New Town of York, 135 George St S: 51 Large Suites in Old York

New Town of York is the kind of building most people walk past without noticing, and that is part of its appeal. It is a 10-storey, 51-suite mid-rise from 1982 at Front and George, on the grid of the original town of York, and every suite is over 1,200 square feet. If you want a big, quiet condo in St. Lawrence and can wait for one to come up, this belongs on your list. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A boutique building on the oldest grid in the city

The name is not a marketing invention. The southern blocks of George Street sit within the original townsite of York, the ten-block grid laid out when the town was founded, and the street was once one of the most exclusive addresses in the city. New Town of York takes its name from that history.

The building itself is plain. It is a conventional 10-storey mid-rise of about 34 metres, with no architectural statement to make. What it offers instead is scale: 51 suites in total, which is a small enough community that owners tend to know each other and the board is made up of people you will meet in the elevator.

George Street South is part of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood, the city-led housing project of the 1970s and 1980s that rebuilt this former industrial district as a mix of condominiums, co-operatives, community housing and townhouses. New Town of York was one of the early condominium buildings in that plan, and it shares the neighbourhood’s low, human scale.

Every suite is large

Condos.ca puts suites at about 1,295 to 1,620 square feet. There is no small plan in this building. The smallest suite is larger than many new downtown two-bedrooms, and the largest is the size of a modest townhouse.

That narrow, generous range makes this a building for people who are buying space first. Expect separate rooms rather than open lofts, and expect interiors that range from original early-eighties finishes to complete renovations, depending on how long the current owner has been there.

In a building of this age and size, floor plans repeat across floors, so if you can see the plan for the same stack on another floor, you will learn a lot about what can and cannot be changed. Ask the seller for the original floor plan and any renovation approvals.

A long fee list, and one item to clarify

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking, water and internet as included, which is a strong list. Hydro is not on it, so expect your own electricity bill.

Condos.ca also lists condominium taxes among the inclusions. That is unusual, and I would not assume it means your property tax is paid through the fee. Ask the property manager exactly what that line covers before you build a budget around it.

In a corporation of only 51 suites, every major repair is shared by very few owners. That is the main structural risk of a boutique building, and it is why the reserve fund study matters even more here than in a large tower.

Daily life at Front and George

From here, St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery District, the waterfront and the Financial District are all within a walk, and the streets around the building are the gas-lamp-lit blocks of Old Town. The automatic panel on this page lists the nearest transit, parks and food.

Because the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood was planned around low buildings, parks and pedestrian streets, this corner feels calmer than most downtown addresses. Front Street carries traffic and streetcars, so suites on the Front Street side will hear more of the city than those facing south or east.

Walk a block north and you are in the oldest commercial streets in Toronto: the Thomas Thompson Building from around 1840 at King and George, the Little York Inn on the corner, and the 1827 Bank of Upper Canada Building further up George Street. Few downtown condos put you this close to the city’s first buildings, and that history is a big part of why people choose this corner.

What New Town of York costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $625 per square foot. That is low for St. Lawrence, and it reflects the age of the building and the size of the suites, since larger suites always trade at a lower price per square foot than small ones.

Nothing was listed for sale or for lease when I checked. With only 51 suites, this is normal. You may wait months for a listing, and when one appears, it will be the only comparable on the market, so sold history over several years is the better guide to value.

The fee will look high in total dollars, because the suites are large. Judge it per square foot and against what it covers, which here includes parking, heat, air conditioning and internet, and remember that a small corporation has fewer owners to share fixed costs such as insurance and management.

Even at a moderate price per square foot, a 1,300 to 1,600 square foot suite adds up to a significant total. Compare it with a townhouse or semi in the east end rather than with a downtown one-bedroom. If you want a value check, I can pull past sales through my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at New Town of York

Condos.ca lists a gym, a sauna, a squash court and bike storage, which is a lot for a 51-suite building. One listing aggregator also mentions a pool, which condos.ca does not show in its summary, so confirm in person before you count on it.

Jatin’s honest take on New Town of York

New Town of York — frequently asked questions

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