Hillside at York Mills, 18 William Carson Cres: Big Suites, All-In Fee

Hillside at York Mills is where I take buyers who want house-sized square footage, a concierge and a pool, and who do not want a 40-storey tower. It is the original Hillside at York Mills on William Carson Crescent, just north of York Mills Road, completed in 2000 with 154 suites over eight storeys. The fee looks high until you see everything it covers. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The original Hillside, and its neighbours

William Carson Crescent is a small enclave of mid-rise condominiums. This is MTCC-1324, the original Hillside at York Mills. Hillside at York Mills II followed at 28 William Carson Crescent in 2002 as a separate corporation, and Hillside Ravines sits at 38 William Carson Crescent. They look related and share a street, but each has its own budget, reserve fund and rules.

Eight storeys is the right scale for this location. You get elevators, a lobby and a concierge, but the building does not dominate the street, and most suites are not stacked 30 floors deep. For buyers coming out of a house in York Mills, Hoggs Hollow or Lawrence Park, that scale is often what makes condo living feel acceptable.

Condos.ca does not list a developer for this building, and I could not confirm one from a source I trust, so I will leave that blank rather than guess.

Suites that compete with a house

Condos.ca puts suite sizes at about 633 to 2,413 square feet. The top of that range is rare in any Toronto condo, and it is the reason this building appeals to downsizers who are not ready to give up a dining room, a den and a second full bathroom.

A recent listing describes a split-bedroom plan with two full bathrooms and a separate den large enough to serve as a third bedroom or office, at roughly 1,245 square feet. That is typical of what I see here: practical, family-sized plans rather than compact investor layouts.

The smaller end of the range, from about 633 square feet, adds one-bedroom suites to the mix, so this is not only a downsizer building. At the time of writing two suites were listed for lease, which tells you some investors own here alongside owner-occupiers. Ask for the current rental share in the status certificate if the mix matters to you.

Larger suites in a 2000 building also mean original kitchens and bathrooms in some units. Budget for updates if the suite has not been renovated, and ask whether any renovation was done with the corporation’s approval, particularly for flooring, where many buildings have underlay requirements for noise.

Heat, hydro and parking in one fee

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, water, building insurance and parking as included. That is close to the full set. A recent listing description goes further and says cable and high-speed internet are included too; I could not confirm that from a second source, so verify it on the status certificate before you count it.

An all-in fee on a large suite produces a large monthly number, and that scares some buyers. Do the comparison properly: take a newer building’s fee, then add hydro, heating and cooling and a parking charge. On a suite of 1,200 square feet or more, those add-backs are substantial. The fair test is the fee per square foot with utilities and parking added back, not the monthly total on its own.

Bundled utilities also mean the building’s energy costs are your costs. Ask whether the heating and cooling plant has been upgraded, because in a building of this age the central plant and the energy it uses can be one of the larger lines in the operating budget.

The same listing notes that underground parking and a storage locker come with that suite. Do not assume every suite has the same; confirm the deeded or exclusive-use parking and locker on the status certificate.

Daily life near Yonge and York Mills

The location is quieter than Yonge and Sheppard and close to green space. Listing descriptions point to York Mills station and the GO bus within walking distance, the 401 nearby by car, and Don Valley Golf Course, trails and a dog park in the area. The City runs Don Valley as an 18-hole, par 72 course beside the Don River. Transit and walking details are in the panel on this page.

Daily shopping is a short drive or a longer walk rather than downstairs, which is the trade-off for the calm. For many buyers I work with in this area, a quiet crescent near the valley matters more than a grocery store in the podium.

Price per square foot and fees

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $814 per square foot. That is high for a building of this age, and it reflects the location near York Mills, the large plans and the bundled fee. Large suites usually trade at a lower price per square foot than small ones, so a big suite here can look better value than the average suggests.

At the time of writing there was one suite for sale and two for rent, so I will not quote a single listing’s asking price or fee. For recorded sales and leases, use the panel on this page or my building sold report.

Compare this building first with its neighbours on the crescent, Hillside at York Mills II and Hillside Ravines. They share the location, so differences in price per square foot and fees between them are mostly about suite mix, age and how each corporation has been run.

Building specifications

Amenities at Hillside at York Mills

Condos.ca lists the indoor pool, sauna, concierge and security, and a recent listing adds a hot tub, gym, renovated party room and guest suites. For downsizers, the guest suites are the quiet winner: family can visit without you keeping a spare bedroom.

Jatin’s honest take on Hillside at York Mills

Hillside at York Mills — 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.