The Rosedale, 409 Bloor St E: 23 Large Suites Above a 1928 Drugstore

The Rosedale at 409 Bloor Street East is not a building you browse; it is a building you wait for. It has just 23 suites across 13 storeys, rising above the old Hooper’s Drugstore at Bloor and Sherbourne, and some of those suites are larger than most houses. When one comes up, the buyers who want it usually already know about it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1992 condo on a 1928 base

The building’s story starts at street level. The tower rises above the old Hooper’s Drugstore, built in 1928 on the corner of Bloor and Sherbourne, and the older building gives the corner a scale and texture that a new glass base would not. Some listing sources give the building’s age as 1928 for that reason; the condominium itself was registered in 1992.

The developer on record is a project company named after the site, 407-421 Bloor Street East, rather than a well-known builder. That is not unusual for a one-off building from that era, but it means there is no broader developer track record to lean on. The building’s own 30-plus years of history is what you assess.

With 23 suites on 13 floors, most floors hold only one or two homes. That changes how the building feels: you know your neighbours, the elevator is rarely busy and the lobby feels more like a private address than a tower.

A corner like this one would be hard to build today. City rules on heritage, setbacks and tower separation have tightened since the early 1990s, so a slim 13-storey tower with a handful of suites per floor on a historic base is not something a developer is likely to repeat nearby.

Suites sized like houses

Suite sizes range from about 640 to 5,420 square feet. The smaller end is ordinary, but much of the building is in sizes downtown towers rarely offer, aimed at downsizers leaving large homes in Rosedale, Moore Park and the Annex.

The upper floors are the most distinctive. Press coverage of one of the penthouses in 2019 described a multi-level suite of about 5,000 square feet with 16-foot ceilings in the living room, a curved steel staircase, a marble fireplace, a rooftop conservatory and roughly 700 square feet of terrace overlooking the Rosedale ravine. That suite’s interior was redesigned by architect Peter Clewes, which tells you the level of renovation some owners have invested.

Because suites differ so much, comparisons between them are hard. Two listings here can share an address and little else, so judge each one on its own layout, renovation and outlook.

Large suites in an older building also tend to have been renovated at least once, and often more than once. Ask what was done, when and with what approvals from the corporation. A major renovation that moved plumbing or walls should have board sign-off on file, and you want to see it.

Ask for the registered floor plan of the suite, not just the listing sheet. In a building where suites have been combined, reconfigured or extended onto terraces, the area on the plan and the area in the marketing can differ.

Bloor and Sherbourne, with the ravine at your back

North-facing suites look across the Rosedale Valley ravine toward Rosedale, which gives a green outlook that is hard to find this close to Yonge and Bloor. Bloor Street East connects you west to Yorkville and the Bloor-Yonge shops within a reasonable walk.

To the south are the high-rise blocks of St. James Town, and Bloor East is a busy arterial. That mix is the trade-off: house-sized suites and ravine views on a city corner rather than a quiet residential street. Visit at rush hour before you decide.

Parking is in an underground garage, and the building lists a car wash, which tells you who it was built for: owners who drive and who wanted a house-like level of service. Confirm how many spaces come with any suite you are considering, as larger suites often have more than one.

Transit, schools and walkability are covered in the data panel on this page.

How to think about price at The Rosedale

There is no reliable building average per square foot here, and nothing was listed for sale or rent at the time of writing. That is typical of a 23-suite building where owners stay for years. The 12-month sales record in the data panel may show few or no trades, which is itself useful information.

With suites this large and this varied, I price each one on its own: comparable large suites in boutique buildings near Yonge and Bloor and in Rosedale, adjusted for renovation level, outdoor space and view. A price per square foot borrowed from a 600-square-foot suite in a tower nearby will mislead you in both directions.

The fee covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance and water, so only hydro and extras are on you. In absolute terms, though, fees on the largest suites are high, because they are shared across only 23 owners. Ask for the current budget and divide it by suite share to understand what you are paying for.

Because sales are so rare here, sellers sometimes test the market with a high ask. As a buyer, rely on recent comparable sales in similar boutique buildings, not on the asking price alone.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Rosedale

The amenities are modest but suited to the building: concierge and security for owners who travel, a gym, a shared rooftop deck where BBQs are allowed, and a car wash bay in the garage. Nobody buys here for the amenity floor; they buy for the suite.

Jatin’s honest take on The Rosedale

The Rosedale — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.