There’s a huge demand for condominium suites in Toronto, and condo developers have responded by offering hundreds of buildings to choose from. This also means there is a lot of competition — so developers are going all out to create lifestyle packages packed with appeal. State-of-the-art amenities are a big part of what makes condo living so desirable, and today’s landscape and interior designers take these elements seriously when determining the building’s features. Rather than being relegated to token add-ons, amenities from courtyard landscaping to cyber lounges and pools are being designed to be used for their intended purposes.
As a condo owner, you reap the benefits, as these amenities expand your living space in a way that few detached homes can. Starting from the exterior, today’s condominiums are characterized by natural spaces that can take the form of green roofs, landscaped courtyards, terraces with greenery and barbecue facilities, so nature is always close at hand.
Indoor amenities have advanced tremendously, and today’s condominiums include leading edge surroundings and equipment. Take pools, for example. This popular item is no longer relegated to a dark basement area. Some condominiums include an outdoor pool with a cabana area for lounging in the sun. Others boast fabulously designed indoor pools that may be crosscurrent, lap or simply huge. Most have an adjacent whirlpool, and you’ll find more condos these days offering spas and steam rooms as well.
Another amenity that has come into the light in recent years is the fitness room. Today’s bright, attractive condominium fitness facilities rival even topnotch commercial gyms, with step machines, treadmills, bikes, free weights, balls, and even aerobics and yoga areas, with TV viewing while you work out. Party rooms are usually enhanced with sitting areas and big-screen TVs, designer-decorated bars with trendy ceiling and lighting details and often a fireplace. Theatre screening rooms have up-to-date equipment and proper theatre seating that create a similar comfortable setting to commercial movie theatres. Cyber lounges, guest suites — the list of amenities you’ll find in varying combinations is long and impressive.
The bottom line is that when you sign on the dotted line to purchase a condo, you buy into much more than the square footage of your chosen suite. All the amenities that come along with the building are part of your home, and offer you access to professional landscaping, décor and equipment that you may not otherwise enjoy in your day-to-day life. And isn’t quality of life what condo living is all about?
Linda Mitchell is Vice-President of Marketing, High-Rise for Monarch Corporation. In 2005, Linda was presented with the coveted OHBA SAMMY (Sales and Marketing Member of the Year) award. In 2003, she received the Riley Brethour Award acknowledging outstanding and consistent professional achievement in residential sales and marketing.
