Are you familiar with the term “Brownstone?”

If you’re a real estate enthusiast, a New York City enthusiast, or both, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the term.  Or, if you’ve watched virtually any television shows that take place in New York, perhaps one of the characters was lucky enough to live in one of these beautiful, sought-after, architectural gems.

The “New York Brownstone” is as classic a piece of real estate as you’ll ever find.  Short of the proverbial “Villa in Tuscany,” I don’t know if there’s a more infamous real estate profile.

And whenever I have clients moving from the east coast – many of whom assume that prices in Toronto are a pittance to what one might pay in a major city in the United States, I’m always asked, “Hey, do you have anything in Toronto that’s kind of like a Brownstone in Manhattan?”

No, unfortunately, we don’t.

Most of these homes were built from 1825 through the 1880’s – well before virtually every existing house in Toronto was built, and the dark sandstone used in construction originated in Northeastern states like Connecticut and Maine.

So then where do people search when they’re coming from Europe or the USA and want “the closest thing to upscale areas of Manhattan?”

Well, they usually end up in Yorkville.

Love it or hate it, Yorkville is probably the most upscale area in the central core, and it’s also an area where you can find vintage homes.  There aren’t any 1820’s Brownstones, but there are 1880’s Victorians and 1920’s Edwardians, which often fit the bill for what Manhattanites are looking for.

In today’s Pick5, I’ll show you five properties currently available for sale in Yorkville, ranging in price from $4 Million to $10 Million.  Oh yeah – that’s one thing that Manhattan and Yorkville have in common: high prices!

Hope you enjoy!