High Park Green, 50 Quebec Ave: Big 1977 Suites a Block from the Park

High Park Green is the building I show families who have priced a new two-bedroom near High Park and realised it will not hold them. The three buildings on Quebec Avenue went up in 1977, and the suites were planned for households, not investors: two, three and even four bedrooms, mostly with balconies. The trade-off is age, and age is what you have to underwrite. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1977 tower-in-the-park complex that sold as condos from day one

Most of the high-rises north of Bloor between High Park Avenue and Quebec Avenue are rentals. They were built in the 1960s and 1970s, after the Bloor-Danforth subway arrived, when developers assembled and demolished rows of older houses. High Park Green is one of the few projects on these streets that was registered as a condominium from the start, in April 1977.

A Toronto Star photo caption from March 1978 describes the suites in the new High Park Green high-rise as priced from $56,000 to $92,000. That is a useful reminder of what this building was built to be: a large-format ownership option for families who wanted to live by the park without a house.

The complex is three buildings on one site: two high-rise towers and one mid-rise. Condos.ca groups them under 50 to 100 Quebec Avenue, and strata.ca lists 50, 80 and 100 Quebec separately. The total is 904 suites, which makes it one of the larger condominium corporations in the west end.

Size changes how a building is run. A 904-suite corporation has a big operating budget and a big reserve fund, and the board decisions carry real weight: one vote on window replacement or garage repairs can move every owner’s fee. Before you buy, read recent board minutes, not just the budget, so you can see what the owners have been arguing about.

Two to four bedrooms, and real square footage

This is the main reason to buy here. Strata.ca describes the suite mix as two-, three- and four-bedroom units, with the four-bedrooms at the top of the size range. Condos.ca puts suites at roughly 784 to 1,443 square feet and strata.ca at 708 to 1,455; either way, the smallest suite here is bigger than a typical new-build one-bedroom-plus-den.

Expect the 1970s plan: a proper entry hall, separate dining area, closets in every bedroom and a balcony. Many suites have been renovated over the decades, so you will see everything from original kitchens to open-concept rebuilds with hardwood floors. Some listings describe sizeable terraces on certain floors.

Because renovations vary so much, the same floor plan can trade at very different prices. Compare suites on condition, not just on square footage.

Check the exposure as well. Upper floors facing south look towards the High Park tree canopy, while lower floors on this street of towers can look straight into a neighbouring building. Because the suites are so large, light from one exposure has to reach deep into the plan, which is worth seeing in person at different times of day before you commit.

The fee question: all-in, or not?

Condos.ca lists the monthly fee as covering common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, water, cable TV, building insurance and parking. One current listing also mentions internet. If that is accurate, very few buildings in Toronto include this much. Strata.ca shows hydro, heat, air conditioning and water as excluded.

I lean towards the inclusive version, because older complexes on central systems usually bundle utilities, but you should not take my word or either website’s. The status certificate and the corporation’s budget will show what the fee actually pays for, and that matters when you compare it with a newer condo where you pay hydro and parking separately.

On current listings, fees run roughly $950 to $1,150 a month for two-bedroom suites, which works out to around $1 per square foot. That is high on paper, so the comparison only works once you add back hydro, heating, cooling and parking at the other building.

Daily life on Quebec Avenue

Quebec Avenue runs north from Bloor Street West. Walk south and you are on Bloor West with its cafés and shops, and across Bloor is High Park itself, with Grenadier Pond, the trails and the zoo. The panel beside this review shows exact transit and walking data.

The street is changing. GWL Realty Advisors has built Grenadier Square, two 25-storey rental towers on the 51 Quebec Avenue site across the street, and has a much larger rental infill plan, High Park Village, for the block between High Park Avenue and Pacific Avenue. Expect more neighbours, more construction and busier sidewalks over the next several years.

For an owner, that is mixed news. More rental supply nearby can compete with you if you plan to lease your suite, but the investment also signals the area’s long-term appeal.

What High Park Green costs per square foot

Condos.ca puts the building’s average at about $918 per square foot. For a 1977 complex, that is strong. It reflects the subway and the park, and the shortage of family-sized suites anywhere near them.

Current asking prices for two-bedroom suites range from about $919,000 to $1.35 million. The width of that range is the renovation story again: an original suite and a fully rebuilt one with a terrace are different products. Few suites are listed at any one time in a building this size, so check the sold report before you set a price.

Building specifications

Amenities at High Park Green

The outdoor pool and tennis courts are summer amenities from the 1970s playbook, and few new buildings nearby have either. Spread across 904 suites, the costs are shared, but so is the equipment, so ask how recently the pool and courts were redone.

Jatin’s honest take on High Park Green

High Park Green — frequently asked questions

Looking at High Park North more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.