Rosedale Glen, 278 Bloor St E: Big Suites With Rosedale Valley Views

Rosedale Glen is the building I suggest when a buyer wants a big suite, a pool and a green view, and does not need a Yorkville postcode to get them. The tower backs onto the Rosedale Valley, so the north side looks over trees rather than other towers. It is a 1983 building, and you buy it for space and outlook, not for new finishes. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The view is the reason people buy here

Rosedale Glen sits on the north side of Bloor Street East, directly above the Rosedale Valley ravine. Suites facing north look over a band of trees toward the Rosedale houses, which is a very different outlook from the glass towers around Yonge and Bloor.

A listing agent quoted by The Globe and Mail called the ravine side one of the few guaranteed views in the city. I would put it more carefully: the ravine itself is protected land, which makes a tower directly in front unlikely, but views to the east and west can still change as Bloor Street East grows.

South-facing suites look back over Bloor and the city. They are not bad suites, but they are not why this building has a reputation, so price them differently.

Light is the other benefit. With nothing tall directly to the north, north-facing suites get steady, even light all day without the glare and heat that south-facing glass brings in summer. That makes them comfortable for working from home and kind to art and furniture.

Large suites with solariums

Suites start at about 1,251 sq ft and run to nearly 2,400 sq ft, with layouts from one bedroom to three. Many have a solarium, a balcony or both, along with floor-to-ceiling windows in the main rooms.

The solarium is worth thinking about. In some suites it has been opened up into the living area; in others it is used as a den or home office. Ask how the previous owner has used it and whether any walls have been changed, because alterations in an older building should have board approval on file.

Storage is better than usual. The Globe reported that lockers here are separate rooms with concrete walls and electricity rather than wire cages, which matters if you are downsizing from a house and cannot part with everything at once.

Large suites in a building this age often come with separate dining rooms and proper foyers, which suits buyers moving from a house who still want to host dinner for eight. If a suite has been renovated, ask for the permits and the board approvals that went with the work.

What the fee covers, and what it doesn’t

The maintenance fee covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, water, cable TV and building insurance. Hydro is not listed as included, and parking is not in the fee list either, so confirm whether a space is owned with the suite.

With suites this size, the monthly fee will be substantial even at a reasonable per-foot rate. When you compare it with a newer building, add back heating, cooling and cable to the other building’s number and the comparison becomes fairer.

A 1983 building with an indoor pool will always carry real maintenance costs. Ask for the last three budgets and the reserve fund study, and look at how fees have moved year to year.

Bloor East is about to get taller

This stretch of Bloor East is office and residential towers on the south side and ravine on the north. Rogers’ head office sits across the street, and the building is a walk from Yonge and Bloor in one direction and the Sherbourne area in the other.

The big change to watch is at the northeast corner of Bloor and Mount Pleasant, a short walk east. In 2022 Osmington Gerofsky applied to build a 63-storey Hariri Pontarini tower above the existing late-1960s Brutalist office building at 350 Bloor East. If it proceeds, it will be the tallest building on this part of Bloor and will change east-facing outlooks.

For an east-facing suite, ask what is known about that application before you buy. For a north-facing suite, the ravine stays where it is.

Bloor East is also a practical address. You are close to the shops and services around Yonge and Bloor, the Rosedale Valley trails are on your doorstep, and the Don Valley Parkway is a short drive away. Transit, schools and nearby food are shown in the data panel on this page.

Pricing: ravine views at a mid-range price

Rosedale Glen averages about $774 per square foot on condos.ca. Its Bloor East neighbours span a wide range: The Bellagio at 300 Bloor East, a 2002 tower, shows about $866; The Three Sixty at 360 Bloor East, from 1982, shows about $578; and the Rosedale Ravine Residences at 388 Bloor East about $604.

So Rosedale Glen prices above the other older ravine-side buildings but below the newer Bellagio. That premium over its 1980s peers reflects the suite sizes, the pool and the reputation of the north views.

There were no suites for sale at the time of writing, only one for lease. Inventory in a 180-suite building of large homes turns over slowly, so be prepared to wait for the right exposure. For recent sales, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Rosedale Glen

An indoor pool and sauna, a gym, a party room with a kitchen and a car wash cover the basics well for a building of this size. The pool is the one to budget for: it is the most expensive amenity to keep running and to eventually rebuild. The car wash and bike storage are small things, but owners in buildings without them notice.

Jatin’s honest take on Rosedale Glen

Rosedale Glen — frequently asked questions

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