66 Shaftesbury Townhouses: 14 Summerhill Homes With Underground Parking

66 Shaftesbury is one of the 1970s townhouse condominiums that quietly fill in the side streets of Summerhill. Fourteen red-brick homes, each over four levels, with a walled garden at the back and the car parked underneath. For a buyer who wants this neighbourhood without paying for a detached house, it is one of the more practical options, as long as the paperwork is right. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Townhouses built for this street

Shaftesbury Avenue is a short residential street on the east side of Yonge in Summerhill, lined with brick houses. The 66 Shaftesbury townhouses were built in 1977 to sit comfortably among them: red brick, modest in height from the street, and set up as a row rather than a block.

Each home runs over four levels, including a lower level that connects to the shared underground garage. That is the defining feature of the complex. You drive in below, park, and walk up into your home, which is a very different experience from street parking or a laneway garage.

At the back, homes open onto private courtyard gardens enclosed by brick walls. In a neighbourhood where most outdoor space is a narrow backyard, a walled, private courtyard is a real asset, and it makes these homes feel more like houses than condos.

Four levels, and room to reconfigure

A recent listing described a typical layout: an open living and dining room with a galley kitchen on the main floor and a walk-out to the courtyard, a bedroom and bath on the second floor, a large open third floor with a balcony that could serve as a primary suite, and a lower level with skylights, laundry, storage and direct garage access.

The same listing noted that some neighbouring owners have reconfigured the second floor into two bedrooms. That tells you the plans are flexible, but it also means homes in the complex may differ from each other. Ask what has been changed, whether permits and corporation approvals were obtained, and how the change affects the square footage.

On that point, be careful with size. The listing I looked at gave two different figures for the same home, around 1,200 square feet in one place and over 1,785 across four levels in another. Get the home measured or ask how the figure was calculated before you compare it with anything else.

A 1977 corporation: what age means here

YCC-352 has been a condominium for nearly 50 years. That brings stability, a long record you can review, and owners who often stay for a long time. It also means the shared parts of the complex, especially the underground garage, its membrane and drainage, and the roofs and masonry, are on their second or third cycle of repair.

Underground garages are the most expensive common element in a townhouse complex like this. Ask for the reserve fund study and look specifically at the garage, the waterproofing above it and the courtyard drainage. Read the last few years of board minutes for any discussion of leaks or major repairs.

Condos.ca lists GPM Property Management in the developer field, which I suspect reflects the manager rather than the original builder. Confirm who manages the corporation today and how long they have done so. A good manager is the single most important factor in how an older, small complex is run.

With 14 owners, each vote carries real weight, and decisions about major repairs can be contentious. Find out how often the owners meet, whether the board has turned over recently, and whether any big projects have been deferred. A deferred project is still a project, and someone will pay for it.

Daily life in Summerhill

You are a short walk from the Summerhill strip of Yonge Street, with its food shops, cafes and restaurants, and from the former North Toronto railway station, the 1916 Beaux Arts landmark that now houses a large LCBO. Rosedale’s ravines and parks are close by to the east. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools and parks.

The street is residential and quiet, and with only 14 homes, you will know your neighbours. Similar 1970s and 1980s condominium townhouses nearby include 95 Summerhill Avenue Townhouses, a few streets away, which is worth comparing on fees and condition. The 21 Shaftesbury condominium on the same street is a very different product, but it gives you a sense of how the street has evolved.

One practical note: with a shared underground garage, ask how snow clearing, the garage door and the ramp are handled, and whether there have been any recent issues with access. These are the small things that make daily life easy or frustrating in a complex like this.

Pricing: a Summerhill home at a condo-townhouse discount

There were no homes listed for sale or rent when I checked, and with 14 homes, there is no building average price per square foot I would rely on. Sales come up occasionally, and each one depends heavily on condition and renovation.

For value, I compare homes here with Summerhill semis and row houses of similar size, and with other townhouse condominiums nearby. Against a freehold house, you give up land and pay a monthly fee, but you gain underground parking, shared exterior maintenance and usually a lower purchase price. Against newer condo townhouses, you gain the walled garden and a lower price per square foot, but you take on an older building.

Ask for the fee schedule and what it covers, because I did not find a published list of inclusions. My building sold report can show what has actually traded here and on nearby streets.

Building specifications

Amenities at 66 Shaftesbury Townhouses

The amenities are practical rather than social: a shared underground garage with access from each home, visitor parking, and permission to barbecue in your own walled courtyard.

Jatin’s honest take on 66 Shaftesbury Townhouses

66 Shaftesbury Townhouses — 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.