no_such_reality, in your view, what is the downside of living in condos/townhouses?

My elderly relatives are living in SFRs but don’t need all the space and should move to condos to avoid the maintenance. I think it’s more fun for the elderly to live in an urban setting rather then being stuck in a boring mcmansion out in the burbs. It’s fine if you have family and kids. But what would an old person do all alone in an SFR? It might be nice for some relatives and friends to all live in a downtown building. That way they can be close to each other but still have privacy.