870 Jane Street Townhouses: 36 Two-Storey Homes by Smythe Park, York

870 Jane Street is one of the most affordable ways I know to own a townhouse-style condo inside Toronto. It is a 36-home complex from 2007 on Jane Street between St Clair and Eglinton, close to Smythe Park and the Black Creek valley. The price of entry is low; the question you have to answer is whether the fees and the building’s age justify it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small complex on a busy road, backing onto green space

This is a low, two-storey townhouse condominium of 36 homes, registered in May 2007. It sits on the Jane Street corridor in Rockcliffe-Smythe, one of the more affordable pockets of the old City of York, between the St Clair and Eglinton intersections.

The location’s best feature is Smythe Park. The park runs along the Black Creek valley on Jane Street and has a ball diamond, an outdoor pool and the Black Creek Trail, a creekside path lined with willows. It sits on land where Conn Smythe, the man who built Maple Leaf Gardens, once ran a sand and gravel operation, which explains the steep valley walls.

The worst feature is Jane Street itself. It carries heavy traffic and buses all day, so homes facing the road will hear it. If noise matters to you, ask which homes face the street and which face inward or toward the green space, and visit at rush hour.

Who built it, and what I could not confirm

I could not confirm the original builder from a source I trust, and condos.ca does not list one either. I also could not confirm ceiling heights or whether every home has the same two-level layout. Treat any claim about the builder in a listing with caution unless it comes with documents.

What I can tell you is the format. Condos.ca records the complex as two storeys, and the homes I have seen marketed here are two-bedroom townhouse-style suites spread over two levels. In this price range, getting two levels and your own entry instead of a corridor apartment is the main attraction.

Two levels has trade-offs worth thinking through. Bedrooms are usually separated from the living space, which suits roommates or a couple working from home, but stairs are a real issue for buyers planning to age in place or for anyone with a stroller. Walk the stairs and the route from the garage to the front door before you decide.

Fees: the number that decides the deal

In a small townhouse corporation with no gym or concierge, you would expect low fees. That is not always what you find at 870 Jane. With only 36 owners sharing the cost of a parking garage, roofs, windows and grounds, the per-home share can be higher than buyers expect for a complex with so few amenities.

This is where I spend the most time with clients here. A high fee on a low purchase price can still be a good deal if it is funding a healthy reserve and covering items like water. It is a bad deal if it is rising because past boards deferred work. The only way to tell the difference is to read the status certificate, the reserve fund study and the last two years of board minutes.

Fee inclusions are not something I could verify independently, so get the list in writing. Ask specifically about water, heat, hydro and parking, and ask whether any fee increase has been announced for the coming year.

What is changing around it

The Jane and Eglinton end of this corridor is changing faster than the housing stock suggests. The Eglinton Crosstown line runs along Eglinton to the north, and new transit on a major corridor tends to draw new housing and lift values on the streets that feed it over time. That is a long-term argument, not a reason to overpay today.

Closer to home, the daily errands are handled by the plazas along Jane and the bigger grocery and retail options around Stockyards to the south-east. The data panel on this page shows the transit, schools, parks and food options with distances, so I will not repeat them here.

Pricing: low entry, thin comparables

This is a complex where comparables are scarce. At the time of writing there is one home for sale and none for rent, so I will not quote a single asking price as if it were the market. The 12-month sold figures in the data panel are the better anchor.

What I would do is compare on total monthly cost, not on price alone. Add the mortgage payment, the maintenance fee and property tax for a home here, then do the same for a one-bedroom condo apartment in a newer west-end tower. In many cases the townhouse wins on space and loses on fees, and you want to see that trade clearly before you offer.

Build that comparison from real numbers. Ask for the most recent property tax bill and the last 12 months of utility statements with the listing, so the true monthly cost of a home here is based on what the seller actually paid rather than on estimates. Small gaps in those numbers add up over a five-year hold.

If the fee per square foot comes in high, use it in negotiation. Buyers in this price range are fee-sensitive, and a seller who has watched other homes sit will usually understand why.

Building specifications

Amenities at 870 Jane Street Townhouses

There are no shared facilities beyond the garage and visitor parking, and you are allowed to barbecue. Your real amenity is Smythe Park, with its outdoor pool and the Black Creek Trail, which costs the corporation nothing to run.

Jatin’s honest take on 870 Jane Street Townhouses

870 Jane Street Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at the Junction, Corso Italia, Hillcrest Village and west-central Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.