If you feel a sense of community is lacking where you currently live, then maybe moving to the Brickworks development in Cardiff city centre is worth considering.
There's no excuse for the new residents of the city's most distinctive looking apartment block not to get to know each other; the complex has a cool communal party terrace for their exclusive use.
With incredible views of the city one way and Penarth Marina and Cardiff Bay the other way, it's arguably the perfect place to relax, practise your yoga, have a party or even polish up your table tennis skills.
Hopefully not too many ping pong balls will be flying off this sixth storey terrace down to Trade Street below.
For Portabella, the developers of Brickworks, the communal terrace was absolutely essential to the design of the building, creating sociable areas for residents to meet and mingle, with pockets of separate chill-out areas and spaces for communal activities.
Of the 100 one to three bed apartments that make up this unique development, only 11 remain for sale including the two new show apartments about to be launched.
And if the new owners of these remaining units decide to retire from the party on the communal terrace, both have their more private outdoor apartment patio with absorbing city views, even on a dull day.
Located on Trade Street, just south of Cardiff central train station and opposite the current site of Brains Brewery, the nine-storey new build complex is part of the initial transformation of this area called Central Quay .
With the brewery currently in the process of moving to Pacific Business Park in Tremorfa, the area from the city centre along Dumballs Road and down to the Bay is ear-marked for a completely new lease of life, including a hotel, parkland, residential and commercial units.
And Brickworks was the first apartment block to establish itself within this next phase of Cardiff's city and bay transformation.
For anyone visiting one of the residents who are already calling Trade Street their home, from the entrance foyer to each apartment's front door, Portabella aimed to create a complex that impresses and has its own personality.
Peter Reilly, director at the company, explains: "We have tried to create a contemporary and cool building including ideas for the communal areas, so a visitor to every floor will be met with a name that is a relevant pop culture reference.
"This theme we've also picked up in the communal area with The Beatles' lyrics that seem appropriate to the space, welcoming or saying goodbye to guests."
The exposed brickwork in the foyer has been adorned with lettering that directly references the site's past.
Peter says: "The site was originally a corporation yard where the council used to store their building materials and then latterly it became little coach house type office buildings."
And this was the inspiration for the core design, inside and out, of Brickworks.
"We wanted there to be a building of epic proportion that felt like it was the transformation of something old and disused and industrial, to create a building that looked like a warehouse and felt like a warehouse."
With this industrial interior design brief in mind, Brickworks has expanses of bare concrete, steel scaffolding handrails, polished concrete floors, and contemporary light fittings with exposed trunking and bulb filaments.
As well as the artwork, the foyer area is visually softened by velvet seating, stripped wood furniture and tactile fabrics and accessories, creating an appealing place to meet as well as greet guests.
The design thought process has created noticeable attention to detail and a commitment to the industrial look is evident even in the stairwells and in each corridor.
As well as each floor's individual name as the first thing that is seen when the lift doors open, the interesting journey through the building continues through angled corridors that create interest combined with the block panels of black announcing each apartment's front door area.
The finishing touches include feature hidden purple LED ceiling lighting and each flat has a funky contemporary light fitting above its copper leaf number.
But once inside the show apartments, the industrial urban chic interior design style is noticeably softened to create a luxurious apartment that is more reminiscent of a five-star hotel than a warehouse.
There are still references to the external and communal loft-style, but the brickwork is on wallpaper and the exposed metal is part of a stylish dining set, breakfast bar stools and light fittings.
Any wood featured within the design scheme is a warm honey tone rather than reminiscent of weathered scaffolding boards.
As with the decor in the main foyer, a mix of tactile fabrics and textures have ensured the high end feel of both new show apartments.
The kitchen in both homes have a concrete effect and include a variety of integrated and stainless steel appliances.
Peter says: ""The interior was done by our in-house interior designer Leanne Rudman who has been working on the overall aesthetic of Brickworks.
"We wanted it to feel quite urban industrial chic and cool. For example, the lobby has got polished concrete floors, exposed brick and industrial benches; very much that sort of industrial urban ascetic but modern.
"Inside we replicated that style but with a bit more softness, so in the show apartment you'll find concrete design wallpaper, but a real mix of soft fabrics and a lot of warm wood features."
The show apartments for sale are on the seventh and eight floors and both have three bedrooms and two bathrooms and a private terrace directly accessed from the open-plan living area.
Currently there are 11 units left for sale since the building was launched in September 2018.
Brickworks residents who are currently moving in are a variety of buyers including working professionals, older people down-sizing from the suburbs who want to be walking distance to the city centre, investors and a few small families.
There are even some Welsh owners who actually live outside Wales and want a 'bolt-hole' back in the homeland.
And anyone famous moving in to Brickworks? Peter declines to comment.
What he does reveal is that the new building also has four commercial units available to rent to create a street 'buzz' as well as provide facilities for the new residents.
Peter says: "What's interesting is that this street has probably not had much of an identity before and so we like the idea that Brickworks and the retailers can start to inform and transform the street scene.
"We are keen that they are occupied by perhaps little independent businesses and a variety of them. We like the idea of a little barber shop or a bakery or something like an organic food store."
Very handy if the party on the communal terrace runs out of drinks.
For further details about daily opening times of the show apartment once opened and the building go to brickworkscardiff.co.uk
