It's the season for giving and for getting together with friends and neighbours.

At a recent holiday gathering hosted by Edilcan, buyers from The Met and Encore at The Met put both at play, as purchasers brought their friends and mingled with future neighbours - and Edilcan donated $25 on behalf of every person present to Sick Kids Foundation. Guests admired a tree decked out in holiday sparkle, festive poinsettias and toasted their new home.

The 33-storey Encore tower (phase II) has already provided more than a little cheer to future residents, who have been impressed by its immediate access to the Yonge subway and close proximity to the Eaton Centre, Bloor Street, galleries, clubs, theatres and restaurants. Buyers can also watch as the neo-modern The Met tower (phase I) takes shape, with its shimmering glass façade.

The spectacular buildings include a range of amenities specially designed for residents to enjoy, with 24-hour concierge service, an indoor pool and whirlpool with a large sundeck, a steam room, an exercise amphitheatre, a sumptuous club lounge, a landscaped terrace for barbecuing, party and dining rooms complete with a catering kitchen, a theatre screening room, a pressroom with magazines and an Internet bar, and two guest suites. There is also a pet spa and a recreation concierge staff.

Suites at Encore at The Met range in size from 356 to 916 sq. ft. and are priced from just $138,990. An excellent selection of suites, including large penthouses, also remains in Phase I, with construction well underway and occupancy slated for 2007.

Features include Mike Niven-designed kitchens with Euro-style cabinetry, granite countertops (as per plan), stainless steel appliances and ceramic tile backsplashes. There is pre-finished engineered hardwood flooring in the foyer, kitchen, living room and dining room; and 40-oz. broadloom in the bedrooms and den. All suites are wired for high-speed Internet access.

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Since selling their car about eight months after they moved to Toronto, Chris Wood and Joanna Chatterton have hardly missed it.

"I thought it was going to be a difficult habit to break," says Wood, who moved with Chatterton from Bowmanville where a car was essential -- almost six years ago.

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They've recently reaffirmed their decision, purchasing a two-bedroom condo, without parking at The Met, a 43-storey tower going up on Carlton St., just east of Yonge St.

"A car is not in the cards for us," Wood says, citing proximity to the subway and streetcar line and the "punishing cost of running a cr in the city." On top of parking and insurance, "gas prices are pretty big news right now."

Wood figures the cost of a spot -- about $22,000 plus upkeep -- can be put to better use, such as buying a cottage in the future. He is not alone. Overall, purchasers at The Met were less interested than usual in buying parking, says G.P. Di Rocca, vice president of Edilcan, developer of the two-phased project.

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Barbecuing, that much cherished social tradition of Canadian summers, plays a significant role in the design of highrise condominiums.

"They call it the barbecue test. That's how it's affectionately known in the industry," says G.P. Di Rocco, vice-president of Edilcan Development Corp.

At issue are the shadows created by tall buildings, says Di Rocco.

"Is the height of your building going to upset people in the barbecue hour, during dinnertime in the summer when people want to enjoy your yards?" he asked.

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Michael Cole, a City of Toronto planner, downtown district, says the shadow impacts of Edilcan's towers were key factors in the community consultation and approvals process for The Met development.

"It was studied very closely. They animated shadow studies and were able to show residents the impacts and how the shadows tended to move relatively quickly across their properties," Cole says.

To reduce shadow impacts, Di Rocco says several design features were incorporated into the Met project: the towers were designed tall and thin, they are oval shaped and, are pushed as far apart as possible on the site.

"The idea behind the design is the buildings are quite narrow and skinny, so the shadows move quite quickly. If a building was very wide and long, then obviously the shadows would move a lot slower," Di Rocco says.

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