Bliss Condos, 55 East Liberty St: Liberty Village’s Practical Mid-Rise

Bliss is one of the quieter buildings on East Liberty Street, and that is mostly a compliment. It is a 20-storey, 276-suite building with a straightforward amenity package, a broad mix of suite sizes and prices that sit slightly below its better-known neighbours. Nobody buys here for the architecture. People buy here because it works. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Phase two of CanAlfa’s Liberty Towers

CanAlfa Group built Bliss as the second phase of its Liberty Towers development, rising just east of the 24-storey Liberty Towers building at 59 East Liberty. The first phase came with a row of stacked townhomes; Bliss is the 20-storey mid-rise that followed it.

Sources disagree on the architect. UrbanToronto’s 2010 construction coverage credits IBI/HB, the same team that designed Liberty Towers, while an earlier post in its forum attributes the design to Peter Clews of architectsAlliance with Munge Leung. I would list both until the registered drawings settle it.

During sales the project was popular. Forum posters reported that it was about 95 per cent sold within roughly a year and a half, at prices well below what King West towers were asking at the time. The same thread shows frustration with construction delays and site conditions before the building went up. That history matters less today than how the building has been run since 2011.

Because Bliss and Liberty Towers were built by the same developer on adjoining land, ask whether the two corporations share any facilities, driveways or garage access. Shared arrangements are common in phased projects like this, and they come with cost-sharing agreements that belong in the status certificate review.

A wide spread of suite sizes

Suites range from about 340 sq ft studios to roughly 1,577 sq ft, which is a wider range than many Liberty Village buildings of this era. Current listings include studios under 500 sq ft, several one-bedrooms in the 500s and two-bedroom suites between 800 and 1,000 sq ft.

That mix gives the building a more balanced population than a tower full of studios. Young professionals and investors take the small suites, while couples and some small families take the two-bedroom-plus-dens. A larger suite here can be a real alternative to a townhouse in the neighbourhood.

The building is also a useful option for buyers priced out of a freehold in the west end who still want two real bedrooms. At the top of the range, a suite near 1,500 sq ft offers more floor area than many new two-bedroom condos downtown, at a lower price per square foot.

As with most buildings of this age, the one-bedroom suites lean on open-plan kitchens along one wall, and dens vary from usable rooms to alcoves. Look at the specific floor plan rather than the bedroom count.

Amenities that are useful rather than flashy

Listing data shows a concierge, guest suites, a party room, a meeting room, a car wash, a parking garage and Beanfield Fibre in the building. That is a modest list next to the big CityPlace towers, but it covers what most residents actually use.

Of these, guest suites and the car wash are the ones I would value most. Guest suites save visiting family a hotel bill, and an indoor car wash is a real convenience in a Toronto winter. Beanfield Fibre matters if you work from home.

One early forum comment suggested there was a pool in the plans. I could not confirm a pool in current listing data, so do not assume one. Listing data also notes a pet restriction; read the rules before you commit.

Daily life on East Liberty

Bliss sits in the middle of Liberty Village’s residential towers, so the shops, restaurants and cafés of the neighbourhood are a short walk. That is the point of buying here. You trade a bit of space and quiet for having almost everything you need within a few blocks.

The neighbourhood is dense and busy, and East Liberty is a busy street lined with towers, retail and loading. Suites higher up and facing away from the street are likely to be quieter, so ask to see one at street level and one higher up if you can. Transit, schools and nearby parks are in the data panel on this page.

What Bliss costs compared with its neighbours

The building average is about $818 per square foot, a little below Zip Condos at about $841 and well below the newer towers in the area. For a building of this age and location, that is a fair entry point rather than a bargain.

For context, forum posters during the original sales period estimated Liberty Village pricing at roughly $450 to $500 per square foot. Early buyers have done well, and the gap between those numbers and today’s average is a reminder that this neighbourhood has matured into one of the city’s established condo districts.

Six suites are listed for sale right now, asking between $439,000 and $950,000, from a studio under 500 sq ft to a two-bedroom-plus-den in the 900s. That spread gives you real comparables at almost every size.

Fees on current listings average about $0.94 per square foot. They include heat, air conditioning, water and insurance, but not parking. Compare that with Zip and other buildings nearby where parking is in the fee. On a studio the difference is small; on a two-bedroom with a parking spot it can be a meaningful monthly amount.

Building specifications

Amenities at Bliss Condos

This is a practical amenity list. You will not find a resort pool, but guest suites, a car wash and fibre internet are things residents use every week, and a shorter list usually means fewer big-ticket items for the reserve fund to replace. That tends to help keep fee increases more predictable over time.

Jatin’s honest take on Bliss Condos

Bliss Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at King West, Liberty Village and CityPlace more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.