is shopping and nightlife; Chinatown and Kensington to the north are produce stores, bakeries and inexpensive restaurants. Daily errands are easy without a car, which takes some of the sting out of a high fee that includes parking you might rarely use.

The area keeps changing as old warehouses become offices and new condos rise nearby, but the core character, with its mix of fabric shops, restaurants and nightlife, is still here. Transit, school and park details are in the data panel on this page.

What the current listings tell you

At the time of writing, two three-bedroom suites were listed, asking from about $999,000 to $1,199,000, with monthly fees of about $1,535 to $1,727. I do not have reliable square footage for those listings, so I am not quoting a price per square foot.

For context, a three-bedroom near Queen and Spadina at around a million dollars is unusual, because so few new buildings in the area offer three-bedroom plans at all. What you give up is a newer building and lower monthly costs.

The fees are the real issue. Over ten years, a fee of $1,600 a month adds up to almost $200,000, so look closely at what it covers and how quickly it has risen. For a valuation of a particular suite, ask me for a building report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 188 Spadina Avenue Condos

An indoor pool, sauna and concierge in a 58-suite building is uncommon anywhere downtown. It gives you a full-service lifestyle, but the costs of running and eventually replacing that equipment fall on a small number of owners. If you would use the pool several times a week, that cost is easier to justify than a separate club membership.

Jatin’s honest take on 188 Spadina Avenue Condos

188 Spadina Avenue 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.