City Centre Condo Living with Young Kids

When we first had Little Monkey many asked us “So when will you guys move out of the condo?” and we scoffed and said we’ll take it one day at a time. Fast forward three and a half years plus the addition of Baby Boy, and we get asked that question more often than not. The truth of the situation is that we’re still loving our downtown city living lifestyle, yes even with two kids. I’m not ready to let go of the many perks I’ve come to take for granted and while the hubs and I may defer on exact when we THINK we’ll NEED to move into a house, we’re on the same page for now. Neither of us are looking to leave our current two bedroom condo and today I thought I’d share why we love living in a bustling city centre condo. Are we crazy? Perhaps.

The trick really is to find a well maintained older condo because their walls are better insulated (the hubs and I watch our Netflix late into the night and Little Monkey and Baby Boy sleep through it all) and because the condos are much larger than some of the new ones we’ve seen. Our building is flooded with young families but also has a mix of students, doctors and some retirees, so we really do have a good blend of it all. From birth until I turned 17 I lived in condos ( we called them apartments in Dubai and Bahrain) and my brother and I shared a room, so I don’t see why Little Monkey and Baby boy can’t do the same! 

So, why do I love living in a city centre condo?

• Access to year-round amenities. We get to play in the snow and then hop inside and dive into the pool or hot tub. The kids get to “play” basketball in the squash courts that also has a hoop. Oh and when I’m up for it, I get to run downstairs and sneak some bonding time with the machines at the gym. All this without leaving our building…which means a lot during the crazy winters we’ve had!
• Less responsibility. When it comes to mowing the lawns, shoveling the side walks or having to deal with power cuts (our building has a generator), we don’t have to worry about it because the building’s maintainance staff are on top of this. Our condo fees are reasonable and it covers EVERYTHING! We especially love our rooftop in the summertime!
• Embracing the city. We’re out experiencing festivals, dining at new restaurants and popping by cultural exhibits more often that those who live outside of the downtown core. All we have to do is grab our keys and stroller before heading out the door. Same goes for commuting to work, I’m just a 20 minute walk away which is so refreshing.
• Forces us to declutter. Our space is tiny and we’re forced to ‘spring clean’ every other month to ensure that we don’t go overboard with the toys and additional gear. We’re not minimalists but we have learned to donate clothes and toys on a more regular basis. Little Monkey now volunteers things on her own ” it’s time to give this to another baba (baby) who doesn’t have any toys”. I like that it’s teaching every member of our family to share the things we have.
• Closer bonds and respect. The kids are still young, but I noticed this growing up. Living in a smaller space forced us to always ‘hang’ together. As they grow older, there’s less space for them to lock themselves away at and I think this is a good thing. We’re in tune to each other’s moods and can easily tell if Little Monkey is upset versus finding her holed up sulking away in a room. Of course some days, it can be a bit much, but that’s when we go for a walk or hit up the gym.
• More in tune with the surroundings. Our kids can sniff out a playground like no suburb kid can! Little Monkey manages to point out hidden spots with slides and swings that has me wondering ‘how did you know that was here?’. She and Baby Boy are also good at amusing themselves with mini rocks and flowers when we’re out, so entertaining themselves comes easily.
• Exposed to more. We don’t hide the bums or the dying neighbour. The kids see it all and are taught to accept everyone. Mind you, Little Monkey will still point and ask questions but at least we can have a quick conversation about it. These people are our community and the ones we say hello to each morning and on our weekend strolls.

I’m not saying that everything is hunky-dory in a condo. I don’t have full access to the cooling/heating system which leaves our place at boiling temperatures in the winter (yes you read that right) and we have to abide by special rules like no booze or glassware on the rooftop. Don’t even get me started on the fake fire alarms or tests! However, at the end of it all, the pros outweigh the cons for us. I cannot imagine not being able to wake up and decide on a whim to hit up a restaurant, walk to the movies or pop by the art gallery. Everything is so much more accessible for us living downtown and given the choice, I opt for the condo lifestyle versus a housing community (which is near impossible to afford in this city). They may have to sacrifice their own backyard but they have all the city parks at their disposal and it forces us to get out, even after a hard day at work. Luckily for us, there’s plenty of ‘crazy’ families like us and so we have friends for the kids to play with on a regular basis! At the end of the day, living in a downtown condo is EASY for us. We’re not ready to ‘grow up’ just yet!

Would you opt to raise kids in a downtown condo?