Award season has always been a time of star-gazing and glamour with its celeb-studded events. At Harvey Kalles Real Estate, we want to present our list of noteworthy celebrity homes in the Six. We want to draw the curtain back on some of the city’s most glamorous and sophisticated abodes. And more than that, we want to prove that you, too, can own your slice of luxury real estate in Toronto.
If these homes inspire you to move up in 2024, connect with the best realtors in the GTA at Harvey Kalles Real Estate. We can’t make you a celebrity…but we can help you live like one!
Drake’s Bridle Path Palace
Few properties inspire more articles and catch more paparazzi press than Drake’s house in the Bridle Path.
To call it “Drake’s house” is probably a misnomer; this is a full-service, no-holds-barred mansion. The stately two-acre lot at 21 Park Lane Circle accommodates pools, gardens and countless amenities, including a full basketball court (we’d expect no less from a die-hard Raptors fan). However, the real draw is the home itself, a 50,000-square-foot manor-style home shaped by Canadian designer Ferris Rafauli.
A “marvel of old-world craftsmanship, constructed of limestone, bronze, exotic woods, and other noble materials,” Drake’s Bridle Path home blends classic design elements with a contemporary sensibility.
Margaret Atwood’s Annex Abode
Margaret Atwood may spend her hours writing about bleak dystopias and post-apocalyptic walled compounds, but her home is anything but.
Atwood’s gorgeous home is part of the East Annex, a gorgeous collection of Edwardian houses set against an idyllically tree-lined urban landscape. While the author is reticent to let too many cameras inside her home, the visible bay and dormer windows suggest a classic Annex approach. We expect that the wood-and-brick interiors are probably stacked to the rafters with books.
We include Atwood’s home because we want to highlight this storied, amenity-rich neighbourhood. If you want to buy a home next to some notable owners (Galen Weston, Catherine O’Hara, and David Suzuki also live or have lived in the area), the Annex is your neighbourhood!
Elton John’s Stouffville Retreat
Head a little way out of the city proper, and you’ll reach Elton John’s mansion in Stouffville.
John recently moved with his husband to the Bloomington Road retreat, a towering, energy-efficient mansion situated on 25 acres of scenic Ontario land. The estate boasts clear views of the Toronto skyline and a thoroughly modern interior. It’s a terrific example of Toronto’s newer builds. And it goes to show you how beautiful things can be on the outskirts of downtown.
If you want to pave your own yellow brick road to the outer reaches of the GTA, chat with our expert agents and peruse our helpful guide to buying a home in Toronto.
Bonus: The Singer’s Upcoming “Treehouse” Penthouse
As Homes and Gardens reports, Elton John has also bought up a penthouse in development on King Street. The Cubist-inspired “treehouse” development was designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to mimic natural foliage among the urban setting.
Shawn Mendes’ (Mysterious) Downtown Condo
We don’t know a lot about Shawn Mendes’ downtown condo. However, a recent house tour the Canadian singer gave via Instagram Live reveals tasteful modern flourishes in a modestly-sized living room area with a spectacular close-up view of the CN Tower.
It’s tough to tell just how many celebs live like Mendes – in high-rise condo buildings near the CN Tower – but our guess is it’s a high number. With so many films shot here, and recording studios based around the downtown core, you can expect to spot a few celebrities waiting for their elevators.
Rachel McAdams’ Classic Harbord Village Home
A short walk from Margaret Atwood’s home lands you in Harbord Village, abutted on either side by Palmerston Village and UofT. Here, you’ll find the sophisticated home of Canadian silver screen darling Rachel McAdams.
McAdams’ home reflects her personality. It’s down-to-earth and understated, a late-1880s Victorian-style semi-detached row house with beautiful exposed red brick and a lush garden. McAdams reveals that she likes to tend to her garden in the warm months before riding her bike around the adjacent neighbourhoods, like the Annex, Little Italy and Kensington Market.
Her choice of neighbourhoods is as excellent as her choice of projects. We love Harbord Village for its centrality, quiet urban living and proximity to several exciting neighbourhoods. Check out our rolling list of exclusive properties for openings in Harbord Village, Seaton Village, the Annex and Yorkville.
Bonus: McAdams’ Mean Girls House at 11 High Point Road
If you’ve seen the movie Mean Girls, you might remember McAdams’ character, Regina, living in a sprawling mansion. “Wow, your house is really nice,” remarks Lindsay Lohan’s character. “I know, right,” quips McAdams. That house is a real place – and it is really nice. You can find it at 11 High Point Road in the Bridle Path!
These celebrity homes are just the tip of the iceberg for luxury real estate in Toronto. If we opted to include past residents of the Six, we could have shown you the glamorous estates of other megastars like Celine Dion, Prince and Mick Jagger. But you can only fit so much luxury into one article!
If you plan on buying or selling a luxury home in 2024, connect with the best realtors in the GTA at Harvey Kalles Real Estate. As we tour houses and hunt for luxury together, we’ll make sure to give you the “star treatment.”
