Yorkville is Toronto’s “it” neighbourhood when it comes to upscale shopping, competing with Vancouver’s Robson Street and New York City’s Fifth Avenue, drawing in big budget spenders from all over the world. It’s only natural that this modern upscale charm would extend to living quarters as well. The area’s popularity means residential development has gone up rather than out, with high rise condominiums being the norm, many of which have price tags in the millions of dollars. Major hotels like the Four Seasons and the Hazelton have gotten in on this trend as well as real estate developers, offering personal residences to frequent visitors. Permanent residents, however, are more likely to choose buildings like the ones below.
The Prince Arthur is the pinnacle of Yorkville condominiums, widely regarded as one of the most elegant residential towers in the neighbourhood if not the city. Its distinctive arched entranceway deliberately evokes a sense of old-world European style, despite the fact that the building was actually completed in 1999. Relatively low-rising for a Yorkville residence, the Prince Arthur ranges from 6 to 24 storeys and contains 150 custom designed suites. Current prices are around $757 per square foot, and suites range from around 1,300 square feet to over 4,000, putting the most expensive condos at around 4 million dollars. Building amenities include parking, storage, sauna, gym, games and multimedia rooms, and restaurants.
Another elegant building is 10 Bellair, a residential tower where the stylistic look leans more toward contemporary than historic. The atmosphere here is very Manhattan socialite, rendered in hardwood and marble, complete with its own exclusive club. The Bellair Club, as the two-storey recreation centre is known, is for the exclusive use of residents, as is the ballroom and in-house catering service. There are 125 suites at 10 Bellair, some as small as 375 square feet, others as large as 4,000. With a price per square foot of $712, that puts 10 Bellair’s most expensive offerings at nearly 3 million dollars.
One St. Thomas, the third of our trio of Yorkville condominium real estate rulers, is another fairly small building at only 29 storeys, built in the Art Deco style of the 1930s. The unique selling point here is that One St. Thomas offers more than simply condos. Though there are 72 suites ranging in size from 1200 to 7000 square feet, One St. Thomas also offers four town homes, such as you could once own in the neighbourhood before the spate of redevelopment in the 1990s. Amenities include concierge service, valet parking, parking, car washing, pool, exercise facilities, and lounge. Prices per square foot are an average of $955, placing the largest suites in the 6-7 million dollar range.
