You are way ahead of yourself here, and only considering what is "pretty". That's the least important choice here in a 40K install. The technical is more important, and limits the pretty. What is your humidity control like? Even wide plank engineered will move around when there is too much swing in humidity. The wider it is, the more you get gapping in low humidity and cupping in high humidity. Is your substrate gypcrete, as it is in so many condos? That requires specialty installation, and wood is not the best option for that. Does your community require sound abatement? Many do, which is why carpet is the default covering. The noise and echo of hard surfaces doesn't' lend itself to multi family living. Deadening the sound of hard surfaces requires a specialty install. Are you a perfectionist when it comes to twice a day swiffering? Clear, lightly grained wood, with no knots, shows EVERYTHING. The first little scrape you get will kill your soul, because it will be so much more visible against the calm grain look. Grainier wood, like oak, tends to hide life, and wear and tear, a bit better. Rift and quartered oak can give you a calmer look that plain sawn oak, and disguise things better than a hard maple, or a much softer birch.

Hi! thank you for this! I should have clairfied but though it is considered a condo its a single family (no one below no one below)...sorry its a strange set up. Southern California also has low humidity

The super wide plank stuff has had it's day. What is actually trending in is the narrow plank material. 2" or less, if you can find a mill that offers it. It's an offshoot of the reeded look being everywhere. It can somewhat simulate that appearance in a floor surface. FYI, Low humidity can be worse than fluctuating humidity. Wood can crack from drying out too much.