$389,000

There are people who spend years searching for happiness. Others simply buy a condominium in LoDo. This particular specimen sits high above downtown Denver, where the mountains perform their ancient trick of looking both impossibly close and very far away. The views are panoramic, which is real estate language for "you'll spend an embarrassing amount of time staring out the window instead of doing whatever you were supposed to be doing." Inside are two bedrooms, a fully remodeled kitchen with granite countertops and new appliances, and enough natural light to remind you that the sun still exists. The atmosphere is modern, efficient, and pleasantly free of nonsense. A wood-burning fireplace waits patiently for winter to arrive, as it always does. The building itself is a small civilization. There is a concierge on duty around the clock, security, key-fob access, deeded parking, guest parking, and a storage unit for all the things you couldn't bear to throw away. Then come the amenities. We love amenities. We cannot help ourselves. There is a sauna, a steam room, racquetball courts, a 24-hour fitness center, tennis courts, basketball courts, pickleball courts, and even a running track for those who enjoy moving rapidly in circles. There is a community room with a kitchen, giant televisions, games, a pool table, and shuffleboard. There are outdoor grills and gazebos where neighbors gather on cool Denver evenings to cook meat and discuss the mysteries of parking. And then there is the location. One block from the 16th Street Mall. A short stroll to Larimer Square, Union Station, Coors Field, Ball Arena, restaurants, shops, bars, and all the other distractions civilization has thoughtfully assembled in one place. The car becomes optional. The fun does not. In short, this is downtown living at its finest: a comfortable perch above the city, with the mountains on the horizon and nearly everything worth doing right outside your door.