Jordan Prussky Photography
133 Hazelton Ave., No. 305, Toronto
Asking price: $4,695,000
Taxes: $13,698 (2021)
Monthly maintenance fee: $3,826
Agent: Paul Johnston, Right at Home Realty Inc.
The back story
Jay and Jan Gould were living in the heritage enclave of Rosedale when they began to contemplate moving to a condominium about 10 years ago.
Mr. Gould is an entrepreneur who founded the Cultures chain of restaurants with his brother in the 1970s and brought New York Fries to Canada in the 1980s. He sold his more recent venture, South Street Burger Co., just before the pandemic.
While he was immersed in the food business, Mr. Gould was also keeping an eye on trends in the property market.
“I’m a bit of a real estate geek,” Mr. Gould says. “I follow these things.”
The Goulds concentrated their search in the upscale Yorkville area, where new projects were regularly springing up.
One such development was a boutique building near the intersection of Avenue and Davenport roads.
Mr. Gould liked the location at the top end of Hazelton Avenue, with establishments from grocery stores to cinemas within walking distance.
The Art Deco-style building would overlook a streetscape of Victorian-era houses.
Home of the Week, 133 Hazelton Ave., No. 305, TorontoJordan Prussky Photography
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The couple would be travelling during the week the sales centre opened, so Mr. Gould arranged a preview a few days before.
The plans were still on the drawing board and the developer was willing to be flexible.
“It was an opportunity to go and design our own space, which is not often the case in the condo world,” Mr. Gould says. “That was a big part of the appeal to us.”
As the first buyers in the door, they were able to choose a corner unit on the third floor.
“We’ll take this unit if we can get 500 feet from this unit and a bit of the one on the other side,” Mr. Gould says.
The developer was amenable to the new configuration, which expanded the footprint of the unit to approximately 2,100 square feet.
Even as they made plans, Ms. Gould had reservations about moving from their Rosedale cottage on a ravine to a high-rise.
“Jan called it ‘Jay’s condo’ for the longest time,” Mr. Gould says with a chuckle. “In talking Jan into moving to a condo, we wanted to make it as house-like as possible.”
To achieve that residential feel, the couple chose a unit on the third floor with a south-facing outdoor terrace.
They also wanted to ensure the view would not soon be blocked by another condo tower.
“Hazelton is historic. They couldn’t build in front of us because they’re not allowed to,” Mr. Gould says.
The house today
The two bedrooms are at opposite corners, which ensures more privacy when guests visit.Jordan Prussky Photography
Once they began making design choices, Ms. Gould grew more enthusiastic about the unit under construction, her husband says.
“We bought it on paper so we had lots of time to work our plans through,” Mr. Gould says.
Mr. Gould met several times with the projects architects, Toronto-based Page + Steele.
One of the major changes the additional space allowed the Goulds was to rearrange the bedrooms into a split plan.
The two bedrooms are at opposite corners, which ensures more privacy when guests visit.
The original second bedroom became the family room and the original location of the kitchen is now a home office and bar area.
With those changes, the kitchen moved to the centre of the unit.
The Goulds favoured a more modern kitchen than the traditional style the builder was offering, so they worked with the designer to choose white oak cabinetry, an indoor barbecue and integrated appliances.
They also enlarged the foyer and added built-in closets.
The open plan living and dining areas provide walk-outs to the terrace and a west-facing balcony. They are also large enough to accommodate the large dining room table and other antiques that the Goulds brought from their Rosedale home.
The primary bedroom has a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom with dual vanities, a walk-in shower and a stand-alone tub.
The second bedroom also has an ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower.
Mr. Gould says the unit comes with two parking spaces but he rarely uses the car.
“It’s just a lovely area to walk – and walk the dog,” he says.
The building’s amenities include 24-hour concierge, valet parking and a fitness centre.
The best feature
The terrace runs the full width of the suite and provides space for lounging, dining and urban gardening.
A double-sided fireplace warms the living room inside and the terrace outside.
Sitting three floors above grade, the terrace is at the level of the treetops on Hazelton Avenue, Mr. Gould says.
“We wanted to be in the trees and we are.”
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Carolyn Ireland