Rental of the Week: $45,000 a month for a bungalow with an indoor tree near Drake’s house

Neighbourhood: Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills Price: $45,000 a month

Size: 17,000 square feet (including the basement) Bedrooms: 5+1 Bathrooms: 9+1 Parking spots: 30 Real estate agent: Peter Torkan, Team Torkan

The Place

A five-plus-one-bedroom, nine-plus-one-bathroom estate sitting on about three acres of land, two streets over from Drake’s Bridle Path mansion. Built for the rich and famous, the house comes with a wine room, a hot tub, a tennis court and a skylight in almost every room—many of them with 16-foot ceilings. Residents are a short drive from York University Glendon Campus and Sunnybrook Hospital as well as the DVP.

The History

Murray Menkes (founder of Menkes Developments) and his wife Pauline purchased this property in 1984 for $835,000. It sat empty for a few years before designer Tina Barooti of Tiarch Architect and her husband bought it in 2021. Barooti gave the home a complete overhaul, including a whole new basement and glass elevator. The family took occupancy in 2023. They’ve recently decided to rent it out for both short- and long-term stays. A full-on sale is on the table, but only for the right price.

Related: $180,000 a month for a Hamptons-themed Muskoka getaway with a helipad

The Tour

The place is fully gated, obviously.

If the four-car garage isn’t enough, roughly 25 cars can park in the driveway, which evokes some sort of fancy parking lot. And no need to worry about shovelling come winter—the pavement is heated.

Here’s the foyer. Its dark, engineered hardwood floors contrast with the delicate furniture, white curved walls and airy ceilings.

This glorious fiddle-leaf fig thrives thanks to its enormous overhead skylight.

There’s no TV in this lounge because the seating is set up for conversation. But don’t forget the gas fireplace wrapped in porcelain tiles imported from Italy.

The foyer skylight can also retract for natural air flow.

In the kitchen, black-and-white marble counterbalances the textured, backlit cabinets. Note the cylindrical hood vents, which echo rounded architectural details—like the the fluted section of the island—throughout.

A reverse angle shows the sleek double fridge and the island’s integrated wine bar.

Opposite the kitchen is the family space. It overlooks the pool and comes with coffered ceilings and custom shelving.

This moody, marble-clad powder room sits next door.

Floor-to-ceiling windows give the formal dining room an indoor-outdoor vibe.

Here’s the main bedroom, complete with a fireplace of its own.

There’s a hidden office here too.

It keeps going: turning the corner reveals the ensuite bathroom, with a double vanity, backlit mirrors and a soaker tub with a luscious garden view.

And the walk-in closet is equipped with its own accessory island.

A quick detour outside reveals this patio, accessible from the main suite. It wraps around the entirety of the house and flows into the backyard.

Back inside, there’s this room, specifically designed as a play space.

The vacuum glass elevator uses air suction to go up and down—safer and more energy efficient than traditional lifts.

Now the basement, where future residents will likely spend most of their time hosting and hanging out. Note the gigantic fishbowl wine cellar.

The mirrored built-in bar, of course.

Movie nights in the theatre mean a fully insulated sound system, seven reclining chairs and that classic cinema lighting.

The gym, with a mirror wall and a sound system.

Here’s the basement steam room. Those built-in benches are a nice touch.

Another gas fireplace flanks the sliding-door walkout to the backyard.

That black-bottom pool goes 10-feet deep and comes with a limestone surface and attached hot tub, all of it surrounded by trees and manicured gardens.

Lastly, behind the evergreens, sits the regulation tennis court, which was recently resurfaced.

Have a home that’s about to hit the market? Send your property to: realestate@torontolife.com.