The Legend at Mystic Pointe, 190 Manitoba St: Space at an Older Price

The Legend is one of the oldest condos in the Mystic Pointe pocket, and that is exactly why it is worth a look. It is a 10-storey, 104-suite building from 1998 with suites up to about 1,830 square feet, and it trades at a per-square-foot price well below the towers that came after it. The trade-off is age, and I will tell you what that means. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Built on an old distillery site

Mystic Pointe sits on the former McGuinness Distillery lands, bounded by the Gardiner Expressway to the north, Grand Avenue to the west and the CN rail corridor to the south.

The Legend, registered in January 1998, was one of the early buildings to go up. Later phases brought the Warehouse Lofts at 250 and 300 Manitoba, the Skylofts at 200 Manitoba, and the Tides at 185 Legion Road North. Camrost Felcorp built the later Tides and iLoft towers, but condos.ca does not name the developer of the Legend itself, and I could not confirm it.

That history matters for buyers in two ways. The neighbourhood was planned as one community, so the internal streets were laid out for housing rather than through traffic. And the Legend predates the high-rise wave, so it is a mid-rise of 10 storeys rather than a 30-plus-storey tower.

Bigger suites than the newer towers

Condos.ca records suites from about 685 to 1,830 square feet. The smallest suites here are the size of a one-plus-den in a newer building, and the large end is the size of a small house. Current listings include a one-plus-den and two-bedrooms.

Late-1990s plans tend to have more separate rooms and less open-concept space than what is built today. Some buyers love the defined dining area and real hallways, while others plan a renovation. If you are thinking about removing walls, budget for it and check what the corporation allows before you buy.

I could not confirm ceiling heights from a reliable source. Measure during the viewing, and look closely at windows and balcony doors, since those are often original in a building of this age.

Parking in the fee, heat on your own

The Legend’s fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Parking being included is a real plus, because many newer buildings in the area bill it separately or sell it as a separate unit.

Heat is not on the published inclusion list. Ask how the suite is heated and cooled, and get a year of utility bills from the seller so you can compare the full monthly cost with buildings where heat is part of the fee.

Condos.ca also lists a pet restriction here. I do not know the specific rule, so read the declaration and the rules in the status certificate before you buy if you have a pet, especially a large dog.

FirstService Residential is listed as the property manager. It is one of the larger management firms in the city, which usually means established systems for repairs and owner communication, but the quality you get depends on the individual manager assigned. Ask how long the current manager has been on site and how quickly common-area repairs are handled.

Daily life between the Gardiner and the rail line

The Mystic Pointe block sits between the Gardiner and the CN rail corridor, with the Humber Bay Shores waterfront south of the tracks. That position gives quick highway access and easy reach to the lake, but it also means highway and train noise for some suites.

Before you make an offer, find out which way the suite faces and spend some time in it with the windows open. A suite that faces the inner part of the community will usually feel very different from one that looks toward the expressway or the tracks.

Upper floors on the south side can look over the rail corridor toward the lake and the Humber Bay Shores towers, while lower floors facing the community look into the Mystic Pointe streets. Neither is right for everyone, but they are different homes, and the price should reflect which one you are buying.

Grand Avenue and Park Lawn Road connect you to Lake Shore Boulevard and the Shores’ grocery stores and restaurants. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools, parks and nearby food in more detail.

Where the Legend sits on price

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $609 per square foot. Because the suites are large, that rate buys a lot of floor area, and it is one of the reasons people trade up from a newer one-bedroom in the area to a two-bedroom here without a big jump in price.

When I wrote this there were three suites for sale and one for rent. Asking prices across the three ran from about $539,900 to $569,000, covering a one-plus-den and two two-bedrooms. That tight range across different sizes suggests sellers here price on age and condition as much as on floor area.

With 104 suites, the Legend does not have many sales in a typical year, so a single unusual sale can move the building average. I would rather compare a suite against recent sales of similar size and exposure here and in the neighbouring Mystic Pointe buildings than lean on one average.

Monthly fees on those listings ran from about $870 to about $1,370, and they include parking and water. For recorded sale figures, see the data panel on this page or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Legend at Mystic Pointe

The amenity package is practical rather than resort-style: security staff, a party room, a meeting room, BBQs and visitor parking. The published list I saw was incomplete, so if a gym or pool matters to you, confirm what is actually on site before you buy.

Jatin’s honest take on The Legend at Mystic Pointe

The Legend at Mystic Pointe — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.