51-118 Pleasant Boulevard Townhomes: 18 Big Georgian Towns Near Yonge

Most condo townhouses in midtown are compromises: stacked, narrow and around 1,300 square feet. The 18 homes at 84 to 118 Pleasant Boulevard are not. They run from roughly 2,600 to just over 3,000 square feet, with underground parking that takes you straight into the house, and they sit a short walk from Yonge and St. Clair. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A townhouse enclave built with a tower next door

These townhomes were not a standalone project. They were built by One Avoca in the same year as Avoca Vale, the 16-storey condominium at 38 Avoca Avenue, and the two corporations were registered within days of each other (MTCC-1188 for the towns, MTCC-1190 for the tower). A recent listing describes the townhome owners as sharing many amenities with 38 Avoca.

That arrangement is the most unusual thing about the complex. You get a house-sized home with its own front door, and you also get access to a concierge and shared facilities that a group of 18 townhouses could never afford on its own. Before you buy, ask for the shared facilities agreement between the two corporations, because it sets out who pays for what and how disputes are handled.

The homes are described as Georgian-style executive townhomes in stucco with flat roofs. They are designed to look like a set of formal row houses rather than a condo project, which suits the older streets around Rosedale and Deer Park.

Real house sizes, over three floors

The recorded range is about 2,606 to 3,048 square feet. That is larger than many semi-detached houses in midtown and more than double the size of the stacked townhouses at Pleasant Boulevard Towns across the street. If you are downsizing from a house, this is one of the few condo options where your furniture may actually fit.

A recent listing describes the homes as three storeys. The condos.ca building profile records one storey, which I read as the complex being low-rise rather than a true floor count. Either way, expect to live over several levels, and walk the stairs at a showing if you are planning to stay for the long term.

The listing also describes direct access from the underground garage into the home. In practice that means you park below grade and come up into the house without going outside, which is the closest a condo gets to an attached garage. On a February evening with groceries, that matters more than any finish.

Parking, storage and the garage you share

Parking is underground and included in the maintenance fee. There is visitor parking, a shared locker room on site and bike storage, according to the same listing. Confirm on the status certificate how many spaces and which locker belong to the unit you are buying.

The underground garage is also the biggest long-term cost in a complex like this. This one dates from 1998, so the membrane, drainage and waterproofing are well into their service life. In an 18-unit corporation the bill for that work is split among very few owners, and if the garage connects to the tower next door, the cost-sharing agreement matters even more.

Living on Pleasant Boulevard

Pleasant Boulevard is a short, quiet residential street just east of Yonge. You are a few minutes on foot from the Yonge and St. Clair intersection, with its grocery stores, restaurants and the subway, and the David A. Balfour Park ravine trails are a short walk away.

Buyers often compare these homes with the Pleasant Boulevard Towns complex at 45 to 107 Pleasant Boulevard. They are very different products. That complex is 32 stacked units of about 1,300 square feet from 2008; this one is 18 larger homes from 1998. Compare size, age, parking and fee inclusions before you assume the street is the only thing they share.

Yonge and St. Clair continues to add taller buildings along the main streets. That brings more shops and services, and also more construction on Yonge. A side street like this one is the part of the neighbourhood that changes least. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools, Walk Score and nearby food and parks.

Pricing a complex that rarely lists

There were no homes for sale or for rent here at the time of writing. With 18 owners and homes this size, turnover is low, and when one does list, a single asking price tells you very little on its own.

Condition matters more here than in a tower. Homes this large from 1998 range from original kitchens and baths to full renovations, and the gap in value between the two can be wide. When you compare price per square foot between two homes in the complex, adjust for that first, then for parking and exposure.

The fair comparison is not other condos. It is freehold semi-detached and detached houses on the surrounding streets, and the other large-format condo townhouses in midtown. Against a freehold house you give up land and some control, and you gain a concierge, shared amenities, someone else handling snow and lawn care, and underground parking.

Sources disagree slightly on what the fee covers. The building profile lists common elements, building insurance, parking and water; a recent listing adds cable TV. Heat and hydro are not listed in either, so budget for heating a 2,600-plus square foot home on your own meter. My building sold report shows what has actually traded here.

Building specifications

Amenities at 51-118 Pleasant Boulevard Townhomes

The amenity list is short for a reason: these are houses, not suites. What makes it unusual is the concierge and the shared facilities with Avoca Vale next door, which give 18 townhome owners services that a complex this small would not normally have.

Jatin’s honest take on 51-118 Pleasant Boulevard Townhomes

51-118 Pleasant Boulevard Townhomes — frequently asked questions

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