Edge Lofts, 625 Queen St E: Glass Soft Lofts at the Don River Edge

Edge Lofts is the building I show buyers who want a real loft feel without paying for a brick-and-beam conversion. It is a six-storey glass building from 2009 at the very west end of Riverside, with 10-foot ceilings, polished concrete floors and some of the best skyline views on Queen East. It also sits beside the Don Valley Parkway ramps, and I will be straight with you about what that means. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A new-build soft loft on an old garage site

Edge Lofts went up where a used-car dealership and garage once stood, on the stretch of Queen East between the Don River and Broadview. When Streetcar Developments launched it, this was still a rough industrial pocket. The pitch was simple: build a glass-and-brick mid-rise with loft finishes and bet that the neighbourhood would catch up. It did.

This is a soft loft, not a conversion. You get the loft vocabulary, meaning 10-foot ceilings, polished concrete floors, exposed ductwork and floor-to-ceiling glass, inside a building that was purpose-built in the 2000s. That matters at resale. You avoid the quirks of a century-old warehouse, such as uneven floors and old masonry, but you also do not get exposed brick or timber beams. Buyers who want those should look at a true conversion instead.

The shape is the other thing people notice. The building is a sharp, angular glass form, and at six storeys it stands taller than most of what is around it. The UrbanToronto forum thread for the project credits Quadrangle as the architect; I could not confirm that from a second source, so treat it as likely rather than certain.

Layouts, views and outdoor space

Suites are mostly one-bedrooms, one-plus-dens and two-bedrooms. Size ranges differ by source: condos.ca shows about 611 to 1,754 sq ft, one local loft specialist lists roughly 637 to 1,086 sq ft, and the original sales coverage mentioned suites up to about 1,800 sq ft, with some buyers combining units. The larger figures most likely reflect combined or penthouse suites, so always check the floor plan for the specific suite.

Launch materials promised every suite a balcony or terrace. With floor-to-ceiling windows, west-facing suites look across the Don Valley to the downtown skyline and toward the lake, which is the single best feature of the building. East-facing and north-facing suites get a more ordinary neighbourhood view, and the price should reflect that.

Ceilings at 10 feet make even a 650 sq ft one-bedroom feel larger than its footprint. The trade-off with exposed ducts and concrete is sound: hard surfaces carry noise, so walk the suite at a busy time of day and listen for neighbours above and beside you.

The DVP next door, and what is changing around you

Here is the honest part. The building sits right beside the Don Valley Parkway and its elevated ramps to the west. That is what gives the west side its open view, and it is also traffic noise and some highway air. Some people tune it out within a month. Others never do. Stand on the balcony during rush hour before you commit.

The flip side is that the neighbourhood around Edge has changed a lot. Streetcar has kept building on this strip, and in 2014 it proposed Riverside Square on the former Toyota dealership lands a short way east, a multi-building plan with retail and a new public plaza. It also bought the 1893 Broadview House at Queen and Broadview to turn it into a boutique hotel. Across the river, the West Don Lands has filled in with new housing.

The Ontario Line is the next big change. Metrolinx is building Leslieville Station at Queen and De Grassi, east of the building, which will bring construction disruption on Queen East for now and better rapid transit once it opens. The automatic panel on this page covers current transit options.

What Edge Lofts costs to own

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $875 per sq ft. Three suites were listed for sale at the time of writing, asking from $699,000 to $869,900, all one-plus-dens or two-plus-dens. That is a reasonable spread to compare against, though three listings is still a thin sample, so I would also pull the last 12 months of sales before setting an offer.

Fees on those active listings averaged about $1.07 per sq ft, with monthly fees roughly $850 to $1,100. That covers common elements, heat and water. Hydro is separate, and parking is not listed as included. When the project launched, the plan was to keep amenities minimal so fees would stay low; the fees have since risen well beyond the launch projection, which is normal for a building of this age but worth understanding before you buy.

For context, $1.07 per sq ft is on the high side for a building with modest amenities. Heat in the fee helps, and with glass walls that is a real saving in winter. Still, compare total monthly cost, not just the fee, against the newer buildings east along Queen.

Building specifications

Amenities at Edge Lofts

There is no gym, pool or concierge here, and that was a deliberate choice at launch to keep costs down. What you do get is a rooftop deck with the same downtown views as the west suites, a party and meeting room, and BBQs allowed, which suits people who would rather spend their evenings on Queen East than in an amenity floor.

Jatin’s honest take on Edge Lofts

Edge 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.