Home of the Week: 118 Yorkville Ave., suite 501, Toronto. On sale, with an asking price of $5.9-million.
118 YORKVILLE AVE., SUITE 501
ASKING PRICE: $5.9-million
TAXES: $43,831.02 (2009)
AGENT: Janet Lindsay, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.
The building
Residents arriving home at the Hazelton are greeted by a doorman who ushers them into the lobby of the luxury hotel at the corner of Hazelton Ave. and Yorkville. But that's where the mingling ends: The owners of the private residences slip clandestinely down the hall into an inconspicuous elevator. From the elevator they step directly into their unit's entry hall so they never have to pass the neighbours in the hallway.
Unit 501 also has a second door tucked away down a long hall. That way the residents can order room service from the kitchens of celebrity chef Mark McEwan. A server delivers the food to a vestibule while the residents can remain hidden behind closed doors.
"It's been cleverly designed so if you order up the restaurant you can pick it up in your jammies," says real estate agent Janet Lindsay of Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.
Owners of the private residences can also make the trip downstairs to the restaurant One or to take advantage of the fringe benefits of living in a hotel, such as the 24-hour valet service, health club, screening room or the infinity-edge swimming pool.
The building's architects were Page + Steele, while the glamorous backdrops were designed by Yabu Pushelberg.
During the Toronto International Film Festival, the lobby becomes a likely place for a chance encounter with a Hollywood star.
The suite
With nearly 5,000 square feet of living space, this condominium unit offers plenty of room for rearranging the furniture, or even revamping the entire floor plan. Currently the suite includes two bedrooms, a formal dining room, a living room, family room and kitchen with breakfast area.
But Ms. Lindsay says some buyers prefer three bedrooms so she provides an optional floor plan, which turns the formal dining room into a guest bedroom. The room, which stretches to nearly 16 feet by 30, could easily accommodate an ensuite bathroom and dressing room too.
Under the alternate plan, the dining room furniture gets moved to the current family room, which is divided from the living room by a dramatic double-sided fireplace.
The breakfast area in the 17 by 15-foot kitchen is large enough to become the family room, points out Ms. Lindsay.
"The space is huge," she says. "Without sacrificing anything in terms of layout, you can easily have three bedrooms."
A few prospective buyers have made offers on the unit but none have been able to strike a deal. The potential purchasers have been evenly split between families and singletons, says Ms. Lindsay.
The unit, which was designed and finished by J.F. Brennan Design Build Inc., offers the kind of luxury that might entice homeowners who are considering a shift from their stately houses in Rosedale and Forest Hill. There is a wood-panelled library with built-in desks and bookshelves, for example. The kitchen provides built-in appliances, a pro-style range and a central marble-topped island. A separate butler's pantry and servery also contains the wine fridge.
Two galleries provide space for an art collection and ceilings are 10-feet high throughout.
The master bedroom suite includes a spa-like bathroom with heated marble floors and a marble-clad tub sitting in front of floor-to-ceiling windows.
The best feature
That would have to be the 1,200-square-foot outdoor terrace that overlooks the streets of Yorkville, says Ms. Lindsay. French doors lead from the kitchen, family room and living room to the outside. In addition, 105 linear feet of Juliette and parapet balconies face the street. Most of the rooms face south, which means the floor-to-ceiling windows bring in vast amounts of sunshine.
The building
The best feature
Carolyn Ireland