What's in a View?

I grew up in my parents' home, a comfortable 3 bedroom bungalow in the Kawarthas with a view of Chemong Lake, and I remained there until moving out at the tender age of 21. My first apartment was a basement rental in Kingston, Ontario, where I lived for about 6 months before being transferred to Toronto. My sister and I shared the top floor of a triplex overlooking Davenport Road for several years until she bought her own place and I rented a tiny condo at King & Bathurst. The bachelor unit was tucked into a corner on the 9th floor, and was the first time I had lived more than 30 feet above terra firma. From there I purchased and relocated to my first home, a second floor condominium with a pleasant view of the courtyard.

When it came time to purchase my current home, I spent a considerable amount of time weighing a list of factors including the suite's orientation and potential view before making a final decision. I don't think I realized just how much I would enjoy the view from up here on the 20th floor. I have always asked in the past, "Is a good view really that important? Does anyone actually spend time just sitting around staring out the window?" 

Well as it turns out, a good view is really important and as a matter of fact I do spend a lot of time staring out the window. Case in point:

I love it up here :)

Photo by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto