| LIFESTYLE
“It was such a good deal,” Sheena says, a priority when living on a student’s budget. She was able to purchase a unit on the top floor for $380,000 when similar two-bedroom, two-bathroom condos in the 660-square-foot range were going for around $20,000 more at the time. Sheena said it was important to have two bedrooms to allow for a mortgage helper. “I didn’t want to be stressed out so I thought I’ll have a roommate,” she says. A friend from the UK, studying to become a pilot, occupies the second bedroom. He also has the extremely streamlined euro-style main bathroom all to himself. Sheena says the tiny bathroom, with wall-mounted sink and toilet is not the norm in Canada yet, but in her travels she has seen many similar space-saving water closets and says so has her roommate. Saving space in some areas, allows for wideopen spaces in the rest of the suite. Her spacious master bathroom comes with a full-size ensuite. The well-planned modern
kitchen feels wide open due to the bright white flat-paneled cabinetry and integrated kitchen and freezer. Rather than the standard island, The living area has a free-flow feel from the front door, through the kitchen and dining area to the open living room, which overlooks the north side of downtown. Whether she is cooking on her Fulgar Milano gas top range, working on her thesis at her dining room table or hanging out in the living room or patio, the view is the same — a panoramic of the city’s iconic Calgary Tower, the Bow building and multiple skyscrapers and river-front high-rises. Being just outside the heart of the downtown is also great when it comes to getting around. “It way closer to the university,” she says. “It is a 10–15 minute drive anywhere, a 10–15 minute walk to Bridgeland (C-Train) station and a 15-minute walk to downtown.” An underground parkade gives her a warm place to keep her car, when needed, she adds. A winter move-in means she hasn’t had a chance to get her bike on the downtown cycle track, but she says come spring she will be using the lanes to get around downtown. The tracks are made for inner city dwellers like her, she says, and she plans to put them to use. In the meantime there are places close to home to keep her occupied. “I’ve gone to Movement U for rowing,” she says. There is also Blush Lane, an organic grocery store, Sheena says is fairly ‘hipster’, but can overlook that because it has what she needs. Shiki Menya is a ramen restaurant only a few blocks away that only makes a certain number of soup bowls every day that is another favourite. This summer she envisions barbecues and book reading on the rooftop patio with a fireplace, which is only steps from her front door. There will also be working out in the building’s gym with her cousin, who has a place on the first floor. “The gym is not finished yet, but when it is we are hoping it will be just like a hotel — we will meet up in the lobby and go to the gym.” CL
Built on the slopes to the northeast and northwest quadrant, Bridgeland has views for miles into the downtown.
CO N D O L I V I N G M ARCH 2017
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