When I read the exciting recent news that Toronto was ranked the fourth most livable city in the world by The Economist magazine, I got to thinking about just what makes this city so special. Of course, there are many aspects of Toronto that are wonderful – and diversity is one of them. Multiculturalism is alive and thriving here, which is evident from the fabulous cultural festivals and artistic displays that celebrate people’s origins. We have a smorgasbord of ethnic restaurants offering cuisine from all parts of the world. I think you could eat at a different restaurant almost every night of the year and not run out of interesting spots.

At any given time, there are 180 dialects spoken in Toronto, and our city if looked on as a friendly place for newcomers. In fact, in 2010, we had 250,000 new immigrants choose Canada as their home, and more than half of those settled in the Greater Toronto Area. Many of these new residents are used to apartment-style living, so their entry into homeownership is often through condominiums, which usually offer more attainable first-time buyer prices than low-rise homes.

It is so exciting to have such diverse neighbours in condos. Residents meet and mingle with so many interesting people who may be from different backgrounds, but who all appreciate the condominium lifestyle. And let’s face it – in Toronto, we have raised condominium living to a fine art. Our buildings are situated in convenient locations close to amenities, and they contain superb amenities.

Condominiums are like microcosms of Toronto, where we revere all cultures. The beautiful thing is that we are unified by being Canadian.