The Apartment

From Toronto Condo

We have now lived in the new apartment for two weeks and we have been busy tweaking it. Unlike the last time around this one is fully furnished so no trips to Ikea so far. We have only had to make a couple of trips to Canadian Tire to flesh out the dishes and other kitchen needs. We also made a run to Future Shop (Canada’s version of Best Buy) for a flat screen TV, DVD, printer and phones. Earlier this week we got the last major piece of the puzzle which was a Lazy-Boy sofa/sleeper for the solarium/guest room. Nearly everything else we need came with the place.

The unit is about 1100 square feet, almost 50% larger than the NYC apartment for about 20% less $$$. I promise there will be no more algebra or story problems after this. The fourteen storey low rise building was built in the early 1980s but our space was totally gutted and reconfigured a couple of years ago. They took out a couple of walls to create a modern open concept. The kitchen has all high end appliances and the washrooms got all new fixtures to match. The floor plan is unusual in that it is sort of shaped like a W which gives it more interest and really makes it seem even more spacious. There are windows in every room giving us great views and lots of light. We are on the twelfth floor which not only gives us a view of Lake Ontario but we are also high enough to actually see across the lake on clear days. The building is situated just outside the areas of really tall skyscrapers which is a good thing. Our views aren’t blocked by taller buildings yet we get to see them, nearly 180 degrees. The best views are from the corner solarium with floor to ceiling windows on both sides.

This has been our third apartment since we got out of the house business. We had a year in the loft in downtown Kansas City which was too big. Then the year in Midtown Manhattan where the apartment was well located but way too small. This time I really feel that we got it right. We feel like we are home in this one.