Lenko’s previous home was a two-storey townhouse. “I wasn’t functioning very well in my old house because of the outside stairs,” she recalls. “I had to do laundry mostly in the basement and when I shop for groceries I had to carry them up from the outside stairs—so it was not a convenient place anymore.”

Lenko found condo hunting a difficult task. It didn’t help that her agent could not understand what she was looking for. “At first she didn’t know what I was talking about because I would go into an apartment and look at the vents. I would see these vents and I would say, “No this isn’t for me,” and I don’t think she knew what I saw and didn’t like it.”

But Lenko credits her agent for being patient and helpful. “She helped me look for my place for five years. I have a lot of allergies, and I was concerned about the mould,” say Lenko. Fortunately for this retired librarian, she found the right mix in her Laurel Home condo. The vents are directly vented outside ensuring that her condo does not get contaminated with mould. An elevator from the indoor parking lot also provides easy access to her second-floor unit. 

Lenko has now been living in her Laurel Home condo for six-and-a-half years. The 120-unit condo has an interesting mix of people living there: from young people to business types to seniors. Like newer condominium developments, there are shared amenities in the Laurel Home such as an entertainment room, exercise room and the covered patio in the courtyard.

Aside from a mould-free environment, Lenko likes the layout of what she describes as a comfortable 1,000-plus-square-foot-home. “The first thing you see when you come in is the galley kitchen to your left and then the great room which comes with the dining area,” she says.

Another feature Lenko likes in her two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit is the large windows that let the sunshine in. “It’s a very sunny place. And since I face the courtyard, it’s pretty quiet as well,” she says.

Not one to waste space, Lenko has added shelves for pantry space in her utility closet. “I have my washer and dryer there. I used to have a freezer in it but it wasn’t being used to maximum capacity so I thought I could put it to better use,” she says. She has also transformed her smaller room into a sewing room.

So what is best about living in a condo? Lenko thinks the indoor parking and elevator are lifesavers, and she enjoys the convenience of being close to almost everywhere. “I could get to any part of the city in good time. I use Glenmore Trail and Crowchild Trail to see friends, go to my exercise program or my bridge games,” she says.
Lenko likes the idea of being surrounded by an established neighbourhood such as Lincoln Park, even though her apartment was brand new when she moved in. The view from her large balcony is of a well-maintained landscaped courtyard.

As for maintenance, a live-in manager looks after the tradespeople and a cleaner comes in twice a week. “It’s quiet,” she says, of Laurel Home, adding the one thing
she would want to change is to get to know her neighbours better. CL