The Suite Life

Once baby makes three, many new families explore moving to a larger space. The dream used to be a house in the suburbs, an idyllic landscape filled with lawnmowers, lemonade stands, cul-de-sacs and a million neighbours to borrow an egg from.

What if you choose to stay in your small but cozy condo space? What kind of community can be fostered when everyone is literally on top of each other?

As a condo dweller, I’m please to tell you that despite the lack of driveways and doghouses, living in a building with many families under one giant roof promotes an even greater sense of community.

Every floor of the building becomes its own avenue. After dinner, doors are propped open and the adults share a beverage and a laugh, while the small army of kids have a hallway play date, weaving in and out of different units.

The old saying of “it takes a village to raise a child” is perfectly illustrated with condo living. When a family welcomes a new baby, we quietly drop off casseroles on their doorstep. Parenting advice and tips are eagerly shared. Children without siblings have a chance to make fast friends with neighbours to prepare them for the inevitable social onslaught of kindergarten. Once school does start, neighbours take turns with school drop-off and pick-up.

You never have to jump in the car if you’re out of milk or sugar or diapers – help is just a two-step-out-the-door knock away.

At Halloween you don’t even need to put shoes on if you want to take the kids trick-or-treating. The weather is a non-factor as you escort them floor by floor, door to door and watch their bags fill with candy. (The condo with the hot toddies should be your first and last stop.) And come Christmas, festively festooned front doors replace hours of treacherous outdoor light hanging.

There aren’t any picket fences and Frisbee tosses, but everyone can troop down to the local park with their badminton set and portable barbecues for a summer evening surrounded by nature.

Not everyone who lives in a condo is a peach. You learn who isn’t into small talk, or who hasn’t forgiven your kid for running down the halls like a mini elephant one too many times after dinner. You respect their privacy and only knock on their door if the building is on fire.

To be fair, as an introverted person who works full time, I’m not always in the mood to pause and chat outside the elevator. My To Do List clangs in my ears – I have dinner to make or bath time to prepare or laundry to sort.

However, the time I do spend with my neighbours is time spent that I never regret. After years of watching our children grow, sharing triumphs, working through low points, and supporting each other on a daily basis, my neighbours aren’t just neighbours anymore. I’m proud to call them friends.

Written by Brooke Takhar, a local mom to a wonderful six year old.