were nervous about being up so high, Chia agrees with Andrews: they do eventually get used to it. Pros and cons of high-rise life Pros: Views. More daylight, depending on your aspect. Shared facilities such as gardens, pools, gymnasiums, barbecue areas. Low-maintenance. Potential for a ready-made community. Cons: Can be a trek between your apartment and car if you forget something. Can be impersonal. Levies can be expensive. Living close to a large number of other people. Potential lack of privacy. It's worth hanging on to this view from the top When corporate lawyer Chris Chapman, 61, says there are 237 fire stairs in his Manly building, he should know: he has climbed them a few times. ''The building was built in 1970 and it's a little under-serviced,'' he says of the 24-level block housing his two-bedroom, top-floor apartment with roof terrace. But the lift occasionally breaking down is one of the few complaints Chapman has about his bird's-eye position in one of Sydney's most loved beachside suburbs. Ten years ago, when he was looking to buy an apartment, he wanted to get as high in a building as possible. ''I wanted the best view because I think views maintain their capital value and appreciate more than places with no views,'' he says. For $450,000 he got what he was after. His apartment -- now worth about $1 million, he says, based on recent sales of similar top-floor units -- looks down on Manly Beach, Shelly Beach and up to