Sonic Condos, 1185 Eglinton Ave E: Small Suites, Big Amenities, Low $/Sq Ft

Sonic Condos is one of the most affordable ways into a 2020-built tower in the east-central part of the city, and it is honest about why. The suites are small, many of them are rented, and the location sells itself on the Eglinton line rather than on a neighbourhood main street. If those three things work for you, the amenity package and the price per square foot are hard to beat. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One tower of a two-tower project

Sonic was the first phase of a two-tower development by Lindvest. UrbanToronto’s project file lists Firmland Developments as a co-developer. The second tower, SuperSonic, is 30 storeys with 299 suites, and the two share a three-storey podium. Sonic is the 28-storey tower, which matches the 28 floors and 313 suites condos.ca shows for this corporation.

That shared podium is the most important thing to understand before you buy. Phased projects usually split the cost of shared amenities, the garage and the park between the two corporations under a shared facilities agreement. Ask for that agreement with the status certificate and look at how costs are divided and how disputes are settled.

The design was pitched as a modern version of the tower-in-the-park model, which is the 1960s and 1970s planning idea behind much of Flemingdon Park. Page + Steele / IBI Group did the architecture (UrbanToronto’s file also lists Arcadis, which later absorbed IBI), U31 did the amenity interiors and NAK did the landscape.

Layouts: built for first-time buyers and investors

Condos.ca puts suite sizes at about 337 to 1,037 square feet. At launch, UrbanToronto described one- and two-bedroom plans from roughly 339 to 941 square feet, and the SuperSonic phase added three-bedroom plans from about 941 square feet. Listings in the building today include studios, one-bedrooms, one-plus-dens and a three-bedroom.

The small end matters. Suites under 500 square feet work for a single owner or a tenant, but they are the hardest to resell in a soft market, because they compete with every other investor studio on Eglinton. If you are an end-user, look first at the one-plus-den plans in the 600 to 699 square foot band, where most of the current listings sit; ask whether the den has a door and a window.

Every SuperSonic suite was marketed with a balcony, terrace or patio; check the plan for any Sonic suite you are considering. UrbanToronto noted the site sits on high ground between the East and West Don valleys, so upper suites facing the right way can have long views.

The amenity floors and the park

This is where Sonic beats most of its neighbours. The two towers were marketed with more than 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space, including a fitness room with a yoga studio, a party and dining room, a games room with billiards, steam rooms, a community room, a business centre, a music and theatre room and a pet wash.

On the fourth floor, between the towers, there is a landscaped terrace with barbecues, outdoor dining, cabanas, lounges and a water feature. At street level the developer built a publicly accessible park with a figure-eight walking path, outdoor exercise equipment, a playground and seating. Condos.ca separately lists a concierge, gym, party room and visitor parking.

Because the park is open to the public and the amenities are shared, they get used. That is good for life in the building, but it also means wear, and, under the usual phased-project arrangement, both corporations share the cost of keeping it running. Confirm that in the documents.

Eglinton and Don Mills, day to day

Sonic was marketed on its position beside the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and close to the Don Valley Parkway. For a commuter, that is the core of the case. Current transit details, schools and parks for this address are in the data panel on this page.

This is not a main-street neighbourhood. The area around Eglinton and Don Mills is a mix of 1960s and 1970s apartment towers, office campuses and new condo towers, and it is changing quickly as sites near the line redevelop. Expect construction around you for years, and expect the area to feel more finished each year as it does.

For an owner, that change is the long-term bet. You are buying into an area whose character is still being set, next to the transit line the project was marketed around. If you need a finished neighbourhood with independent shops on your block today, the Danforth or Leaside will suit you better; if you can wait for the area to fill in, Sonic gets you in at a lower price.

Pricing and fees

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $681 per square foot. That is below Scenic on Eglinton at 35 Brian Peck Crescent, at about $779, and above the older towers on Don Mills Road such as Tribeca Lofts at about $576. For a 2020 building, it is a low number, and it reflects the small suite mix and the volume of investor-owned stock.

When I checked there were six suites for sale, asking from about $299,000 to about $779,000, with most one-plus-dens between the mid-$300,000s and high-$400,000s. Fees across those listings ran from roughly $249 to $798 a month, an average of about $0.82 per square foot. Heat, hydro and parking are not in the fee.

There were also 16 suites for rent, more than double the sale count. That supply keeps rents competitive for tenants and puts a ceiling on what investors can charge. For actual sold numbers rather than asking prices, ask for my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Sonic Condos

For a building where many suites are under 600 square feet, the amenity floors act as the living room, office and backyard that the suites cannot be. If you plan to work from home or host friends, that package is worth real money; just remember it is shared with a second tower.

Jatin’s honest take on Sonic Condos

Sonic Condos — frequently asked questions

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