I did not make the decision to move into a high-rise lightly. I was worried about all sorts of things: not being able to park just outside my door; not having an enclosed, exclusive backyard; the feeling like we would be living on top of each other; noise from neighbors; not having enough storage space; and the list went on.
Thankfully, I was purchasing from a friend who first let me rent for six months to ensure it worked for our family. The truth was, within a week we knew—condo life was for us.
Some quick details: our family is me and two small kiddos; our place is an efficient 1,300 square feet with one bedroom, a den we've treated like a second bedroom (with bunk beds) and a sunroom that has served as guest room for hundreds of friends using our place as a downtown basecamp. We have an en suite master bathroom and guest half-bathroom. In other words, our place is not big.
In preparing to write this column, I found myself repeatedly tempted to talk about all the great neighborhood amenities—like the Gallivan Center, the surprising amount of green space nearby, the grocery store within walking distance, etc. And I think that reveals something really important: we did not buy the condo for the condo itself, we bought the condo to be outside the condo—at Pioneer Park, at Abravanel Hall, at a Jazz game, getting breakfast at Eva's Bakery or eating dinner on the charming Blue Iguana patio.
We also ski a lot and love to road trip, camp and hike. A surprising bonus to living in a high-rise is that there is no yardwork or major house projects to consume your weekend. Living in a high-rise, we now spend more time in nature than we did when we had a home at the mouth of Parley's Canyon!
Some other pleasant surprises: my children are always within the sound of my voice—no need to yell—and that feels right. Also, there is something so nice about the economy of space. Nothing is ever too far or too buried. Minimal storage forces you to jettison the things that you will truly never use.
The parking issue resolved itself when we ditched the car (more on that in a future column). The noise issue is super manageable and we've come to really enjoy the hum of the city. We have several backyards (aka parks) and the fact that they aren't exclusive has helped prevent me from becoming the helicopter parent my kids don't need (more on that in the future as well).
In short, the condo is just the home base our active family needed. CW