COOL VIRAL VIDEO. Idea is to want to come home here
Jeani Read
Province
the dining area shows off trendy wide-plank hardwood flooring; high quality materials such as this granite countertop and designer stainless sink are standard
the living room offers cozy comfort, something the owners will want to come home to. Photograph by : Jason Payne, The Province
quality materials such as this granite countertop and designer stainless sink are standard. Photograph by : Jason Payne, The Province
compact work station has both style and utility. Photograph by : Jason Payne, The Province
Donovan is Cressey’s latest development in Yaletown, and you can tell Tracy Chong, Cressey development manager, is really proud of it. Yes, it is her job to be proud, but Chong clearly has a fondness for Donovan and for Yaletown that goes beyond the call of duty.
This is one of those cool, super-marketed projects that goes so far as to feature a five-chapter mini Internet lifestyle movie called a “viral video’ that people can pass along.
Storyline? Cute girl breaks up with boyfriend, goes to the big city where gay friend lives in cool Donovan apartment, parties are held, wine is drunk, romantic confusion ensues in attractive square footage — how not to feel affection for something that smartypants?
“Donovan is a sexy project,” says Chong. “And Yaletown has it all. You don’t need to go anywhere else. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. There’s Urban Fare, Choices, the seawall — everything. For me, it’s the best part of downtown.”
With Donovan they’re trying to sell a lifestyle, says Chong, and for once, all of Yaletown’s charms aside, they’re trying to sell the idea of staying home as well as going out.
“The intention is to be warm, comfortable and intimate,” says Chong. “We all work so hard that our home should be our haven.”
With hi-tech geothermal heating and air conditioning that is energy efficient and eco-friendly, Donovan also goes high-end with appliances — Miele — and finishes, including gorgeous wide-plank hardwood flooring in all the living areas and many of the bedrooms. Bedrooms feature huge headboard built-ins for storage, and one upgrade is to a platform bed with more storage underneath. The bathrooms feature dramatic square rain-shower showerheads, drop-in tubs and custom sinks that are of a piece with the counters.
The amenities area, too, is part and parcel of what they wanted, in terms of lifestyle and of home being a haven, says Chong. There’s a fireplace lounge, a full kitchen, pool table, TV and 3,000 square feet of fitness space, complete with steam room, sauna, yoga space, spa — “It’s almost like living at a hotel,” says Chong.
Financial management student and Bank of Montreal customer-service rep Darveen Sidhu says she’s looking forward to using those amenities when she gets home to Donovan at night, from her busy life. She and her dad picked Donovan as being a good spot for her at a good moment.
When Donovan’s completed and it’s time to move in, it will also be time for 20-year-old Sidhu to transfer from B.C. Institute of Technology, where she is studying now, to the University of B.C.
Location was prime in her mind when it came to finding her first place on her own. From Surrey, where she lives with her family, UBC is “quite the commute: three hours,” she says. “When I’m at UBC, Yaletown will be best for me.”
Sidhu says she liked what she saw right away at Donovan’s show home. “I’d heard so many good things about Cressey, and I loved the layout, the finishings, the dark-chocolate colour scheme — it was perfect for me,” she says. “It’s a one-bedroom, and for me being just a student it was very attractive. I was sold. I’m so fortunate to be able to get a nice place.”
Yaletown is also a draw for her. “It’s the most happening place in Vanccouver, especially for younger people in their 20s and 30s. And there are lots of celebrity sightings.”
And although she hadn’t yet seen the viral video on donovanlife.com, her courses in marketing have made her totally appreciate the company’s strategy. “I like the marketing scheme. I like the way it attracts a certain generation.”
Which would be young professionals and soon-to-be young professionals, that is. Just like Sidhu.
QUICK FACTS
DONOVAN
What: 142 condos in an 18-storey tower plus 10 townhouses in downtown Vancouver
Where: Yaletown
Developer: Cressey
Sizes: Apartment homes, town homes, penthouses from 573 sq. ft. to 1,777 sq. ft.
Prices: $395,900 to $2.1 million
Open: By appointment daily, 1295 Seymour, between noon and 5 p.m. (except Fridays)
Contact: Register at www.donovanlife.com or call 604-696-9030
© The Vancouver Province 2007