Cliff House

This building reminds me of B.C., as its dark cedar siding and trellis fencing sit on an evergreen-treed lot and face across the quiet dead end of 24th Avenue to a park, and the treed escarpment up to Mount Royal is just to the west, thus the name reference to a cliff. Cliff House was planned as a condominium when built in 1978, so it was never a rental.

Don't let the modest exterior fool you, as inside are 20 two-bedroom suites, six of them being two-storey suites with south-facing roof-top decks of about 150 square feet each in addition to their balconies (except for one suite without that). Adding to the rustic feel are the wood-burning fireplaces, yet suites are modern enough to have in-suite laundries. There are only two suites in the 700-square-foot range, with most well over 800.

The building is frame construction with assigned outdoor parking, although half the stalls are tucked under the back of the building. There are three storeys at the front, but four at the back, allowing for the six roof decks facing south. The building has a locker room and--surprisingly--an elevator. The corporation opted out of common responsibility for exterior windows and doors, so repairs and replacements of those are at the expense of individual homeowners. I have the Condo Plan on file.