370-390 Dixon Rd: 897-Suite 1971 Towers, Lowest $/Sq Ft, All-In Fees

370 and 390 Dixon Road are where a two-bedroom of more than 900 square feet can still cost less than a new one-bedroom elsewhere in the city. These two 1971 towers hold 897 suites, an indoor pool and a fee that covers almost every utility. The low price is real, and so are the reasons for it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two towers, one corporation, nearly 900 suites

With 897 suites, this is a very large condominium corporation by any standard. Both towers, 370 and 390 Dixon Road, sit under a single corporation, YCC-60. They rise 26 storeys, and SkyscraperPage puts the roof of 370 Dixon at about 212 feet.

The developer is recorded two ways. Condos.ca says the buildings were built by Tridel, while SkyscraperPage lists Delzotto Enterprises, a Del Zotto family company, and names Howard Rafael as architect. SkyscraperPage also records 370 Dixon under the name Kingsview Park V, which suggests it was one phase of a larger Kingsview Park series along Dixon Road. The neighbouring towers at 320-340 Dixon Road are a separate condominium.

Scale cuts both ways. Repair costs are shared among almost 900 owners, which softens the per-suite cost of a roof or elevator modernisation. But a corporation this size is also a complex organisation to run, and the quality of the board and management matters more than the age of the concrete.

Suites from another era of space

Condos.ca lists suites from about 842 to 1,295 square feet. There are no small studios here, and every suite currently listed for sale is a two-bedroom.

Expect layouts typical of the early 1970s: defined rooms, separate kitchens and generous closets. Condition varies widely. Some suites have been fully renovated and others still have decades-old kitchens and bathrooms, so you are often buying the renovation as much as the suite.

For a family needing two bedrooms and real living space, very few buildings in Toronto offer this much floor area at this price.

Two towers also means two sets of floor plans, views and elevator banks. Upper floors on the right side can have long open views across north Etobicoke. Ask which tower and which direction any suite faces, and compare suites in both towers before deciding.

An almost all-inclusive fee

The fee covers common elements, heat, hydro, water, cable TV, building insurance and parking. In practice that means your monthly housing cost is mostly the fee, property tax and contents insurance, with no separate hydro or gas bill.

Fees on current listings were clustered around $798 a month, and work out to about $0.84 per square foot. That looks high against the purchase price, which is the central trade-off here: a low price and a relatively high fee. The fee reflects the real cost of supplying heat and hydro to nearly 900 suites and running two 50-plus-year-old towers with an indoor pool and security staff.

At this age, look closely at windows, balcony repairs, elevators, garage waterproofing, the central heating and electrical systems and the pool. The reserve fund study, the latest budget and the board minutes will tell you which of these have been done and which are still ahead.

Daily life on Dixon Road

Kingsview Village is a family neighbourhood of bungalows and split-levels behind the towers, with Kingsview Park and its tennis courts a short way off Dixon. Daily shopping is close: the Westway Centre at Dixon and Kipling has a large supermarket and everyday services, and there is a Loblaws at Dixon and Islington.

Driving is the easy option. The 401 ramps at Islington and Kipling are a few minutes away, and Pearson Airport is a short drive west, which makes the building practical for airport and logistics workers. Transit and walkability details are in the data panel on this page.

The towers sit on a busy arterial road, and the neighbourhood behind them is quiet and residential. Neighbourhood Guide describes a long-established, family-oriented community with an active ratepayers association, a community school and a neighbourhood park. Visit on a weekday evening and on a weekend afternoon to get a feel for both towers, their lobbies and their grounds before you choose a suite.

What 370-390 Dixon costs

The average is about $332 per square foot, among the lowest you will find for condominium apartments anywhere in Toronto. That figure reflects the building’s age, the fee level and the location away from the subway.

Eleven suites were for sale when I checked. Across the listings with prices available, asking prices ranged from about $302,500 to $425,000, with fees around $798 a month.

With that many listings in one building, buyers have negotiating room and plenty of comparables. It also means you should be patient: choose the best-renovated suite on a good floor, not the first one you see. Check the sold-data panel on this page for what has actually traded.

The price per square foot here is low partly because fees take a larger share of the monthly budget. When you compare with a newer building, add up the full monthly cost, mortgage, fee, tax and utilities, rather than comparing purchase prices alone. On that basis the gap is smaller than it looks, but it is still a gap in your favour.

Building specifications

Amenities at 370 Dixon Condos

An indoor pool, sauna, gym and recreation room, plus a security guard, is more than most new buildings at this price offer. In a corporation of nearly 900 suites those costs are spread widely, which helps keep the pool sustainable. Ask how the pool and recreation room are booked and staffed, and when the pool was last refurbished, because in a building of this age that work comes around more than once.

Jatin’s honest take on 370 Dixon Condos

370 Dixon Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.