Having lived in a condo before, the Sedmans knew exactly what they wanted when they bought into the Pontefino. “We like the convenience and I wanted to get into the inner city,” says Sedman.

Built on the former parking lot of the Calgary General Hospital, the six-storey concrete building has 93 apartment condos and two levels of parking. “It’s a new condo, with about 70 families living in it. There are different kinds of layout. Ours is a very open two-bedroom, (that has) two full washrooms with a den. Others have two-storey condos,” he says.

The prime location and high-end quality of the Pontefino were the main factors for the Sedmans move to Bridgeland in September 2006. “My wife works in the oilpatch and can walk to her downtown office. I can walk to Starbucks from the corner of my building. Almost everything I need I can walk to,” he says.

Although there are no shared amenities, there’s a courtyard located at the back Location and other city conveniences more than make up for amenities.  And the proximity of services extends to the streets. “We’re close to a lot of dining; our side has more pedestrian activity with super wide streets,” says Sedman.

The Bridgeland area is not only close to downtown and Eau Claire and many urban and entertainment attractions, it is also home to excellent bike paths and pedestrian walkways. “I love it. I do a lot of cycling and I’m right on the bike path. Plus we’re close to the river and were right across from Murdoch Park,” says Sedman.

Sedman, who manages the Bridgeland-Riverside community centre and does a lot of volunteer work, says he’s happy with their 1,400-square-foot condo. “It’s a nice unit. We have a lot of woodwork, granite and slate, plus a lot of brown, rust and black colours.”

Sedman describes their condo as “living in a building without being in a building,” referring to the views he sees from every room in the condo.  “It’s very open. We have a lot of glass and panoramic views. We face the park and the downtown skyscape. We also overlook the Saddledome.”

Sedman says the interiors plus the views sold them on the condo lifestyle. “You look right through to the den and the den has two French doors. The windows look right over the park. There’s a fireplace that goes between the den and the bedroom and again I have the same view of the park below me. I can see Memorial (Drive) from my bedroom, while I have a view of the downtown area from the second bedroom. Literally every room has a window that overlooks something,” he says.

The open concept combination of the great room and kitchen works well for the Sedmans.  “It’s a very dynamic condo. The kitchen looks large with ten feet of counters. Behind that you have the fridge and stove with 14 feet of cupboards.”

One of reasons the Sedmans do a lot of home cooking may be the views lending inspiration. “When you stand in the kitchen it overlooks the windows with views of the park and downtown,” says Sedman, adding that his wife helped design the cherry wood cabinets in their kitchen, as well.

And as if that were not enough, Sedman suddenly remembers that their condo has two decks, one facing the downtown area and the other one the park. “They’re about ten feet long and five feet wide,” he says of the size.

Asked what he likes best about condo living, Sedman admits, “I guess the view is the biggest thing. We can see the Rockies,” he says. CL