LA Courtyards, 639 Lawrence Ave W: 39 Townhome Condos at $681 a Foot

LA Courtyards is what happens when a row of old houses on Lawrence Avenue West becomes 39 condominium homes. SiteLine Communities finished it in 2017, and at roughly $681 per square foot it is one of the cheaper ways into new-ish construction in this part of North York. The low number has reasons behind it, and you should understand them before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Townhouse-style living on an infill lot

The project was planned for the lots at 639 to 645 Lawrence Avenue West, a stretch of the avenue that was lined with detached houses. One of those houses served as the sales office before construction, which tells you how small and residential this site was to begin with.

Condos.ca lists the building at three floors, while the UrbanToronto project thread labels it four storeys. The difference usually comes down to whether rooftop terrace access or a lower level is counted, so check the floor plan for the unit you are looking at rather than relying on either number.

With 39 units on a lot that once held a few houses, the format is townhouse-style condominium living rather than an apartment block with corridors and elevators. The name points to courtyard space between the homes; walk the site to see how much of it is shared and how much is private. Ask for the exact plan, because entrances, stairs and outdoor space vary a lot from one unit to the next in projects like this.

Layouts from compact to family-sized

Suites run from about 681 to 1,375 sq ft according to condos.ca. That range is wider than it first appears: the smallest units are one-bedroom-plus-den homes that compete with an apartment condo, while the largest are closer to a small townhouse.

Stairs are part of the deal in most low-rise townhouse condos. A unit on the upper levels may involve two or three flights to reach a bedroom or terrace, which suits young buyers and families and is a frank conversation for anyone who plans to age in place.

When you compare sizes, confirm what the listed area includes. In stacked townhouses, a rooftop terrace or a lower-level room may be counted differently from one listing to another, and that changes any per-square-foot comparison.

A small corporation with a short fee list

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance and water in the fee. Heat and hydro are not listed, so most units will carry their own utility bills. Ask the seller for a year of statements and confirm whether parking and a locker are owned with the unit or held separately.

Amenities are minimal: visitor parking and permission for BBQs. There is no gym, no concierge and no party room, which keeps the budget focused on the building envelope, the grounds and the garage.

Read the declaration for what you own outright and what the corporation maintains. In townhouse-style condos, terraces, doors, windows and front steps are treated differently from one declaration to the next, and that decides whether a repair is your bill or a shared one. You will also need your own unit-owner insurance; check the deductible that can be charged back to an owner after a claim.

With 39 owners, large repairs are shared by a modest group. That is manageable for routine work, but a garage membrane or roofing project can still mean a noticeable bill per unit if the reserve fund is not keeping pace. Read the reserve fund study and the last two years of board minutes.

The Lawrence West corridor is changing

This building sits on a main avenue, so the front units deal with traffic and buses while the rear looks toward the residential streets of Englemount-Lawrence. Which side your home faces makes a real difference to noise and light.

The City has been encouraging more of this housing along Lawrence West. In 2019, Council adopted Official Plan Amendment 433 for a stretch of detached lots on the south side of Lawrence Avenue West between Shermount and Glenmount Avenues, permitting townhouses, low-rise apartments up to four storeys and other forms. A nearby nine-townhouse proposal at 595 to 599 Lawrence Avenue West followed.

For an owner, that points to a corridor gradually filling in with buildings like this one. Expect some construction nearby over the coming years, and expect more comparable low-rise product to come to market. Transit, schools and shopping are summarised in the panel on this page.

Why the price per foot is lower here

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $681 per square foot. That is well below what newer mid-rise and high-rise buildings in midtown-north Toronto typically command, and there are clear reasons: a main-street location, minimal amenities, stairs inside many units and a small, less liquid building.

Only one unit was listed for sale when I checked in October 2026, and none for rent. In a 39-unit building, months can pass without a sale, so I anchor on the recent sales shown in the panel on this page and then on comparable townhouse condos along the Lawrence West and Bathurst corridors.

On monthly cost, a short fee list helps. Add your own utilities back in, plus parking if it is separate, and compare that total with an apartment building that bundles heat and amenities into a higher fee. The gap is often smaller than the headline fees suggest, in either direction.

Think about resale before you buy. Fewer listings means fewer comparables for the next buyer’s appraiser and lender, so a well-chosen unit, with good light, a usable terrace and parking, will hold its value far better here than an awkward one.

Building specifications

Amenities at LA Courtyards

Visitor parking and barbecue permission are the whole list, so your fee is paying for the building and grounds rather than staff and facilities. For many townhouse buyers that is a feature, not a gap, but it means your gym and social space are elsewhere.

Jatin’s honest take on LA Courtyards

LA Courtyards — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.