The Globe and Mail

It was just a little boxed advertisement, tucked away in the left-hand corner of the newspaper page, beside a much bigger one trumpeting the appearance of "Moxie Whitney and His Orchestra" at the Royal York's Imperial Room, but it spoke volumes about the apartment building on Avenue Road. "A prestige address on Toronto's 'Park Avenue,' " the February, 1957, ad opened, and continued with the warning: "This is the only apartment available in this recently completed building." It was placed not in the classifieds but in the local news section, by the tenant, presumably, who wanted to sublet because of being "transferred to Montreal." It gushed about the ninth-floor unit's "exceptionally large L-shaped living and dining area," the wall-to-wall broadloom, and the large "patio balcony" overlooking a "beautiful residential area." All of this -- plus elevators, a doorman, underground parking and optional maid service -- could be had for $185 a month.