Briar Hill City Towns, 1100 Briar Hill Ave: Stacked Towns Near Line 5

Briar Hill City Towns is what I show buyers who want a ground-oriented home near Eglinton West for less than a freehold townhouse costs. It is a 2018 Madison Group project of 124 stacked townhomes, with private rooftop terraces on the upper suites, and it sits a short walk north of the Crosstown corridor. Stacked towns are a different kind of ownership from a tower, and that is worth understanding first. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Six blocks on a sloping site

The project is six blocks of stacked townhomes on the east side of Dufferin Street at Briar Hill Avenue. UrbanToronto reported that the site slopes, so each block rises about four and a half storeys, with the lowest level partly sunk into the ground on the north-facing sides.

That explains why sources describe the height differently. Condos.ca lists three floors, while UrbanToronto’s database lists four storeys. Both are describing the same buildings; the slope means the number depends on which side you count from.

The exteriors use textured, earth-toned finishes with warm accents, and the ground-level entrances were designed with small landscaped gardens and compact patios. The top level of each block steps back, which creates the private rooftop terraces that are the main selling point of the upper suites.

UrbanToronto reported that more than 80 percent of the suites had sold by January 2016, well before construction finished. Early sales like that usually mean a high share of owner-occupiers who bought to live here, which is worth confirming with the owner-renter split in the panel.

Two layouts: courtyard suites and rooftop towns

UrbanToronto describes two basic plans. The lower suites are one-storey courtyard plans, with living space, bedrooms and a den on a single level and a private patio. The upper suites are two-storey townhomes, with living space on the main floor, bedrooms above and a rooftop terrace on top.

Condos.ca records suites from about 709 to 1,494 square feet. In practice, that means you are choosing between a one-level home with a patio, which suits anyone who wants to avoid stairs, and a larger two-storey home with outdoor space overhead.

Stairs are the trade-off people underestimate. An upper suite can mean climbing from the front door to the main floor, then to the bedrooms, then to the roof. Walk it with a full grocery bag before you decide. A lower suite has fewer stairs but sits partly below grade on the north side, so check the natural light.

Dufferin and Briar Hill, a few blocks from Eglinton

UrbanToronto noted at launch that the site is within walking distance of the Crosstown, and Line 5 Eglinton now runs along Eglinton Avenue to the south. The panel beside this review shows the nearest stops and the walking times.

Dufferin Street gives you everyday shopping, and Yorkdale is a short drive north. The streets east of the site are residential, with houses rather than towers, which is part of why a low-rise project fits here.

This stretch of Eglinton West spent years under construction for the Crosstown. With the line running, the disruption that made the area harder to live in is largely over, and buildings close to it are better placed than they were when these towns first sold.

What stacked-town ownership actually means

A stacked townhome looks like a house from the street, but legally it is a condominium suite. You own the inside of your unit, the corporation owns and maintains the structure, roofs and grounds, and you pay a monthly fee for that, the same as in a tower.

The practical differences are in the details. Your patio or terrace is usually exclusive-use common element, which means it is yours to use but the corporation controls what you can build, plant or install on it. Before you plan a hot tub, a pergola or planters on a rooftop terrace, read the rules and ask the manager.

Noise travels differently too. In a stacked town, someone lives above or below you, and sometimes beside you, with no hallway in between. Ask the current owner how sound carries between floors, and visit in the evening when neighbours are home.

The upside is a smaller community. With 124 homes, you are more likely to know your neighbours, and board decisions affect a group small enough to attend meetings and be heard.

Pricing: a lower price per foot than a tower

Condos.ca puts the average at about $731 per square foot. That is below what newer towers on Eglinton West ask per foot, which is typical for stacked townhomes, since you give up a concierge and amenities in exchange for a front door and private outdoor space.

When I checked, two suites were listed for sale, with asking prices from about $719,000 to $785,000, and fees on those listings were in the mid-$500s a month. For a home of this size near Eglinton West, that fee is moderate, partly because there is no pool, gym or concierge to fund.

Condos.ca does not list what the fee includes, so confirm it in the status certificate. In stacked towns, hydro, heat and water are often billed to each suite. Use the 12-month data in the panel for actual trades, and ask me for a building sold report that separates upper and lower suites, since they trade very differently.

Building specifications

Amenities at Briar Hill City Towns

Condos.ca lists a parking garage, visitor parking, bike storage, an outdoor patio and a party room. The real amenity here is private outdoor space, a patio or a rooftop terrace, which most condo buyers at this price do not get. Bike storage and a garage also matter more than they sound in a townhouse complex, since there is no in-suite garage to absorb bikes, strollers and tools.

Jatin’s honest take on Briar Hill City Towns

Briar Hill City Towns — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.