Such was the case, anyway, for Paul, who bought his two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom unit in 2005. Coming from a single-family home and a dissolved marriage, Paul was looking for something modestly sized, convenient and all his own. “[My company] did the structural engineering on it,” he says of his selection process. “I knew it was coming up, and I thought it would be a great project and a great location, so that’s why I [bought] it.”

Chalk it up to Paul’s engineering experience or familiarity with the project, but he selected one of the most engaging areas of the complex in which to live. His loft is accessed through a private courtyard where front “porches” are outlined in pavers outside each unit’s front door. Traditional corridor access appears elsewhere in The Plaza Lofts, but Paul’s home declares itself different from the get-go.

Following through, however, is as important as making the positive first impression, and Paul’s home does not disappoint. Walk through his front door, past the stairwell and into the common area with the kitchen, living room and dining room, and you’ll meet with that enviable floor-to-ceiling glass that, here anyway, captures views of Pinnacle Peak and the McDowell Mountains. “It’s bright,” Paul says of his loft. “It’s airy. I always have to have a view, and I loved the view of the mountains up north.”

Paul also loved the upgraded finishes and features he selected, like the espresso-stained cabinetry with stainless hardware, Polar Blue Ice granite, light wood floors and custom, contemporary lighting from stores like Thingz in North Scottsdale. But it’s his back patio that truly makes the loft feel like home. Outfitted with a fire pit, a barbecue and a spa, the only thing missing is turf, something few single men (or empty-nesters or part-time residents) want to deal with anyway. “Having the barbecue and the back patio is definitely a plus because very few units have that,” explains Lexie Carlson, marketing director and sales executive for Sandra Wilken Luxury Properties. “So it definitely has a lot more of the amenities that people are looking for in a condo without having sacrificed space.”

At 1,920 square feet, the loft does in fact afford enough room for a single occupant, but it’s the airiness more than the dimensions that make it feel so expansive. In the living room, for example, the 11-foot ceiling suddenly shoots up to 23 feet by the window, thanks to the second story’s abbreviated stretch. (It doesn’t quite reach the back wall.) Upstairs, that space is the master bedroom and sitting room, which feels like a loft within a loft, thanks to the view outside and the balcony over the living room. From the bedroom, a corridor wraps around the master bathroom, overlooks the hallway below and meanders toward the office that Paul converted into a workout room.