2 Bradbrook Road Townhouses: A 1974 Condo Townhouse Complex Near Islington

2 Bradbrook Road Townhouses is the kind of complex most buyers drive past without noticing. It is 56 condominium townhouses registered in 1974, tucked onto a side street near Islington Avenue and The Queensway, and there was nothing on the market here when I checked. A 50-year-old complex can be a very good buy or a very expensive one, and the paperwork decides which. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One of Etobicoke’s early condo townhouse complexes

Condominium ownership was still new in Ontario in the early 1970s, and townhouse complexes like this one were among the first places many families could buy a home with a yard-sized footprint and someone else handling the shared grounds. The YCC prefix on the corporation number tells you it was registered in that early period, long before the TSCC numbers used for buildings registered after amalgamation.

The Toronto Public Library’s digital archive holds a photograph titled Bradbrook Square, Bradbrook Road, northwest corner of Islington Avenue, filed alongside photos of other townhouse projects of the era. I could not confirm that it shows this complex or that Bradbrook Square was its marketing name, but the location and the period fit.

Condos.ca does not name a developer, and I could not find one. That is common for complexes of this age, and it matters less than it would for a new building, because 50 years of maintenance decisions by the owners now shape the complex more than the original builder does.

What 56 owners and 50 years mean

A complex of 56 townhouses is small enough that owners tend to know each other and the board is made up of neighbours. It is also small enough that every major repair is shared among relatively few people, so a single big project can move fees or trigger a special assessment.

At this age, most of the original building parts have either been replaced or are close to it. In a townhouse corporation that usually means roofs, windows and patio doors, exterior cladding and brick, fences, driveways and walkways, and the plumbing and electrical service lines that run between units. Which of these the corporation pays for, and which you pay for, depends on the declaration.

This is where older complexes differ most. Some have already done their big replacement cycle and carry a healthy reserve fund. Others have deferred work and face a catch-up. You cannot tell which from the outside, and I would never price a unit here before reading the reserve fund study.

What I could not confirm, and how to find out

The public record on this complex is thin. Condos.ca lists no amenities, no unit sizes, no developer and no fee inclusions, and there were no active listings for sale or rent when I checked. Condos.ca also lists the buildings as one floor, which I would not rely on; townhouses of this era are usually on two or more levels, so measure and count the stairs yourself.

If you are serious about a unit here, ask the listing agent for the status certificate early, with the budget, the most recent reserve fund study and at least two years of board minutes. Those documents will tell you what the fee covers, how parking works, whether any special assessment is planned, and what the board is worried about.

Ask the seller for utility bills as well. In older townhouse complexes, heating and hydro are often paid by each owner, which changes the real monthly cost, but I could not confirm the arrangement here, so check.

Living off Islington and The Queensway

The complex sits on a side street near the corner of Islington Avenue and The Queensway. That gives you a quieter street than the main roads, with the shops and services of The Queensway close by. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools, walkability and nearby restaurants and parks.

The Queensway around Islington is changing. Mid-rise condos have been added along the corridor, including Loggia Condos at 1040 The Queensway, which was completed in 2008. A low-rise townhouse complex with its own grounds becomes rarer as that happens, which is one reason I think well-run complexes like this hold their appeal.

For a family, the attraction is simple: a townhouse with a front door and private space at a price that is usually well below a freehold house in the same area. The question is always whether the complex has been looked after.

How I would price a unit here

Condos.ca does not publish an average price per square foot for this complex, and there were no active listings when I checked, so I cannot give you an asking range. With 56 units and few sales, any average would move a lot on a single transaction anyway.

I would price a unit against two groups: other 1970s condo townhouse complexes in central and south Etobicoke, and freehold semis and towns nearby. The condo fee is the key difference between those groups, so set the fee against what a freehold owner would put aside each year for a roof, windows and a driveway.

When a unit does come up, expect it to be priced on condition more than on the complex. Two townhouses of the same size here can differ by a lot depending on whether the kitchen, bathrooms, windows and mechanicals have been updated, so ask for a list of the owner’s renovations and their dates.

For the recorded sales here, see the data panel or ask me for a building sold report. Then add up the full monthly cost, including the fee, property tax and your own utilities, before you compare.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on 2 Bradbrook Road Townhouses

2 Bradbrook Road Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.