Highrise living - do you love it or hate it?

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by 2liveinthepenthouse

25 floors qualifies as a highrise.

Well, as a former "mid-rise" dweller (with doorman/concierge), I loved it.

[ATLTJL]

I was really attracted to the idea of highrise living because I love high places and the views. There's nothing more relaxing to me than sitting on a really high balcony and looking off into the distance. I could have afforded one of those "shoebox in the sky" condos they built in the mid-2000s (well, theoretically, if the association fees went way up or the taxes did, it would have gotten harder).

Ultimately, I ended up deciding on a single family home instead. Even though the idea of highrise living is still very romantic to me, I think I would have had a hard time with the following:

1) My girlfriend moved in with me shortly after I bought the house. That's fine, but she also brought all of her stuff. I floored my entire attic to use for storage, and we're still low on storage space. I can't imagine what it would be like in a condo. That kind of living is only for people who are exceptionally good at minimizing, which has never really been one of my strong points.

2) As soon as I got into a house, I got something I have wanted forever: a dog. I wanted a medium 40 pound dog or so, but I also wanted a rescue dog. The puppy I fell in love with at the humane society grew into an almost 70 pound monster. She only has to go out 2 or 3 times a day, but she would take as much space in an elevator as 2 or 3 people. She's a real sweetheart, but she has a bit of the "pitbull look," so I'd probably be constantly reassuring people who were scared of her in the elevator. She also barks at me sometimes for no reason, and that would fill me with guilt in a shared wall situation because I'm sure it would annoy my neighbors.

3) Parking in a garage is too sweet. It doesn't matter how many groceries I have, all I have to do is walk a few steps to the car. If I have to make several trips, it's no big deal. Going back and forth to a car in a parking deck situation is a major inconvenience.

4) I like to stay up late. I don't like to wake up early. I can stomp around my house all night long if I want to without worrying about bothering people below me. Similarly, I can sleep in without worrying about people waking me up from upstairs. Noise is probably the biggest argument against multifamily housing. Even with that 8 inches of concrete between floors or whatever, it's all BS. I have never been in a building where you can't hear the person above you, particulary if it's a woman who wears heels.

I think highrise living is awesome, but it definitely has to fit your lifestyle. If I find myself a single 50 year old some day and I want to minimize possessions from my life and maybe travel a lot, highrise living will make a lot of sense! I certainly won't miss yard work or the constant maintenance of a house, that's for sure. Though I will say once you've had an awesome slobbering energetic 70 pound dog, it's hard to ever imagine your life without one.

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Condo lifestyle has many advantages when comparing to a SFH but it also has disadvantages. Space definitely cost more in condos.

My wife and I have looked at many buildings and they are all so different. For example we thought the Sovereign looked so unique and different, but when we toured it we were not impressed at all. The Sovereign lacked the quality of finishes you would expect in a three million dollar condo. We felt they put in the cheapest of high end items(example: in the kitchen they had one Wolf Wall Oven, Wolf Warming Drawer, Wolf Microwave, Wolf 36" Cooktop, Sub-Zero 36" Refrigerator, Sub-Zero Ice Maker, & Sub-Zero 24" Wine Cooler; now that is a nice kitchen but not in Atlanta for three million. They have been selling way under the advertised pricing. The HOA fees were also ridiculous when compared to the St. Regis & Mansion. Then there is the Mansion which was really nice but the St. Regis was by far the best.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Originally Posted by John C. Anderson

I live in a high rise in Silvis, IL and I hate it dearly.

Most of the people are fat, lazy, stupid, ignorant and the ones closest to being decent are crazy.

I'm fitter than a music store full of fiddles and they hate me for that.

They are evil beyond comprehension.

I recently ran up and down 700 flights of stairs in about an hour and a half to celebrate my 70th birthday and I didn't hear one comment from those lazy jealous bastards.




John C. Anderson

You sound bitter. How would you know they hate you or that they are crazy. Maybe you are projecting your own insecurities on other people, regarding how you feel about your health.

[JC84]

Originally Posted by John C. Anderson

I live in a high rise in Silvis, IL and I hate it dearly.

Most of the people are fat, lazy, stupid, ignorant and the ones closest to being decent are crazy.

I'm fitter than a music store full of fiddles and they hate me for that.

They are evil beyond comprehension.

I recently ran up and down 700 flights of stairs in about an hour and a half to celebrate my 70th birthday and I didn't hear one comment from those lazy jealous bastards.




John C. Anderson

What, do you want them to give you a cake or something for running up and down the stairs? Say, you don't happen to be a crossfitter do you?

[atler8]

Silvis, Il. population 7,500, in the Illinois section of the Illinois/Iowa Quad Cities metro has high rise living?

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by atler8

Silvis, Il. population 7,500, in the Illinois section of the Illinois/Iowa Quad Cities metro has high rise living?

I noticed that too. Looked it up. Tallest building might be 3 stories high!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

I noticed that too. Looked it up. Tallest building might be 3 stories high!

Get out the butterfly net.

I just moved from a 17th floor condo. The two best things about were the views of Midtown and Downtown and Buckhead (especially at night) and the security. We could just lock the door and leave for a month.
Next stop: Seattle. We're shooting for a SFH this time; I miss having a garden.

[Wayr2go]

Lived on 22nd floor of a 50 something story brand new building for a while and never had any issues whatsoever. Pets weren't allowed in the building and the elevators never broke or had any dirt etc. The only minus was I couldn't afford the rent in that building on my own so had to live with room mates. I prefer newer construction and appliances and more often than not its the apartments that offer that as opposed to standalone houses. I don't care all that much about the rest.

[M3Guy]

I live in a highrise. I like it. As with anything, there are pros and cons.

I can see Kennesaw mountain, Stone mountain, Buckhead and Atlantic Station.
You won't be knocking on my door unless I know you, or you're the concierge.
Great, covered parking where I live.
Super safe (really nice zip code as well).
Helps me keep my belongings to a minimum.
It is actually kinda peaceful when you live high up and have a balcony. Especially in a corner unit.

I live 4 floors down from the very top of the building, so I don't really have to deal with much noise, plumbing problems, or nearby construction workers looking in my windows. It's peaceful. Almost like I am in my own little world.

But those pesky elevators! Especially when one is down. But hey, I have taken the stairs before and believe me, it is great exercise.