The Clairmont, 1430 Yonge St: A Small Full-Service Building at St. Clair

The Clairmont is what I call a quiet-money building. It is small, it has been around since 2008, and it sits a short walk from Yonge and St. Clair, one of the best-served intersections in midtown. It does not advertise itself, and it rarely has more than a couple of suites on the market at once. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small building at a big intersection

With 87 suites over 14 storeys, The Clairmont is about a third the size of a typical new midtown tower. That shows up in the lobby, the elevators and the way the building runs. Fewer suites usually means fewer move-ins, fewer strangers and a board made up of people who actually live there.

The location is the other half of the story. You are a few minutes on foot from the Yonge and St. Clair intersection, with grocery stores, restaurants, banks and the subway, and the residential streets of Deer Park and Moore Park start just behind Yonge. You get the convenience of a major node without living right on the corner.

I could not confirm the original developer from a reliable source; the building profile leaves it blank. If the builder matters to you, ask management or check the declaration in the status certificate, which names the declarant.

From compact one-bedrooms to full-size homes

Recorded suite sizes run from about 535 square feet to roughly 2,764 square feet. That is an unusually wide range for a building this size, and it means two very different buyer groups share it: professionals in compact one-bedroom-plus-dens and downsizers in large two- and three-bedroom suites on the upper floors.

Current listings describe floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors and generous ceiling heights, though those are features of individual suites and finishes vary. Suites on the upper floors facing east or south get the best of the light and views, while lower suites face the buildings around them.

A recent listing included an underground parking space and a storage locker. Parking is part of the maintenance fee here, which is worth a lot at Yonge and St. Clair. Confirm in the status certificate that any space and locker are attached to the suite you are buying.

The larger suites are where this building is strongest. A downsizer moving from a house in Moore Park or Lawrence Park can find a two- or three-bedroom here with real dining space and storage, at a price per square foot well below new construction, and still walk to the subway. Those suites rarely come up, so it pays to be ready when one does.

What the amenity package means here

Amenities are modest and practical: a 24-hour concierge, a fitness room and sauna, a party room and meeting room, a rooftop deck with barbecues permitted, and visitor parking. There is no pool and no sprawling amenity floor.

For most buyers here, that is fine. The concierge and visitor parking matter more day to day, and the rooftop terrace is a real asset for suites without large balconies. It also means fewer shared facilities to maintain and replace, which helps keep the long-term cost picture simpler. A small gym is also easier to keep up to date than a large one.

The one thing a small amenity package cannot do is spread costs across many owners. With 87 suites, every major repair is shared among relatively few people, so a well-funded reserve matters more here than in a 400-suite tower. That is not a warning sign on its own; it is simply the first document I would read.

Yonge and St. Clair is changing around it

Yonge and St. Clair is one of the city’s busiest intensification areas, with older office and rental towers, newer condos and further tower proposals along both streets. Expect construction somewhere nearby for years and taller neighbours over time. That can block views from some suites and it also brings more shops and services to the area.

Across Yonge to the east, the townhouses on Pleasant Boulevard and the ravine at David A. Balfour Park are a few minutes away, which gives you green space that most Yonge-facing buildings do not have. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools, Walk Score and nearby food and parks.

Price per foot and a fee that needs context

The building averages about $942 per square foot. That is in line with established buildings near Yonge and St. Clair and below what new towers in the area have been launching at, so you are paying for location and a small, settled building rather than for new construction.

Fees are high in absolute terms. The two suites currently for sale carry monthly fees of about $956 to $1,387. Before you compare that with a newer building, remember that the fee here includes heat, parking, water and building insurance. Smaller suites in older buildings almost always carry a higher fee per square foot, because the shared costs of staff and systems do not shrink with the suite, so run the per-foot number on the exact suite and add back heat and parking when you compare with a building that charges for them separately.

At the time of writing, the two suites for sale, were asking from about $489,000 to $899,000. My building sold report shows what has actually closed.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Clairmont

The package is small but useful: staff at the door, a gym and sauna, and a rooftop terrace. You are not paying to heat a pool, and the shared spaces stay quiet because there are only 87 suites.

Jatin’s honest take on The Clairmont

The Clairmont — 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.