A mysterious building, right off Kiwanis and 41st Street, towers over OGHS at seven stories in height. Vista Towers, built in 2004, is the largest residential high-rise tower in Sioux Falls, featuring an elegant Lobby with a cozy seating area, two luxurious elevators, a club room and an underground heated garage with assigned parking spaces. Not having a yard and eating, sleeping and drinking almost 100 feet in the air may seem odd to the average person, but to Elsa Friesen, these are events of her average day.
Living in any house, there are pros and cons.
“Living in a penthouse is certainly special and has many upsides- a heated garage, gorgeous view, and a trash chute, just to name a few. However, it’s really hard to not have easy access to the outdoors,” said Friesen. “My friends have beautiful yards, and I have a few square feet of a cement balcony. It’s perfect for enjoying a sunset view, but I miss walking directly out to grass and trees.”
There are many misconceptions regarding penthouse living. People believe there is a lack of privacy, too many loud noises and the possibility of limited access in the event of an elevator breaking down. In reality, most of these stigmas are either false or have an easy solution. Every house in this tower has its own private stairwell that the occupant can use in times of emergency or if they simply want to get their steps in. Along with privacy concerns, the houses on each floor come with tinted windows, leaving the occupants with a wonderful view and bypassers with no clear view of the interior of these homes. In addition to the misconceptions regarding penthouse-style living is noise, which has no major impact on the residents due to the four feet of spacing between each house and the neighbors upstairs.
Moving over to the many different positive aspects of living in a penthouse is the formation of friendly bonds and the feeling of comfort and security that comes with it.
“The most surprising thing about living in a penthouse is… the security surveillance installed [throughout] the building,” said Friesen. “It makes for a much safer community, but it’s something not everybody would think is present in the building.”
Furthermore, residing in the Vista Towers penthouses means that the chance of a robbery is lower due to the distance between its occupants and the main entrance and underground garage requiring a code.
“I really love the community that has been built with the people in my building. I’m the youngest by far, and everyone is so supportive of me,” said Friesen. “I also feel incredibly safe in my building knowing the security measures that are taken. I wouldn’t be as comfortable staying by myself in a house as I do on the 7th floor.”
Penthouse living is one of many unique choices of housing. Having many pros and cons, growing up in one has certainly given Friesen something to think of when she is on the search for her own home in adulthood.
“I think my experiences here will definitely impact what I look for in my own housing choices in the future because of these reasons,” said Friesen.
