Dear reader,

Back when the TTC was just bad and not tragic, I’d take the Carlton streetcar from Cabbagetown to Roncesvalles to visit some high school friends. They lived above a shop at Howard Park in a classic bowling-alley apartment with a fantastic sunroom overlooking a brick courtyard.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but the Roncy of my childhood was quickly becoming something else. Polish kids were growing up and moving out. Bike lanes, mid-rises and restaurants were bringing downtown energy to the main drag. And newly arrived young professionals were renovating the neighbourhood’s creaky mansions back into sparkling homes. 

Curb Appeal’s top post this week is a prime example: a $1-million reno by design firm Boychuk Fuller that transformed a cramped Edwardian semi into a contemporary gem—a welcome addition to the new Roncesvalles. 

Also in today’s newsletter: three realtors representing three different properties explain why they sold for under asking. Plus, a tour of a $13.3-million gallery-esque mansion just off Mount Pleasant. Visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition for all of our real estate coverage and more.

In August of 2020, the owners of this old Edwardian were expecting their second child. The family wanted larger, airier rooms; more play space for the kids; and office space given the recent shift to remote work. The project was immense: basement underpinning, a main-floor extension, straightening the roofline, reframing the interior, and installing new insulation, electrical and HVAC. Rooms were also upgraded to increase storage and natural light. Here’s how they did it.

A capital gains tax hike and a boatload of inventory means savvy buyers can acquire properties on the relative cheap this spring. Here, three realtors share why they were forced to settle for less.

What 9,000-square-foot mansion in Teddington Park would be complete without a trippy powder room, an indoor pool, a sauna made out of African wood and a technicolour skylight?

In the latest issue: our annual ranking of where to eat now. Plus, the small-town doctor who tore his community apart, confessions of a reformed shoplifter, an eye-popping history of Budweiser Stage, and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.