Building Condos And Communities

A condo project in New York is making efforts to create community by offering activites and services that bring residents together -- "where residents in anything from pajamas to pinstripes can enjoy a taste of camaraderie with their free (yes, free) daily breakfast, Starbucks coffee included."

"The boom in condos loaded with amenities, along with the construction of some high-end rental buildings, has created opportunities for neighbors to make the transition from polite elevator nods to cocktail-caliber mingling. Of 19 properties in the city with units being marketed and sold by Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group since fall 2005, all have community amenities like gyms, lounges and roof decks."

"These and more novel spaces - cinemas, wet bars, squash courts, outdoor rain showers - are putting lounges with a lonely television set to shame, and they are fostering a clubby college-dormitory atmosphere in several developments. Some residents said they can't help but hobnob, especially if they want to take advantage of what they paid for."