Metropolis & Parkside at Metroplace: Subway-Corner Condos With Heat In

Metropolis and Parkside are the third and fourth towers of Metro Place, the Liberty Development community on the corner of Allen Road and Sheppard Avenue West. You are buying a 2012 building across the intersection from the subway, with heat, cooling and parking in the fee, at a price per square foot well below what newer towers ask. The question is whether the trade-offs suit you. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The last phases of a four-tower plan

Metro Place was planned as a four-phase community on what UrbanToronto described in 2010 as little more than parking lots and lawns at Allen and Sheppard. The first two towers, known as M1 and M2, came first. Metropolis was the third phase and Parkside the fourth and final tower on the site, and the two were registered together as one condominium corporation.

The City’s planning report for the block set the four condominium buildings at 14 to 17 storeys, arranged around the perimeter so that the middle of the site became a shared outdoor amenity space. That courtyard layout is the most useful thing to understand about living here: many suites look inward over landscaped open space rather than straight onto Allen Road.

Because Metropolis and Parkside share one corporation, the fee base is 529 suites. That is a large pool to spread the cost of a concierge, two sets of mechanical systems and a shared garage, which is part of why the fees here are modest for what they include.

Layouts: from compact one-bedrooms to family-sized plans

Recorded suite sizes run from about 524 to 1,565 square feet. Current listings show the usual mix for a building of this era, with a lot of one-bedroom and one-plus-den plans in the 500 to 700 square foot range and a meaningful number of two-bedroom and two-plus-den suites above 800 square feet.

That range is wider than many newer North York towers offer, where the largest plans often stop well short of 1,000 square feet. Suites were delivered with granite counters, European-style cabinetry, stainless appliances and a mix of laminate and broadloom, according to the original project listing. Thirteen-plus years on, expect a wide spread in condition between original and renovated units, and price them accordingly.

Allen and Sheppard, day to day

The location is defined by the intersection. Sheppard West station, opened as Downsview station, is across the corner, which is the reason most of my buyers look here in the first place. Allen Road puts you on the 401 quickly, and Yorkdale is a short drive south. The transit and walk times in the panel on this page give the detail.

The trade-off is that this is a big arterial intersection, not a main street. Suites facing Allen or Sheppard hear the traffic, and the immediate blocks are a mix of plazas, furniture retail and low-rise housing rather than cafés. If quiet matters, focus on suites facing the internal courtyard.

The bigger story is what is happening to the west. The former Downsview airport lands are planned for long-term redevelopment into new neighbourhoods, and Downsview Park already offers a large green space nearby. That is a decades-long change, not a next-year one, but it is worth knowing about if you plan to hold.

Who your neighbours are: owners, renters and students

With a subway station at the door and York University a short subway ride north on Line 1, this building draws a mix of owner-occupiers, young professionals and tenants. Five suites were listed for lease at the same time as six were for sale when I checked, which tells you the rental market here is active.

For an owner, an active rental market cuts both ways. It supports resale demand from investors, but it can mean more move-ins and move-outs, more elevator bookings and a board that has to work harder on rules and enforcement. The panel on this page shows the owner and renter mix. I would also read recent board minutes to see whether short-term rentals, noise or parking misuse have come up.

The courtyard design helps here. Because the four towers wrap a shared open space, there is a sense of a contained community rather than a single tower on a busy corner, and that tends to make the grounds feel calmer than the intersection outside.

Price per square foot and what the fee buys

The building average sits around $664 per square foot. That is below what I see from newer North York towers near subway stations, and it reflects both age and the arterial location. For an owner who wants a large suite at a subway stop, it is one of the more affordable ways in.

Fees on current listings work out to about $0.76 per square foot a month, and they include heat, air conditioning, water and parking, with hydro on your own meter. When you compare against a newer building at a lower headline fee, add back parking and heating and cooling costs before you decide which is cheaper.

There were six suites for sale when I prepared this review, asking from $489,000 to $729,000, with monthly fees from $412 to $785. There were also five suites for lease. The sales panel shows what has actually traded; for a full read before you offer, ask for my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Metropolis & Parkside at Metroplace

The package is practical rather than flashy: a concierge, a party room and meeting room for hosting, guest suites for visiting family and a sauna. For a commuter, the concierge and parcel handling plus a parking space in the fee matter more day to day than a long amenity list.

Jatin’s honest take on Metropolis & Parkside at Metroplace

Metropolis & Parkside at Metroplace — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.