Toronto condo buildings · Updated September 13, 2026
ICE Condominiums
12 York St and 14 York St, Toronto · Also known as ICE Condos, ICE I
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ICE Condominiums is the pair of glass towers at 12 and 14 York Street in South Core, completed in 2014 and 2015 by Lanterra Developments and Cadillac Fairview. The location beside Union Station and the lake views are the draw. The reputation problem is short-term rentals and elevators: Google reviews split almost evenly between one star and five, and elevators come up in more reviews than anything else by a wide margin.
- Address
- 12 York St and 14 York St, Toronto
- Neighbourhood
- South Core
- Completed
- 2014 and 2015
- Storeys
- 57 and 67
- Height
- 202 m and 234 m
- Suites
- 1,343
- Towers
- 2
- Developer
- Lanterra Developments and Cadillac Fairview
- Architect
- architectsAlliance
- Transit
- Union Station (Line 1, GO Transit and UP Express) is a short walk north
About ICE Condos
ICE I at 12 York Street rises 57 storeys (202 metres) and ICE II at 14 York Street 67 storeys (234 metres), making the pair one of the tallest residential complexes downtown. Both were designed by architectsAlliance, and together they hold about 1,343 suites.
The name has become Toronto shorthand for the short-term rental problem. Airbnb was given exclusive hosting rights in the complex, it has been described as a “ghost hotel”, and in 2019 CBC News reported it had drawn more short-term rental complaints than any other Toronto address, 311 in total. A later Reddit thread says Airbnb activity is now managed by the condo board and security, with guests barred from the amenities, and that this has helped.
Owners and long-term tenants are more positive than the headlines. The five-star reviews focus on CN Tower and lake views, the walk to Union Station and the Financial District, and the spa-style amenities.
Storeys, heights and completion years are from Wikipedia. The suite count is condos.ca's figure for both towers combined.
Where ICE Condos is
ICE Condos is at 12 York St and 14 York St in South Core. Union Station (Line 1, GO Transit and UP Express) is a short walk north.
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Looking at other options in the area? See real estate agents serving Downtown Toronto or the best neighbourhoods in Toronto.
ICE Condos building amenities
- Swimming pool
- Fitness centre
- Hot tub
- Sauna
- Cold plunge
- Massage room
- Private outdoor space
- On-site parking
- Dog friendly
Google Maps listing attributes and the amenities residents name in Google reviews.
ICE Condos photos
ICE Condos reviews: the Google rating
Google reviews are the largest public sample of resident opinion for most condo buildings. The breakdown matters more than the average: a building with as many one-star as five-star reviews is a very different place from one with a steady spread of fours.
3.1
★★★★★462 Google reviews
- 5 star182
- 4 star55
- 3 star13
- 2 star31
- 1 star181
What reviews mention most
- Elevators · 110
- CN Tower view · 20
- Short-term rentals · 13
- Elevator wait times · 8
- Elevator maintenance · 5
- Sauna · 4
- Hot tub · 3
- Cold plunge · 2
- Massage room · 2
- Cleanliness in common areas · 2
Google Maps listing at 14 York St, as of September 12, 2026. Topics are the themes Google identifies in reviews, with the number of reviews mentioning each. Read the reviews on Google Maps
What residents praise
- CN Tower and lake views from upper floors
- Walk to Union Station, the PATH and the Financial District
- Spa amenities: sauna, hot tub, cold plunge and massage room
What residents complain about
- Elevators: 110 Google review mentions, plus wait-time and maintenance complaints
- Short-term rental guests and the “ghost hotel” reputation
- Cleanliness of common areas
What people say about ICE Condos on Reddit and forums
A summary of the threads that come up when people search for this building. Reddit skews toward people with a problem or a question, so weigh it alongside the Google breakdown above.
The overall picture
Forum opinion on ICE splits along one line. People who lived there for the location and views often liked it, but the building's reputation is dominated by short-term rentals and elevators. A 2023 thread says board-managed Airbnb rules have helped, yet renters in 2025 and 2026 are still asking whether it is safe to sign a lease.
Short-term rentals
NegativeThe most repeated complaint. Commenters describe the towers as full of ghost hotels and short-stay guests, and one thread is simply about how to avoid ICE. A 2023 comment says the board and security now manage Airbnb guests and keep them out of the amenities.
Elevators
NegativeA two-year resident criticises the design for having too few elevators, and would-be tenants list elevator issues among the things they have heard.
Location and views
PositiveEven critical posters credit the views and the location next to Union Station. A resident thread calls the towers accessible to everything with amazing views.
Safety reputation
MixedProspective tenants say they have heard the building can be dangerous, while a 2025 commenter who stayed a week says the reputation is overblown for a short visit.
The threads behind this summary
- Ice condos - is it better now?
r/askTO · Nov 2025 · 50+ comments
Question“I'm planning on signing a one year lease at ice condominiums on York street. In the past, I've heard it's been dangerous, elevator issues, constant ...”
- Views from ice condos
r/toronto · May 2026 · 60+ comments
Mixed“Lived there for two years, loved the location and views. Hate airbnb with a passion now. Also, whoever designed it to only have 3 elevators ...”
- How to avoid “ice condos”?
r/TorontoRenting · Jan 2026 · 40+ comments
Negative“Ice Condos are 2 specific buildings on York st. Pretty easy to avoid. They are full of “ghost hotels” and a lot of people that stay there don't ...”
- Why are people still willing to live in ICE Condos (12 York ...
r/askTO · 2023 · 80+ comments
Mixed“AirBNB is now managed by the actual condo board and security and it's made things a lot better. No airbnb guests allowed to use the amenities.”
- ICE Condos - 12 York St Residents
r/TorontoRealEstate · 2024 · 20+ comments
Positive“The ice condos are amazing condos, they're very accessible to everything and have amazing views.”
- Pretty sure the AirBnb I booked for a week is in the ICE ...
r/askTO · 2025 · 20+ comments
Mixed“For 1 week its fine. Everyone likes to spaz out over the ICE Condos. There isn't a shooting every single day, there isn't broken elevators every ...”
- Are ICE condos really that bad?
r/TorontoRealEstate · 2021 · 60+ comments
Question“Looking to buy, and I would really like a place with a view (either of dense buildings /CN, or of the water).”
Summaries are our reading of the linked threads and review pages. Excerpts are quoted verbatim from each thread’s public snippet, including spelling; open the thread for full context. Dates are approximate.
What's near ICE Condos: transit, restaurants and parks
Subway stations, streetcar and bus stops, and the most-reviewed places within about a kilometre of 12 York St. Use the filters to show only what you care about, and select a marker for photos, details and walking directions.
Transit stop locations are from TTC schedule data. Place locations come from Google Maps listings and are rounded to about 100 m, so a marker can sit a little off the actual entrance.
Transit near ICE Condos
The closest subway station to ICE Condos is Union Station on Line 1 Yonge-University, about a 6-minute walk (390 m). Streetcar routes 509 and 510 and bus routes 114, 202 and 121 stop within 500 m.
Subway stations
- 1
Union Station
Line 1 Yonge-University
6 min · 390 m - 1
St Andrew Station
Line 1 Yonge-University
10 min · 610 m - 1
King Station
Line 1 Yonge-University
12 min · 780 m
Union Station is also the hub for GO Transit and the UP Express to Pearson Airport.
Streetcar routes within 500 m
- 509HarbourfrontNearest stop: Queens Quay West at Harbourfront Centre4 min · 250 m
- 510SpadinaNearest stop: Queens Quay West at Harbourfront Centre4 min · 250 m
Bus routes within 500 m
- 114Queens Quay EastNearest stop: Bay St at Lake Shore Blvd W5 min · 330 m
- 202Cherry BeachNearest stop: Bay St at Lake Shore Blvd W5 min · 330 m
- 121Esplanade-RiverNearest stop: Bay St at Front St West South Side - Union Station7 min · 440 m
Stations and routes from the TTC's official schedule data (TTC Routes and Schedules (GTFS), Toronto Open Data, published August 27, 2026). Overnight routes are not shown. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. View the dataset
Restaurants, parks and things to do near ICE Condos
Restaurants near ICE Condos
- No free photo available2 min walk
Evviva Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast restaurant
★★★★★4.4 (6,803)
25 Lower Simcoe St · 110 m
- No free photo available5 min walk
- No free photo available11 min walk
- No free photo available11 min walk
Earls Kitchen + Bar - Financial District (King & University)
Restaurant
★★★★★4.6 (12,141)
150 King St W #100 · 690 m
- No free photo available13 min walk
13 min walkThe Old Spaghetti Factory
Italian restaurant
★★★★★4.4 (14,334)
54 The Esplanade · 830 m
Cafés and bakeries near ICE Condos
- No free photo available2 min walk
- No free photo available4 min walk
- No free photo available4 min walk
- No free photo available6 min walk
- No free photo available8 min walk
El Pacho Coffee Roasters
Coffee roastery
★★★★★4.7 (659)
40 University Ave Unit 8 · 480 m
- No free photo available12 min walk
Grocery stores near ICE Condos
- No free photo available1 min walk
- No free photo available5 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
- No free photo available9 min walk
The Market by Longo's at Brookfield Place
Supermarket
★★★★★4.0 (193)
181 Bay St. · 590 m
- No free photo available10 min walk
McEwan TD
Grocery store
★★★★★4.3 (314)
Dominion Centre - PATH, 66 Wellington St W · 670 m
- No free photo available12 min walk
Parks and green space near ICE Condos
3 min walkPhoto: Alex Laney, CC BY-SA 4.0
5 min walkPhoto: Michael Mayer, CC BY-SA 3.0
5 min walkPhoto: Secondarywaltz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- No free photo available6 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
9 min walkPhoto: JFVoll, CC BY-SA 4.0
Things to do near ICE Condos
5 min walkPhoto: Mark Bradshaw, CC BY 3.0
- No free photo available5 min walk
7 min walkPhoto: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0
10 min walkPhoto: JK Liu, CC BY-SA 4.0
11 min walkPhoto: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Scalable Grid Engine, CC0
- No free photo available14 min walk
Places and ratings from Google Maps listings, retrieved September 13, 2026. Restaurants and cafés are limited to places rated 4.3 or higher, and every category is filtered to listings with enough reviews to be meaningful. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. Businesses open, close and move, so check before you go.
Who ICE Condos suits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit for
Buyers and renters who put a walk-to-Union commute, views and amenities ahead of a quiet building, and who are comfortable with short-term rental activity around them.
Look elsewhere if you are
Anyone who needs dependable elevators at rush hour, dislikes hotel-style turnover of neighbours, or is buying mainly for resale strength.
Before you buy in any condo, ask for the status certificate and read the reserve fund study; it shows the corporation’s finances, special assessments and upcoming repairs. Use the condo fee calculator to check monthly costs and the land transfer tax calculator for closing.
ICE Condos FAQ
Are ICE Condos good?
It depends on what you value. ICE holds a 3.1 out of 5 Google rating from 462 reviews, with 182 five-star and 181 one-star reviews, which is about as polarised as a building gets. The location and views are consistently praised. Elevators come up in 110 reviews, far more than anything else, and short-term rentals are the other recurring complaint.
What are the controversies surrounding ICE Condos in Toronto?
Short-term rentals, mainly. Airbnb was given exclusive hosting rights in the complex, it was described as a ghost hotel, and CBC News reported in 2019 that ICE was the Toronto address with the most short-term rental complaints, 311 in total. Elevator outages and wait times are the second long-running issue.
Is 12 York Street ICE Condos?
Yes. 12 York Street is ICE Condominiums I, the 57-storey tower completed in 2014. 14 York Street is ICE II, the 67-storey tower completed in 2015.
Who built ICE Condos?
Lanterra Developments and Cadillac Fairview developed the complex, and architectsAlliance designed both towers.
What subway station is closest to ICE Condos?
The closest subway station to ICE Condos is Union Station on Line 1 Yonge-University, about a 6-minute walk (390 m). Streetcar routes 509 and 510 and bus routes 114, 202 and 121 stop within 500 m.
What grocery stores are near ICE Condos?
The closest well-reviewed grocery stores are Longo's Maple Leaf Square at 15 York St (1 min walk), Farm Boy at 207 Queens Quay W (5 min walk) and Rabba Fine Foods at 252 Queens Quay W (7 min walk).
Condo buildings near ICE Condos
South Core · 130 m away
Maple Leaf Square Condos
Completed 2010 · 49 storeys
★★★★★ 4.3 from 381 Google reviews
South Core · 390 m away
Pinnacle Centre
Completed 2006 to 2011 · 29 to 53 storeys
★★★★★ 3.9 from 196 Google reviews
St. Lawrence · 640 m away
L Tower
Completed 2015 · 58 storeys
No Google rating
Entertainment District · 840 m away
Nobu Residences Toronto
Completed 2024 · 45 (15 Mercer St) storeys
★★★★★ 2.7 from 50 Google reviews
Next steps for ICE Condos
- Tell us the city and we match you with an agent who already works South Core.
- Browse agents serving Downtown Toronto.
- Estimate monthly costs with the condo fee calculator and closing with the land transfer tax calculator.
- Still choosing an area? Start with the best neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Sources
- Wikipedia: ICE Condominiums
- condos.ca: ICE Condos
- Google Maps listing (snapshot September 12, 2026)
- TTC Routes and Schedules (GTFS), Toronto Open Data
- 7 Reddit threads and review pages, linked above
Researched September 13, 2026. Ratings and resident opinion change; check the linked sources for the latest before making a decision.