The Cortes on King | 6 fl | Complete

[BuildingScout]

I see many people in my building doing likewise, so to say "balconies are rarely used" seems awfully inaccurate, or perhaps just your experience.

To the contrary, I like balconies myself though not on noisy streets. However i don't let my preferences get on the way of the data. From the Globe and Mail:

“Most people don’t use the balconies, but they insist on having them,” he says. “People fantasize about what their lifestyle will be in a condo, but the reality is they come home, they turn on the TV and eat dinner, and they don’t go out there.”

Condo balconies are probably the most visible fantasy objects on the urban landscape, and often the homeliest. The standard minimum is a shallow concrete platform, just big enough for a couple of chairs and a bicycle. But even a small balcony costs money to build, usually drains heat from the interior space and may set its owner up for expensive repair or replacement in the future. Multiply those costs over thousands of units, and balcony love looks like an expensive and mostly pleasureless affair.