I have owned a condo here since January 2014. This is a nice place to live. The location is superb. The number 3 bus stop running north towards downtown is across the street and the one going south is on the same block. The number 3 bus is great and it comes frequently even outside of rush hour times. It takes about 20 minutes to get downtown from this bus. If you want to walk to the train, it takes only 10 minutes. There is a grocery store 5 minutes drive away (Save On Foods) or you can walk to the Shoppers Drug Mart down the street in less than 10 minutes if you just have a few things to pick up. There's lots of dining choices within a 10 minute walk, a liquor store, fast food options and anything else you need very close to the condo buildings.
Heritage Park and the Glenmore Reservoir are literally down the street. If you like riding a bicycle, there are lots of trails to explore including around the reservoir. I bike to work sometimes and it takes about 35 minutes to get downtown on almost all paths/trails.
There are some downsides to this development. The actual condo buildings are old, built in 1961, so they aren't up to current standards for sound proofing, obviously, but it's not terrible. There is also only shared laundry facilities. The plumbing is aged and unable to withstand the water pressure and other requirements of in-suite laundry, so there is just one washer and one dryer for each of the three buildings to share. Each building has 12 units. I haven't had an issue finding time outside of weekends to use the machines. There is also only outdoor stall parking. Newer buildings built today have underground, heated parking which is much, much better. Our parking lot gets a lot of snow in the winter and the ice when it starts to melt is slick.
As for positives for the actual units, they are quite roomy. Almost 900 square feet of living space which includes two spacious bedrooms and a bathroom per unit. My master can easily fit a king sized bed, full wardrobe and a computer desk. The shared walls only include the bathroom and kitchen walls, so the bedrooms are quite quiet. All the units also have a pretty big storage room accessible either from inside the unit or from a door in the hallway. There are a couple rentals in my building, but for the most part, the people living in my building are friendly and respectful. The two times in 7 years I had to tell someone to turn down their music was well received.
Overall, I'm happy I purchased in these buildings. I mostly enjoy the spacious atmosphere and the location. The condo board is responsible and tries their best to keep the fees low. Our fees actually decreased by $60 one year and have only increased overall by $20 in 7 years. That's pretty good considering increases in insurance and the addition of city recycling and food compost.
The building changed it's name from Cherovan Apartments to Chinook Gardens. They got a facelift sometime before I moved in and they look nice from the outside and have a little green space in the middle with a picnic bench. read more