Empire at NY Towers, 17 Barberry Pl: Daniels One-Beds Near Bayview Village

Empire is where I start a first-time buyer who wants the Bayview Village corner without paying new-build prices. It is a 28-storey Daniels tower from 2005, the biggest condominium in the NY Towers enclave, and its fee covers heat, cooling and parking at under a dollar a square foot. Most of what comes up is a one-bedroom or one-plus-den, so the question is usually which one, not whether. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The biggest building in the Daniels enclave

Daniels built a cluster of towers on Kenaston Gardens and Barberry Place, behind the corner of Sheppard Avenue East and Bayview Avenue, and has marketed the group as NY Towers. Empire, at 402 suites, is the largest condominium in it. Rockefeller at 18 Kenaston Gardens is its smaller neighbour, and UrbanToronto has covered later additions such as the eight-storey NY Place.

Size matters in two ways. A 402-suite corporation spreads big repair bills across many owners, which tends to keep fees steadier. It also means more resales, so there are usually several suites to choose from and enough recent sales to price against, which is not true of every building in this pocket.

The corporation also takes in the addresses 32 to 38 Kenaston Gardens. I could not confirm from public sources what those addresses are on the ground, so if you are looking at one of them, ask the listing agent to confirm the suite type and how it shares the building’s amenities and costs.

Suites: mostly one-bedrooms and one-plus-dens

Condos.ca puts suite sizes at roughly 511 to 1,748 square feet, so there are larger plans at the top of the building. What actually comes up for sale, though, is weighted heavily to the small end. Of the seven current listings, three are one-bedrooms in the 500 to 599 square foot band and four are one-plus-dens between about 500 and 799 square feet.

Daniels’ rental description for the building lists one-bedroom to two-bedroom-plus-den suites with balconies, granite counters, ceramic tile and a mix of hardwood and carpet, plus five or six appliances. Those are the original 2005 finishes, so expect a wide spread between suites that have been renovated and those that have not.

The den is the decision point. In a 500 to 600 square foot one-plus-den, the den is often a nook rather than a room. Ask whether it has a door and a window before you pay for it as a second bedroom, because a tenant or a future buyer will ask the same question.

The fee is the quiet advantage

Condos.ca lists air conditioning, common elements, heat, building insurance, parking and water as included in the fee. Across the seven current listings, the fee runs from about $510 to $650 a month, which condos.ca works out to about 93 cents per square foot.

That is a strong number for a building that includes heating and cooling. Many newer towers on Sheppard quote lower fees but meter heating and cooling by suite and charge separately for parking. Add those back and Empire often ends up cheaper to carry month to month.

Hydro is the main utility you would pay yourself. Before you firm up, confirm in the status certificate that the parking space is included with the suite you are buying, and whether a locker comes with it.

Living behind Bayview Village

Daniels pitches the building on what is around it: Bayview subway station, Bayview Village Shopping Centre, a YMCA, the banks on Sheppard, and the 401 and 404. For a commuter who wants to drive some days and take the subway on others, that is a practical mix.

The pocket has been filling in for years. UrbanToronto described Bayview Village in 2011 as being quietly redeveloped into a denser, mixed-use hub, with several developers active nearby. That brings more shops and services, but also more construction and more traffic on the few streets that feed the enclave.

The panel on this page covers transit, schools, parks and restaurants. Visit at the evening rush as well, because every tower in the cluster shares the same short route out to Sheppard and Bayview.

Pricing: plenty of choice in a tight band

Condos.ca did not publish a building average per square foot for Empire when I checked, so the current listings are the best guide. The three one-bedrooms ask from about $465,000 to $495,000, and the four one-plus-dens ask from about $588,000 to $688,000.

That spread inside a single suite type is worth noticing. Two one-plus-dens of similar size can be $100,000 apart in asking price, and the difference is usually floor height, view, renovation and whether the den works as a room. Compare them per square foot and check what has been updated before treating the cheaper one as the deal.

What is missing from the current list is just as telling. None of the active listings is a two-bedroom or one of the larger plans at the top of the size range, even though condos.ca shows suites up to about 1,748 square feet. If you need that much space here, be ready to wait for one to come up, and expect it to price differently from the one-bedroom stock.

Seven listings at once is real choice, and it gives you room to negotiate. For recent sold prices and days on market, see the automatic panel on this page.

Building specifications

Amenities at Empire at NY Towers

Daniels lists an indoor pool, a fitness centre, a billiards room and a home theatre, and condos.ca adds guest suites and concierge. For a one-bedroom owner, that means a pool and gym without a membership and somewhere to put visiting family overnight.

Jatin’s honest take on Empire at NY Towers

Empire at NY Towers — 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.