cityplace condos

Toronto neighbours have been having the cutest conversations through their condo windows

Some might fairly argue that large metropolises will always lack the sense of community that smaller towns have, but residents of one part of Toronto are managing to show how neighbourly they can be, even while living amid thousands of faceless units in cookie-cutter highrises.

CityPlace could be considered one of the parts of downtown with the least amount of personality given its densely packed, austere newness.

But, a few of those dwelling in the area started an adorable trend over the course of the pandemic, sending one another messages through giant homemade signs.

Stefanie Schopen, who posted a video showing some of the conversation in the CityPlace Toronto Facebook group this week, says that it all started during lockdown.

She herself put a giant heart made of post-it notes in her window when she moved in last spring, and was hoping to see people in other buildings put their own up too.

But she was even more thrilled with what they chose to do instead: send their own little responses.

As seen in the clip, one tenant in a building across the way spelled out "LIFE IS GOOD" along their glass-panelled balcony.

Facing them on another angle, someone else wrote a similarly large "YES IT IS" with green paper in their condo window, while still another a few floors above asked in giant pink letters, "HOW R U?"

Back in the other building, another response from another unit: "OK, U?"

The comments on the footage show that those who hadn't yet had the pleasure of seeing the chat unfold thought it was a great idea, with multiple people writing "love this" and one saying "this is so cute of our neighbourhood."

Another says that she had a similar interaction with a neighbour when lockdown first started, though he appears to have since moved away.

"It was cute, uplifting and encouraged me to up my post-it note game... it was so fun while it lasted. I think it's awesome several of you are doing it, keep it going!"

Though Schopen doesn't know identities of the other participants, she hopes that they see the Facebook post and manage to connect beyond their window chats.

"I've only been here a year — I wonder if they did the pots and pans thing during the original lockdown too," she says. "It's so adorable, for real! Such a community feeling."

Lead photo by

Stefanie Schopen


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