Townhouses For Sale in Don Valley Village, North York

At the end of the Sheppard line

Don Mills station, the eastern terminus of Line 4, sits beside Fairview Mall, which opened in 1970. From there it's four stops to Sheppard-Yonge and a transfer to Line 1. Buses fan out from the station, including the Viva Green bus rapid transit line into York Region.

Highway 404 forms the eastern edge and the 401 and Don Valley Parkway are just south, so the area works for drivers too. Oriole GO station on the Richmond Hill line is a short trip west.

Built one subdivision at a time in the 1960s and '70s

The suburb took shape quickly. In 1963 one builder was advertising three-bedroom houses here with a trade-in option for buyers' existing homes. The result is a mix of split-levels, semis and detached houses, with high-rise apartments and condos concentrated along the main avenues.

Townhouse complexes were part of that build-out, typically condominium corporations with shared grounds, courtyards and parking. Many are now around fifty years old, so expect the same issues as other North York complexes of that era: windows, roofs, garages and how well the reserve has kept up.

The built-out character means little new townhouse supply arrives here, and most purchases are resales in established corporations. That puts the focus on the condition of the complex: two units with similar layouts can carry very different futures depending on what the corporation has already fixed. Ask for the last reserve fund study and compare it against the status certificate's current balance.

Community centres, parks and the library

Oriole Community Centre and Arena and the Seneca Village Community Centre are run by the City. Parks include Dallington, Godstone, Hobart, Linus, Lescon and Oriole Park, and the Fairview library branch is at the mall. Seneca's Newnham campus is just north across Finch.

For townhouse owners, this cluster of facilities within a short walk is one of the area's practical strengths. Arenas, pools and community programs are close, and the mall covers groceries, banking and services. Families often find they can manage much of the week on foot or by short bus rides, with the subway available for trips further afield. That convenience is part of why the area appeals to households that want suburban space without being entirely car-dependent.

Questions to ask in a Don Valley Village complex

• How far is the unit from Don Mills station on foot, using the actual paths out of the complex?
• Has the corporation done a window or roof replacement program, and is one planned?
• What does the fee include, and have there been special assessments?
• Are there leasing restrictions, given the nearby college and the mall-area rental market?

Townhouse or a Fairview-area condo apartment?

Many buyers here weigh a townhouse against a large apartment in the towers near Fairview Mall and Don Mills station. Apartments usually put you closer to the station and the mall, with an elevator and building amenities. Townhouses usually give you more space, a private entrance, a basement and sometimes a yard, with a longer walk and stairs inside the unit. Families with children or pets often lean townhouse; commuters who value a short walk to the subway often lean apartment. Compare fees with what each actually covers, since amenity-heavy towers and older townhouse complexes spend money on very different things.