This rental has access to a bowling alley and a pet spa

Dear reader,

Not everyone needs a house. Today, about 40 per cent of Torontonians live in apartments. I happen to be one of them, and I like it just fine. We apartment dwellers—an oft-overlooked class—will soon become the majority. Sure, owning a big backyard might be nice, but do you really need one when your building is surrounded by parks and the rooftop patio is just an elevator ride away?

That’s the ethos behind Curb Appeal’s top post this week, an apartment in a purpose-built 39-storey rental tower steps from Yonge and Eglinton. The unit sizes here are modest (from roughly 350 to 900 square feet), but consider the amenities: a lobby café and bar, a shared workspace, a pet spa, an arcade, a bowling alley, a gym worthy of a pro sports team, and a virtual health care clinic—which, combined, really put that postage stamp–size Toronto backyard to shame.

Also in today’s newsletter: a $5.4-million faux fairy tale château in Mississauga and a high-tech stucco mansion one street over. Visit torontolife.com for all our real estate coverage.

Here’s a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment on the fifth floor of the Parker—a new 39-storey rental tower on leafy Redpath Avenue, in midtown. Wi-Fi is included in the rent, as is access to a buffet of shared amenities including a bowling alley. And it’s currently on the market for $4,275 a month.

What home in the burbs would be complete without a turret, lion-head fountains, a massage room, a virtual driving range, a jumbo wine cellar, a sauna, a fire pit and a whopping 13 parking spots?

This 3,000-square-foot Mineola house is currently going for $4 million. It comes with six bathrooms, high-tech security, a sparkling blue pool and a basement that feels like a hotel.

In the latest issue: an optimist’s guide to surviving every doomsday scenario imaginable. Plus, obsessed with Barbie (and other weird collections), a harrowing memoir about postpartum psychosis, the best places to eat in the burbs, and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.