Townhouses For Sale in Waterfront Communities, Old Toronto

CityPlace: towers on the old rail yards, towns at their feet

CityPlace was built on the former Canadian National Spadina yard, which railways began moving out of in the 1960s. Concord Adex bought the land in 1997 and built it out in phases, dividing the residential land into ten street blocks, each with towers and shared facilities. Some blocks include townhouses or mid-rise buildings at grade.

Canoe Landing Park, designed by Douglas Coupland, is the main green space. Fort York Boulevard runs through the middle with a median kept for a future streetcar line, and the Puente de Luz footbridge crosses the tracks to Front Street.

Critics have pointed to a shortage of larger units for families. That's part of the appeal of the townhouses: they tend to be the biggest layouts in their buildings, with more bedrooms and separate entries.

Harbourfront and Queens Quay: lower towers, older corporations

East of CityPlace, along Queens Quay and the streets near the ferry docks, the condo buildings are generally older, many dating from the 1980s and 1990s. Some have townhouse units along the base facing the street or a garden courtyard.

Older corporations bring different questions than new ones. Ask when the elevators, windows and garage membrane were last replaced, whether a special assessment has been raised in recent years, and how the reserve fund compares with the most recent study's plan.

The trade-off is space and setting. Some older buildings have larger units and lake views from the townhouse terraces that newer towers don't match.

Reading a tower status certificate as a townhouse owner

Because a waterfront townhouse is a unit in the tower's corporation, its health depends on the whole building. Questions worth asking:

• How the fee is calculated, and whether townhouse owners pay toward amenities they can't easily reach.
• The age of the window walls and the plan for replacing them.
• Whether the garage is shared between towers, and how repair costs are split.
• Any rules on exterior changes to your front door, landscaping or patio.
• Rental and short-term rental restrictions, which affect both investors and owner-occupiers.

Look too at whether your unit's front door opens onto a public street or a private courtyard. That affects deliveries, security and how much the unit feels like a house.

Queens Quay, the islands and getting around

Along Queens Quay, the 509 and 510 streetcars run to Union and Spadina stations. Further west, the 511 Bathurst car serves the western end. Walking to the financial district is realistic from most of the area, which is the main reason people choose it.

The Toronto Islands are part of this neighbourhood on the city's map, but island houses sit on leased land and change hands through the island residents' trust, so they don't appear as ordinary townhouse sales.

Expect noise from the Gardiner and rail corridor on the north side, and event crowds near the stadium and arena on the east side.

Winter is the other thing to plan for. Wind off the lake makes the southern edge colder and more exposed than streets a few blocks north, and townhouse terraces facing the water need furniture and planters that can stand up to it. Ask owners how their terrace drains and whether ice builds up at the door.