297 Carlton Street - CABBAGETOWN
This house may look familiar to you but the angle of the house in the above picture might confuse you.
Here is the picture that you have probably been looking at for the past year and a half....
There have been many ads, even a Globe and Mail Real Estate write up in November 2010 with the hopes of selling this place.
It was initially listed in October 2010. It has had 4 subsequent price drops. Here is the history...
October 2010 - $4,900,000
May 2011 - $4,250,000
October 2011 - $3,995,000
March 2012 - $3,599,000
June 2012 - $3,399,000
Hmm.
It is basically a high end apartment building. It has a 2 storey first and second floor apartment, a third floor apartment with loft and huge deck, a basement apartment, and a separate coach house with it's own outdoor space (it used to be a chauffeur's residence then a pickling house for the previous owners pickle business.) The main apartment has 3 bedrooms and the others have 1 bedroom each. The whole house has 7 bathrooms.
It is located on Carlton which apparently was supposed to become a throughfare to the DVP until all these old houses were saved.
It is a street that has a lot of history including the old home to the Leafs at Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens (now a fancy Loblaw's), a row of beautiful old houses at the east end, and the south end of Riverdale Park....
But when I hear the name 'Carlton', all I can think of is this...
Can't you see Carlton doing this dance all over this house?
Is this not how Carlton would style his house if he was 40!?!
There are many things that I love and surprise me like that front hall pendant but I can't see being something that Carlton would choose. He likes his chinos, blazers and bathrobes.
This place really needs someone to bring some more humour to it. It is really taking itself too seriously.
And the price drops are there to prove it.
I kind of feel like that woman in the dining room painting.
"Let me know when you are done over decorating....or I can get the phone from behind my chair so you can call Tommy to fix this..."
I am sure the current owner has put a LOT of work into this house but an initial listing of $4,900,000? Once you take the style out of this place (which isn't my favourite but you have to admit it is someone's and for many this is 'IT'), it's just another big Cabbagetown house....with a really nice kitchen...a full 3 bedroom house plus 2 apartments and a couch house....and a really big yard....and a LOT of parking.
Maybe it is way overpriced or maybe it is just too hard to see past the unique style.
Perhaps with a few coats of paint (maybe a little help from Tommy)...this house is REALLY beautiful and could look great if it wasn't SO serious.
$2,900,000.
And if it sells for that, it's a steal. One of the apartments was just listed for $12,000 and has since been taken off the market.
Guess you will have to buy it with a tenant...
