Mount Royal Terrace

This was already a rock-solid concrete 18-suite rental building dating from 1972 when it was bought by Sable Developments and condo converted in 2002, with extensive renovations completed in 2003. The finished package is very nice indeed, befitting the Royal Avenue address and the curving hillside-divided roadway out front, which may be the source of the reference to "terrace". The original builder staggered the building's front in three sections to follow the curve of Royal Avenue. Sable then faced the building with cultured stone plus all new windows and doors, leaving a very classy-looking building. Sable Developments even built a carport around back, so 12 cars now park under that to enjoy cover, as do the six stalls tucked under the building's overhang.

The in-suite renovations are as nice as the exterior would lead you to expect. There's maple cabinetry, granite or tile countertops, laminate hardwood floors, in-suite laundries, ceramic sinks, etc. A few suites have electric fireplaces, and the building's premier top-floor suite with two bedrooms and two bathrooms (1,110 sq. ft.) has a natural-gas fireplace. There are five two-bedroom suites ranging from 801 to 844 sq. ft., and 12 one-bedroom suites from 540 through 633 sq. ft. The premier suite and two other two-bedroom suites have a balcony both at the front and at the back and windows in three directions. The first-level front-facing suites are well below the road, but they have nice patios and are surrounded by shrubbery and face south, leaving them surprisingly attractive. There is no elevator or amenities, and no basement.

Exterior windows and doors are common property for repair and future replacement, but that's 30 or 40 years off!