Bookworm buyer

Brooke Barrett found the right home for her lifestyle, beside her "own private little library," in Marda Loop

After renting a small condo in a boutique building in Bankview for six years, Brooke Barrett was ready to take the plunge into homeownership. As a lawyer, she works long hours and wanted to find a maintenance-free home, close to a bevy of walkable amenities, including a library. Staying in the inner-city was also top of mind. She checked out townhomes and condos in Kensington and West Hillhurst, and considered the East Village, but in the end, she decided to make Marda Loop home, purchasing a new condo in the heart of the action on 33rd Avenue.

CREB®Now: What is it that attracted you to the condo lifestyle?

Brooke Barrett: I'm single and I am a busy professional. I don't actually want a large space that I have to worry about the upkeep. I'm very much into doing fun things on the weekends, not cleaning my own house. So I am happy to pay a condo fee for someone to shovel the sidewalks and do all of those things.

CREB®Now: Why did you choose to purchase in the Marda Loop area?

Brooke Barrett: I was already established in that quadrant and didn't want to make a huge lifestyle change. I am a hang out with friends, coffee drinking, library type of person. In fact, I love the library, so it was really important that my new home be within walking distance of a great library. And I really like the Alexander Calhoun Branch – it's like my own private little library.

I was also really drawn to Marda Loop because it is a hub. I'm really busy, so if I forget to meal plan and get home at 7 p.m. and there is nothing in the fridge, then I can just walk across the street and get groceries.

Everything you need is right there. When it came right down to it, I just really wanted to be where there were people and things to do. And all my friends are so excited that I am moving to Marda Loop – they have claimed the second bedroom. There are pubs that are walkable, so we can go out and not have to worry about driving.

CREB®Now: Can you describe your new home?

Brooke Barrett: I purchased a one-bedroom-plus-den condominium. I did originally put in an offer to purchase the two-bedroom, two-bathroom-plus-den plan. But then as I walked through it, I realized that I didn't really need that much space. The den is really big in the one-bedroom plan and it will have a cabinet bed in it that will serve as a second bedroom.

I love to cook, so I needed a large kitchen and I upgraded to a gas stove. In my new home, I actually have room to put a dining room table, unlike the place that I was renting, which was quite small. I'm already planning dinner parties. I actually wish that Christmas hadn't just happened because I want to do it again now that I have a table that can actually sit people and there is enough room for people to hang out.