MARCH 11, 2025

Dear reader,

When I was little, my aunt would take me to Mr. Greenjeans in the upper reaches of the Eaton Centre. I’d get hopped up on ice cream and something greasy, then play the in-house slot machine as staff seemingly turned a blind eye. I never longed for Disneyland as a child—I had gambling.

Still, what I remember most about those early trips to the Eaton Centre was the mall itself. The Toronto of my youth felt endlessly grey and slow—yet here was a bustling building that sparkled white, its floors laid out like an Escher print, its ceilings crowned by what felt like the biggest skylight in the world.

As I got older, my obsession shifted to the man behind the mall, Eberhard Zeidler, who also designed Ontario Place, the atrium at SickKids and many other city-defining projects. So I was thrilled when reporter Daniel Reale-Chin sent me Curb Appeal’s top post this week: a $20-million Rosedale ravine home conceived by Zeidler himself. It’s been updated over the years with modern doohickeys, but original features—like a seemingly endless buffet of skylights—remain. 

Also in today’s newsletter: a loft in the former home base of Harry Rosen. Plus, a $13.3-million English manor off the 401 with a DJ station. For all of our real estate coverage and more, visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition.

—Barry Jordan Chong, city and real estate editor

A four-storey, four-bedroom, five-bathroom ravine home steps from Rosedale’s parkland. The one-of-a-kind property is equipped with a Gingko green roof, a glass elevator and a backyard deck the size of a tennis court. It’s within walking distance of Evergreen Brick Works, Craigleigh Gardens, and both Sherbourne and Castle Frank stations. And motorists are a short drive from the DVP, Bayview and St. Clair.

Former clothing giant Dylex—once the operator of Harry Rosen, Club Monaco and Tip Top Tailors—owned the original warehouse here in the 1960s, establishing it as a retail hub. Today, it’s home to 150 lofts across eight stories.

What English castle built in 2012 would be complete without a basement that acts like a nightclub, a spa with change rooms, chandeliers that look like flowers, a walkable wine cave, a heated courtyard and a fancy room for cars? 

In the latest issue: Edward Rogers was dismissed as a meddling nepo baby—until he muscled out his siblings, acquired his competitors, cornered the telecom market and became the dominant force in Canadian sports. Plus, murder in the Blue Mountains, winter-worthy margaritas and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? 

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