Laurie Shepway Townhomes: 1976 Garage Townhouses Near Leslie Station

Laurie Shepway is one of the quiet, car-free-feeling lanes of the Shepway community near Leslie and Sheppard, and it is where I point buyers who want a real townhouse, garage and all, without leaving the subway corridor. These are 1976 condo townhouses with built-in garages and finished basements, and they trade rarely. Here is what I would want you to know before you chase one. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

What a Shepway is, and why the name matters

Laurie Shepway is one of a family of streets in this pocket that share the same unusual suffix, alongside neighbours such as Cheryl Shepway and Maris Shepway. Each is its own townhouse complex, built in the 1970s around internal lanes and green space set back from Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East.

Listings call it the Shepway community, and the selling point is always the same: a park-like setting that feels removed from the traffic outside. That is a fair description of how these complexes were planned, with homes facing lanes and common lawns rather than arterial roads.

Because every Shepway is a separate corporation with its own fees, reserve fund and rules, do not assume that what is true of Cheryl or Maris Shepway is true of Laurie Shepway. Compare them document by document, not by reputation.

Layouts: garage, basement and three floors of living

The homes here are closer to a small freehold house than to a stacked townhouse. The listing I reviewed was a three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit in the 1,200 to 1,399 sq ft band, with a finished basement recreation room, ensuite laundry and a built-in garage plus a second parking space.

Plans follow the classic 1970s pattern: living and dining on the main floor with a separate kitchen, three bedrooms upstairs including a primary bedroom of roughly 15 by 9 feet, and a basement that works as a family room, office or guest space. Bedrooms are practical rather than generous, so measure the third bedroom if you need it for more than a child or a desk.

Each home has its own forced-air gas furnace and central air. That gives you control over your own heating and cooling, but it also means the furnace, air conditioner and water heater are likely your costs to maintain and replace, so check their ages before you buy.

Parking is the real advantage

In most of North York’s 1970s townhouse condos, parking is a surface space or a spot in a shared underground garage. A built-in garage with a second space is a genuine step up: groceries come in through your own door, there is storage for bikes and tires, and a two-car household is not hunting for visitor spots.

Listings also mention plenty of guest parking, which is unusually helpful for families with visiting relatives. Confirm on the status certificate exactly which parking areas are part of your unit or exclusive-use, and which are common elements governed by the rules.

The flip side is that garages and driveways in a 1976 complex need upkeep. Ask who is responsible for the garage door, the driveway surface and any interior garage repairs, because corporations draw that line differently.

Living near Leslie and Sheppard

For daily orientation, the major intersection buyers use is Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East. Leslie station on Line 4 Sheppard sits at that corner, and listings for the complex describe it as within walking distance, which is the main reason people choose a Shepway over a townhouse farther from the subway.

Two large shopping centres are a short drive away, Fairview Mall to the east and Bayview Village to the west, and the stretch of Sheppard around Leslie has big-box shopping and a major hospital nearby. Highway 401 and the Don Valley Parkway are close, which suits commuters who drive.

This part of Sheppard has also seen a lot of tower construction over the past two decades, especially west of Leslie toward Bessarion and Bayview. For a townhouse owner, that means more services and more traffic. The Shepway layout keeps most of that at arm’s length, but visit at rush hour to see how getting out onto Leslie or Sheppard feels.

How to think about price and fees here

Only one unit was on the market when I wrote this, so I am not going to quote its asking price or fee as if it described the whole complex. For traded prices, use the sales panel on this page, which shows aggregates from the TRREB MLS® System. With so few sales a year, expect wide ranges and lean on comparables from neighbouring Shepway complexes too.

When you compare value, compare like with like. A three-bedroom townhouse with a garage, a second space and a finished basement competes with two- and three-bedroom suites in the newer towers along Sheppard, and on a per-square-foot basis the townhouse usually looks cheaper, especially once you count the basement and the parking that a tower buyer often pays extra for.

The monthly fee is the other half of the cost. Ask the listing agent or the status certificate exactly what it includes. In townhouse condos of this age with individual gas furnaces, owners usually pay their own heat and hydro, and the fee tends to cover water, grounds, roofs, exterior maintenance and the reserve fund, but you need the actual list for Laurie Shepway before you compare it with anything else.

Building specifications

Amenities at Laurie Shepway Townhomes

There is no amenity building here in the tower sense, and I could not confirm a pool or other shared facilities. What you are paying for is the setting: common green space, private garages and a quiet lane instead of a lobby.

Jatin’s honest take on Laurie Shepway Townhomes

Laurie Shepway Townhomes — frequently asked questions

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