Apr 18, 2018 3 min read

The posting on the vacation home rental website looked too good to be true …which usually means it is. A high-rise, modern, luxury condo right in the heart of the Toronto entertainment district for the same price as a hotel. Two of us would make the short drive north of the border and pick up our third traveler at Toronto’s airport, then head downtown.

The first sign of trouble came when our friend’s flight from Newark was delayed, then canceled due to “severe bird damage.” Rather than make her wait eight hours there, the airline bused her to New York’s LaGuardia for a mid-afternoon flight. We opted to head downtown to check in, and after circling the location repeatedly and missing the giant number on the building, we finally found our digs. They were absolutely NOT too good to be true! The modern, spacious, beautiful condo on the 43rd floor had a view of the CN tower and the entire city below. We looked right down on the Air Canada Centre, where Maple Leafs fans would later gather outside to watch their first playoff game of the season on the big screen. However, this meant getting my car in and out of the garage was impossible. Plus, fighting the now miles-long snarl of rush-hour traffic we could see on the highway below would prevent us from picking up our friend at the airport. We broke the news she had to take the train, but it would whisk her right to the main station below us. We met her there and couldn’t wait to show her what we had discovered.

Our condo owner was a foreign businessman who’s only in town three months per year. The 50 floors of condo owners and apartment renters pay a pretty penny for this luxury, with a one-bedroom starting at $500,000 and rentals starting at $2,000 per month. What do you get for that price? Amazing view, perfect location near everything you want to do, pool/hot tub, gym. Oh, did I mention the gourmet supermarket in the basement? Or the four-star restaurant, sports bar and maze of underground shopping connected by tunnels so that you never have to even step out into the elements? We didn’t even want to leave the condo or the complex, but we knew there was an entire awesome city to explore.

Three days of terrific sightseeing, delicious food and one wonderful concert later, we had to leave for home. Freezing rain canceled all flights in and around Ontario that day, so we dropped our friend at the rental car pickup in Buffalo, where she departed for New Jersey. As we headed back to our suburban homes, we wondered what it would be like to live that big-city life full time. Everything you need is right there – but you’ll need a truckload of money and plenty of patience!

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.