They Had Options. They Chose This.
Why Rodrigo and Mary (and Ozzy) Call 1100 Afton Home
Rodrigo and Mary didn’t end up at 1100 Afton by default. They chose it deliberately, with clear eyes, knowing exactly what they were giving up, and exactly what they were gaining.
“Having a house, you get a garage, a gigantic basement,” Rodrigo says, with the easy confidence of someone who has genuinely thought this through. “That’s not something I want. Having spaces here that aren’t mine but I can use, because they’re community spaces, that’s nice.” That distinction matters. Because for a growing number of people, renting isn’t a consolation prize. It’s a lifestyle decision.
A Different Way of Thinking About Home
Rodrigo and Mary are young professionals with full lives, flexible careers, and a shared love of travel. When it came time to choose where to live in Sarnia, the question wasn’t just what can we afford? It was what kind of life do we want?
The answer pointed squarely toward 1100 Afton. “It’s a lot of work owning a house,” Mary says. “Here, you can have the barbecue, you can have a gym, you can have storage, a place for bikes, an EV charger, and you don’t actually have to take care of all that stuff yourself.”
A full-size washer and dryer in-suite. Central air conditioning. A modern, open-concept kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless appliances. All of it brand new. All of it just there, ready to use, without a maintenance call, a weekend project, or a second thought.
“It sells itself,” Rodrigo says, laughing. “When you say it’s a new building, new appliances, new spaces, that’s something that fits our style.”
The Accidental Sales Pitch
One Saturday afternoon, Rodrigo stepped outside to find a woman standing in front of the building, trying to reach the leasing office. It was closed. She turned to him and started asking questions: Is it good? How do you feel living here? He didn’t have to think very hard. “I started to mention how I like the way the kitchen is open to the living area, the island, all the great things in the spaces outside,” he says. “She said, ‘Okay, I think I’ll come back Monday.’“ He pauses, clearly pleased with himself. “It sells itself.”
That unsolicited endorsement from a resident who moved in just weeks earlier says something real about what 1100 Afton is. You don’t have to convince people. You just describe it honestly.
Built for People Who Actually Use Their Home
One of the things Rodrigo and Mary discovered quickly is how much more of their home they actually use now. The on-site fitness studio means Rodrigo can be on the treadmill by 6 a.m., a luxury in a Sarnia summer when the heat index climbs before most people are out of bed. The outdoor courtyard with its barbecue area is already high on the list for when Mary’s parents come to visit, there will be no shortage of use for it. The building even has a dedicated guest suite available to residents, meaning family can come to stay without anyone sleeping on a pull-out.
And then there’s the pickleball court, which Rodrigo and Mary had never played before moving in. They tried it on a whim. “We saw the rackets and the balls at the store and thought, let’s try it,” Rodrigo says, grinning. “It’s super fun.”
Ozzy, their adorable fur-baby, has taken to the building with the same easy confidence as his owners. The dog run is a daily stop, a dedicated space where he can stretch out and do his thing, morning and night. After a brief settling-in period surrounded by moving boxes, he now navigates the building like he’s lived here his whole life: he knows exactly which door is his, knows the route to the courtyard, and has made the whole place his own.
Freedom to Leave, Confidence to Go
For Rodrigo and Mary, one of the quietest but most meaningful benefits of life at 1100 Afton is what happens when they’re not there. “We love to travel,” Rodrigo says. “So we know it’s going to be safe, there are always neighbours, there’s always someone in the office. That security piece was important to us.”
No house to worry about. No lawn to neglect. No pipes to check. Just lock the door, leave, and come back to exactly what you left. For a couple who wants their home to support their lifestyle, not the other way around, that freedom is worth more than square footage.
A Community Worth Coming Home To
Ask Rodrigo and Mary what surprised them most about 1100 Afton, and they both circle back to the same thing: the feel of the place.
“It’s more modern,” Mary says. “Modern spaces, amenities that go beyond just the apartment. Having space for Ozzy, the gym, the barbecue outside, it’s not just an apartment. It’s a community.”
That’s the idea at the heart of 1100 Afton. Ninety suites, one community, and a building designed to give residents more of what they actually want from the way they live without asking them to compromise on the things that make life good.
Rodrigo and Mary had options. They chose this. And haven't looked back since.
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Rodrigo and Mary are resident at 1100 Afton in Sarnia, Ontario.