Aria Condos, 10 & 20 Bloorview Pl: Big Two-Bedrooms at Leslie & Sheppard

Aria is one of the larger condo communities near Leslie and Sheppard, and its size is the first thing to understand about it. Two addresses, 548 suites and a fee that covers heat, air conditioning, water and parking make it a practical, mid-priced choice in a part of North York that is still filling in with new towers. The real question is how well a 2011 building of this scale has been looked after. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two addresses, one corporation, a stepped design

Aria sits at 10 and 20 Bloorview Place, a short street off Sheppard Avenue East just northeast of Leslie Street. Both addresses belong to a single condominium corporation, TSCC-2176, so owners share one budget, one reserve fund and one board.

Condos.ca lists the building at 18 storeys. UrbanToronto, which photographed the project as it rose in 2010, described it as ranging from 11 to 19 storeys, which points to stepped massing rather than one tall slab. The sources do not agree on the exact count, so check the floor and the view of any specific suite rather than relying on a headline number.

UrbanToronto credits the design to Rafael + Bigauskas Architects and links the project to Cityzen, Fernbrook and Menkes. Condos.ca does not name a developer at all. If the builder matters to you, the declaration in the status certificate names the declarant, and that is the record to rely on.

Suites from 570 to about 3,000 square feet

The size range is wider than at most buildings of this age. Condos.ca lists suites from about 570 to 3,015 square feet, so Aria runs from one-bedroom-plus-den starter units up to large suites that suit a family or a downsizer leaving a house.

The current listings show where the volume sits. Most of the six suites for sale when I checked were in the 900 to 999 square foot band, either two-bedroom or two-bedroom-plus-den plans. That tells me the core of this building is family-sized two-bedroom stock, not micro-units built for investors.

A corporation of 548 suites also means a deeper resale market. When you sell, there are usually recent comparable sales in the same building, which makes a suite much easier to price than in a 40-unit boutique where every sale is an outlier.

What I would look at closely is the den. In plans from this era, a den is often an open nook rather than a room with a door. Ask whether the plus-one can really work as a bedroom or a home office before you pay for it.

A fee that covers heat, cooling and parking

At about $0.92 per square foot on current listings, Aria’s fee is not low on paper. The inclusions are broad, though: common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is the main utility you pay yourself.

Bundled heating and cooling matter more in a 950-square-foot suite than in a small one-bedroom, because those bills scale with space. When you compare Aria with a newer tower nearby that quotes a lower fee per foot, add back the heating, cooling and parking that the newer building often bills separately. The gap usually narrows.

Across the six suites listed for sale, monthly fees ran from about $627 to $1,363. Fees are set by unit size, so use the per-foot figure, not the dollar amount, when you compare buildings.

Daily life at Leslie and Sheppard

This is a practical location rather than a postcard one. Line 4 runs under Sheppard Avenue, Highway 401 is reached quickly from the Leslie Street ramp, and North York General Hospital sits at Leslie and Sheppard. The panel beside this review shows the nearest station, schools and Walk Score.

The neighbourhood has changed a great deal since Aria went up. Leslie and Sheppard has added many new towers since 2011, which brings more shops and services, and also more competing condo supply. That second point matters if you are buying to rent, because tenants here have choice.

For green space, UrbanToronto described the site as sitting in the Don Valley, and local parks include Dallington Park, Clovercrest Parkette and Lescon Park. It is a neighbourhood that suits people who drive or ride the subway to work and want a quieter side street to come home to.

What Aria asks per square foot

Condos.ca puts Aria’s average at about $747 per square foot. I would test that number against other concrete buildings of similar age near Leslie, Bayview and Sheppard, not against new-build pricing, which carries a premium for new finishes and a warranty.

Six suites were listed for sale when I checked, asking between $538,000 and $969,000, and one suite was listed for lease. Having several two-bedroom plans on the market at once gives you a fair set of direct comparisons, which is not always the case in smaller buildings.

With the fee at about $0.92 per square foot and heat, cooling and parking included, the all-in monthly cost is easier to predict than at most newer towers. Asking prices are not sale prices: for what suites here have actually traded for, see the sold data in the panel, or request my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Aria Condos

Condos.ca lists a concierge, party, media and meeting rooms, guest suites and visitor parking. One agent site also lists an outdoor pool and a fitness room that condos.ca does not, so confirm exactly what is open and maintained when you tour.

Jatin’s honest take on Aria Condos

Aria Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.