Aug. 02, 2017 | Andrea Cox

Affordable core

Joshua Smith achieved his ideal downtown lifestyle at the right price point with a new Beltline condo

Joshua Smith, a 31-year-old communications adviser, was living in the northeast community of Taradale with his brother, commuting close to two hours a day to his job in the downtown core and back. His goal was to save some money and purchase a condo in the inner city. He yearned for the downtown lifestyle, where he could be close to coffee shops, restaurants and workout facilities. He wanted to be able to walk to work, and to meet friends for dinner or drinks without having to worry about a lengthy drive or an expensive cab fare. He also required a home with a great view, and it had to be affordable.

He found what he was looking for at Smith, a condo development just off of 17th Avenue S.W. in historic Connaught, within the inner-city Beltline neighbourhood. Smith offers a park-side location, shared terraces with barbecue areas, shared entertainment spaces, a 24-hour concierge service, a bike share and a tool-share program. He moved into his new home on Jan. 3 and hasn't looked back since.

CREB®Now: Why did you choose to buy at the Smith?

Joshua Smith: There were a lot of reasons, but definitely location was a top factor. Since I've moved in, my car has rarely moved from its parking stall. Everything is so close. I can walk everywhere. It takes me 20 minutes to walk to work, door to door. And I am definitely going to be walking to work, even in the winter. Needless to say, I am excited to have ditched the 45-minute commute and the downtown parking costs.

My spin studio is on one end of 17th Avenue and my yoga studio is on the other end, so on any given day, it is just a matter of me choosing to go left or right. I can be at either one in 15 minutes.

Since I've moved in, my car has rarely moved from its parking stall. Everything is so close. I can walk everywhere. It takes me 20 minutes to walk to work, door to door.

I can come home from work, throw in a load of laundry, go to a spin class, come back and make dinner and then still have a few hours left in my day and I haven't had to drive for any of that, which is amazing.

Plus, all of my friends live in the inner-city. I am literally a phone call away from meeting a friend for a drink on a patio or going out for dinner. I'm not missing out because I have to commute.

You don't realize how convenient it is to live in the heart of everything until you are there.

CREB®Now: How did you find out about Smith?

Joshua Smith: I hired a REALTOR® and was scouting for both new build and resale properties. We were looking at a resale property in the Drake and I wanted to put in an offer. But my realtor suggested that before I did, I take a look at the sister property, Smith, which at the time was under construction. So we checked out Smith and looked at the one-bedroom and it was great. Anything that I would have wanted to change with a home at the Drake was already tweaked in Smith. I love to cook and the fact that Smith has a gas cooktop was huge for me. It's open-concept, so I can have people over, and for 500 square feet, it is really well designed – it looks and feels big. Plus, it has another 100 square feet outside on the patio. It's like another room, and the views are amazing. Plus, curb appeal is really important to me, so a new build really worked.

CREB®Now: Can you chat about Smith's amenities?

Joshua Smith: The tool-sharing program is amazing. How many buildings have gyms and pools and saunas that never get used? In my opinion, those amenities are not a priority. But when I bring a piece of furniture home and realize I don't have the one specific tool that I need to put it together, and then I start to call one of my friends to see if they have it, and then I stop and realize that we have a tool-sharing program, that's great. I feel that it is something that every building needs to have.

Tagged: 17th Avenue | Beltline | Buyer Profile | Calgary | Condos | connaught | Downtown | Joshua Smith | REALTOR | Smith | Taradale