George Condos & Towns, 1331 Queen St E: Leslieville Suites With Yards

George is the Leslieville building I suggest to buyers who want a newer condo but cannot face a balcony the size of a parking space. It was marketed on the idea that every suite gets real private outdoor space, and it adds a set of large townhomes at the base. The fee covers less than you might expect, so read it carefully. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Named for George Leslie, built around outdoor space

The building takes its name from George Leslie, the nineteenth-century horticulturalist whose nurseries gave Leslieville its name. The marketing leaned hard on that garden history, and the design follows through: the project launched in 2016 with private outdoor space, branded as Urban Yards, for every residence, with a built-in BBQ.

That matters more than it sounds. Most new mid-rises in the east end give smaller suites a narrow balcony. Outdoor space you can actually furnish is one of the few features that consistently helps resale in this neighbourhood.

Treat the launch brochure as a starting point. Confirm on the floor plan and in the declaration how much outdoor space comes with the specific suite you are considering, and whether it is exclusive-use common element rather than owned.

RAW Design, brick and three kinds of home

Toronto firm RAW Design was the architect, with interiors by Mike Niven Interior Design. The street face is brick, chosen to fit the older Queen Street East frontage, with retail at grade to keep the sidewalk active.

The building mixes three formats. There are standard condo suites, loft-inspired suites on the top floor and a row of townhomes. At launch, the eight townhomes were listed at about 1,981 to 2,224 square feet, and the condo suites at about 530 to 1,467 square feet, with ceiling heights of nine and ten feet.

Those townhomes are the rarest product here. A two-thousand-square-foot home on Queen Street East with the services of a condo building is hard to find anywhere in Leslieville, and when one lists it draws a different buyer from the suites upstairs.

Who built it, and how many suites

The developer naming is a little confusing. UrbanToronto and the launch materials credit The Rockport Group, while condos.ca lists Trolleybus Urban Development. Both names attach to the same project. If warranty history matters to your purchase, ask the property manager which entity is the declarant on the corporation’s documents.

The suite count also differs. Launch coverage described 88 residences. Condos.ca now shows 80. The difference may reflect suites combined or changed during construction. The declaration is the number to rely on.

The original target was a fall 2018 completion. The corporation registered in August 2021, so the build ran a few years late, which was common for mid-rise projects in that period. It is worth asking how the deficiency process went and what the Tarion performance audit found.

Daily life on Queen Street East

1331 Queen Street East sits just east of Leslie Street, on the Leslieville stretch of Queen known for cafés, bakeries and independent shops. Everyday errands can be done on foot, and the Queen streetcar runs past the door. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools and Walk Score.

Queen Street is lively, which cuts both ways. Front-facing suites see the street; rear and upper suites tend to be quieter. If noise matters to you, visit on a Friday night before you buy.

Leslieville is also in the middle of a long construction cycle. Ontario Line work is underway further west in the neighbourhood, and mid-rise projects keep replacing low-rise commercial lots on Queen. Expect disruption for a few years and, eventually, better transit.

Condos.ca files the building under Greenwood-Coxwell rather than South Riverdale, which you will see on some listings. Do not let the label confuse you; buyers, sellers and the streetscape all treat this block as Leslieville, and that is how it is priced.

What you pay, and what the fee leaves out

The building average sits around $885 per square foot. That is in line with other newer Leslieville mid-rises, and it is a blend: the townhomes and large suites pull the per-foot number down, while the smaller suites trade higher.

There is only one active listing as I write this, so I will not quote an asking range. With about 80 suites, the TRREB panel on this page will show a modest number of sales in any year, and the townhomes trade so rarely that they barely register. Price a townhome against other east-end townhomes, not against the suites upstairs.

The fee includes only common elements and building insurance. Heat, cooling, water and hydro are not listed as included, and parking is not listed either. That makes the fee look low next to an older building that bundles utilities and parking, so add those costs back before you compare.

For the townhomes, compare the all-in monthly cost with a Leslieville freehold. You give up a lot line and a basement and gain a concierge, a gym and a building that handles the exterior, the roof and the snow.

Building specifications

Amenities at George Condos & Towns

A concierge, a gym and a rooftop terrace cover the essentials for an 80-suite building, and a pet wash was part of the launch package. The private outdoor space with each home does more for daily life than any shared room.

Jatin’s honest take on George Condos & Towns

George Condos & Towns — 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.