Academy Lane Lofts, 1852 Queen St E: A Bowling Alley Turned Beaches Lofts

Academy Lane Lofts is the closest thing the Beaches has to a true hard loft. It is a turn-of-the-century building on Queen East that once held a bowling alley, converted by Streetcar in 2004 with new floors added on top, and it has only about a dozen suites. If you want exposed brick and beams within walking distance of the boardwalk, there is very little else to choose from. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

From bowling alley to lofts

The building takes its name from the bowling alley that once ran here, and one local loft specialist notes it also housed a boxing gym at one point. Streetcar Developments bought it, kept the original structure and added new floors on top, so what you get is a genuine old building at the base with modern construction above.

That mix is the appeal. Lower suites have exposed brick and timber beams, the kind of character you cannot buy in a new soft loft. Upper floors are newer and lighter, with large windows. Before you buy, find out which part of the building your suite is in, because the experience of living in each is quite different.

In 2009, Academy Lane and its newer neighbour, Beach House Lofts at 1842, together won an Award of Excellence at the Toronto Urban Design Awards in the private mid-rise category. William Hurst Architects is credited as the architect, and the award recognised how well the pair fit into the Queen Street main street.

Two-storey suites and tiered terraces

Suites here are large by condo standards. Condos.ca shows roughly 834 to 1,668 sq ft, so there are no small one-bedrooms. The plans include both single-level and two-storey layouts, and the two-storey suites feel more like a small townhouse than a condo.

Most suites have private outdoor space, and some have tiered terraces that step back with the added floors. In the Beaches, a real terrace is worth a lot, both for daily life and at resale.

The conversion also explains why no two suites are quite the same. Window placement, beam layout and ceiling heights follow the original building, which is great for character and harder for comparison. Ask for the exact floor plan and ceiling height for the suite you are looking at.

One more thing to check in any conversion is sound. Original floors and walls in an old building were not designed to separate homes, and how well the conversion dealt with that varies from suite to suite. Visit when the neighbours are likely to be home, and ask the seller directly what they hear.

It is also worth seeing this building for what it competes with. In the Beaches, the realistic alternatives to a suite this size are a semi or a townhouse, with the maintenance and stairs that come with them. Academy Lane gives you similar space and character with someone else looking after the roof and the snow.

The building count, the elevator and small-building realities

The published figures do not agree. Condos.ca’s data lists three floors and 10 suites, but its own overview describes four storeys and 12 suites, and the loft specialist I checked has the same split. I would confirm the actual suite count in the status certificate, because in a building this small it changes your share of every shared cost.

Unlike Beach House next door, Academy Lane lists an elevator, which makes it a far better fit for downsizers and anyone planning to stay for the long term. It also lists a parking garage, though parking is not shown as included in the fee, so confirm whether a space comes with the suite.

With about a dozen owners, every repair is split a dozen ways, and an older structure with new additions has more to maintain than a simple new building. The status certificate, reserve fund study and recent board minutes are the documents that matter most here.

Daily life is easy. Retail sits on the ground floor, Queen East’s shops and restaurants are out the door, and the beach and the boardwalk are to the south. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools and parks.

Pricing and fees

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $1,077 per sq ft, which is high for the east end and reflects how rare a true brick-and-beam loft is in the Beaches. Only one suite was listed at the time of writing, so there is no active range to quote, and I would not anchor on a single listing in any case.

At that average, even the smallest suite of about 834 sq ft works out to roughly $900,000, and the larger two-level suites with terraces run well past that. To price an offer, I would look at several years of sales here, then at Beach House Lofts next door and other conversions in the east end, adjusting for size, outdoor space and parking.

The fee covers common elements, heat, water, air conditioning and building insurance. Parking is not listed as included, so add its cost if the suite comes with a space. In an older structure with large windows and tall ceilings, having heat and cooling in the fee is a real benefit, but it also means the building’s energy costs show up in everyone’s fees.

Building specifications

Amenities at Academy Lane Lofts

There are no shared amenity rooms here. The practical amenities are the elevator, a parking garage, BBQs allowed on the terraces and a security system, and in the Beaches the main street and the lake do the rest.

Jatin’s honest take on Academy Lane Lofts

Academy Lane Lofts — frequently asked questions

Looking at Leslieville, Riverdale, the Beaches, Danforth and Leaside more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.