Condo Love

There is much criticism about "towers" and "these multi-storied" buildings ruining the city landscape.  But we have to build up, good or bad. The fact is, that owning "dirt" is becoming a toy only for the rich. The average young persons of average means, haven't much hope of house ownership without being saddled by huge, lengthy mortgages. If the latter folks find affordable house property, it's usually far from their work location. Living rurally means dealing with high costs of fares, tolls and fuel, not to mention the daily frustrations of traffic. One  of the fair price solutions for urban dwellers, whether cities like it or not, is ownership of condos or townhouses. Hundreds, nay thousands of home dwellers, when they become empty-nesters, opt to sell their investment in a city house, and search for a condominium. It appears that young families are also finding, in the cities, townhouses or apartments with small yards, to be good family living spaces. Close by, are schools, day-care, parks and cultural events. The days of planting an oak tree in the front yard of your house and hanging up a swing for your great grandchildren, are over. In the first place, city taxes defy long-term ownership for the seniors who started out modestly, and slowly saw the value of their "savings" drizzle away, while their property values soared. To cash-in on their years of patience, they sell out and buy a condo. Condo living has its obvious disadvantages: rules and "close encounters",  but the advantages far outweigh the challenging aspects. Moving into something beautiful and more compact - and some units are very compact -makes life much easier.  Many folks I know, who have unloaded their life's flotsam and jetsam, find a whole new world to consider. In their spanking new, small, easy-keep home, they have time to enjoy themselves in a fresh style. Finally, there is time to socialize, relax, explore and discover. It can push one into learning new skills, pursuing the hobby you've always wanted to do and at leisure, to see your family at yours, and not their convenience. Unlike the days when you hosted the gang at the "big" house, now, you can go stay with them and eat their meals and enjoy their kids for a change. Where I live, I also see condo couples finally catching up. Anew, they have time for romantic outings and travels and mostly, each other.