Toronto is many things: the largest city in Canada, the English-speaking cultural capital of the country, and home to a surprising concentration of celebrities both past and present. Toronto real estate is already a hot commodity, and one of the most competitive markets in North America. Some celebrities come to Toronto to blend in the low-key neighbourhoods, while others shoulder up in mansion neighbourhoods and create masterpieces of architecture. A survey of celebrity homes in Toronto is simultaneously a great way to indulge in window shopping, as well as an education in the best neighbourhoods that Toronto has to offer.
Geddy Lee’s Home
For forty years Geddy Lee was the bassist and vocalist for the Canadian prog-rock band Rush. A beloved icon of Canadian music and culture, Geddy Lee bought and lived in this 19th century mansion that predates Canada as a country. This home is situated in Rosedale, an area very close to Toronto’s city centre though it feels as if it’s in some village outside the city. The homes here are giants of Toronto real estate and have been so for well over a hundred years.
Geddy Lee’s home was built in 1857 and features a large front porch, ivy clinging to the front facade and lists for over $20,000,000. It has over 12,000 square feet of floor space, five bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and sits on an almost full acre of property. That’s almost an entire football field of land.
Rosedale is one of the oldest suburban neighbourhoods in Toronto and is generally regarded as the “old money” area of Toronto. Residents here have easy access to parkland and ravines while also being no more than 15 minutes away from the city centre.
Drake’s Mansion
Famous first for his role in Degrassi and then for the string of musical successes he has enjoyed since 2006, Drake is another art hero of Toronto. This Canadian native just recently had a new mansion built in the Bridle Path neighbourhood, an area renowned for its mansions. His home’s extravagant interior looks like it belongs more on the set of a James Bond movie than the austere and reserved aesthetic that one might expect of Bridle Path.
With over 50,000 square feet of floor space, a full sized basketball court, lavishly decorated bar and lounge, and everywhere held together by smooth black and white marble, Drake’s home makes Casa Loma look like an old shack. This house simultaneously evokes a sci-fi future with the aesthetics of a Roman emperor and Drake must feel pretty lucky to call this place home.
Drake’s property encompasses close to two acres of land, with a perimeter of mature trees giving him plenty of privacy from his neighbours. He has a pool in his backyard, a gazebo, and plenty of yard space.
Prince’s Mansion
Prince, probably the most famous musician since Bob Dylan to come out of Minnesota, was hailed as a musical genius for nearly all of his professional career. For several years in the early 2000’s, Prince lived in a breathtaking mansion in the Bridle Path neighbourhood (on the same block as Drake in fact!).
As befits his name, Prince’s house meets the highest standards any homeowner could set. At one simple, single story, and over 14,000 square feet, this mansion and its surrounding property sprawls over nearly two acres and has listed recently for over $17,000,000. With six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a swimming pool and a tennis court, this home is fit for a royal.
One of the best parts about living in Bridle Path has less to do with your house itself and more to do with your neighbours. Considered Canada’s billionaire row, Bridle Path is filled with enviable designer homes and is bustling with activity of politicians, musicians, and artists of every stripe.
Rachel McAdams’ House
No source on the website I found this on, but here’s the website. https://www.torontorentals.com/blog/who-lives-in-this-unassuming-victorian-home-in-the-annex-in-toronto
Famous for her leading roles in movies such as The Notebook and Mean Girls, Rachel McAdams owns a low-key home in the same Toronto neighborhood as Margaret Atwood, the Annex. Her house is a normal sized two story Victorian style house with a modest porch and a set of bay windows that lend the house endless charisma.
With renting options available, it’s entirely possible to call the Annex neighbourhood home. There are houses for sale here too, and they usually list around the $1,200,000 range. The Annex is also very close to Toronto’s city centre, and there are metro stops on nearby Dupont and Bloor streets which can take you almost anywhere you want to go in the city.
Margaret Atwood’s Home
Margaret Atwood is one of the most celebrated authors of the last fifty years. Her books such as The Handmaid’s Tale have cemented her position as Canadian literary royalty. Currently she lives in a big brick home in the Annex neighborhood northwest of Toronto’s city centre. From the outside her house is very unassuming, with plenty of trees shielding her from the nearby road, and big bay windows extending all the way up the front side of her home.
Her home fits in nicely with the overall vibe of the Annex. The homes here are predominately two stories with plenty of attic space and dormer windows. In the fall when the leaves are changing the Annex is probably the most picturesque neighbourhood in the city. Most homes for sale in the Annex are actually condos, usually listing upwards of $500,000, while the few single family detached homes you’ll find are over $1,000,000.