Anyone in Calgary?

[photomama]

My husband informed me yesterday his firm wants him to relocate to Calgary.

I would love some locals perspective on living in Calgary, weather, cost of living compared to Toronto, best areas you name it??

Thanks

Dawn

 

[roscoepc1]

I haven't lived in Calgary, but have done extended visits with family there. The housing market is insane right now....houses being bought as soon as the sign goes up, bidding wars, etc...

I find the C-train easier to use and better laid out than the Go system in T.O.

Calgary, as a city, is more "laid back" in atmosphere...not quite as multi-cultural....more "country".

Personally, I would rather live in Calgary than T.O. any day, but a lot of that is personal living style.

 

[disneyvacationmom]

My son has recently moved to Calgary--it's a beautiful city--friendly people--the city is so easy to navigate--on a grid system. It is expensive to live there--my son rents and the prices are atrocious. I know there are popple from Calgary on the boards--they were very helpful to me when my son was moving--they gave me lots of information on the city. Good luck with the move.

 

[endy]

Weather - today is going to be 32 c. Tomorrow - rain. Winter can be really cold for a week or two, then a chinook blows in and everything starts to melt.
Traffic - sucks at most times. It's good early Sunday morning.
It is easy to find places, all addresses are NW, SW, etc.
It's only 5 hours south to reach Great Falls, Whitefish and Kalispeil, Montana.
Since I can't live in San Diego I'll stay here until I win the lottery.

 

[calgarygary]

Calgary's traffic is not comparable to the area you are in particularly if you or your husband have to commute into Toronto. Cost of living is getting closer to what you are used to but I still find it cheaper here.

One of the great ideas that Calgary developers have had are lake communities like the one we live in. They build a man made lake, fence around it so that only members of the community and their guests can use it, provide a beach area, stock it with fish, provide non motorized boats like canoes, row and paddle boats. In winter there is a toboggan hill, skating, fire pit, etc. Several of these lake communities exist within the city. The western side of the city is the most desireable but you can find nice areas to live throughout Calgary.

I know many places say if you don't like the weather just wait but Calgary is a great example of it. I moved out here in 1985 with Tim Horton's and was house hunting Labour Day and woke up to snow! I thought what the h--- have I got myself into. Since we have been here, snow has occurred every month (yes July and August) of the year - just not all in the same year. Don't let that frighten you about the weather though - as it can change on a dime. There is however virtually no humidity and sleeping at night in the summer is seldom an issue.

One of the great differences you would find is that although Calgarians aren't quite like East Coasters, they are much closer to it than folks in Ontario. In other words, they understand that they work to live, not live to work. I have however noticed changes in that perception over the years as more and more people move here.

Geographically, the best part of Calgary is it's proximity to the mountains - from the west end of the city, 45 minutes to an hour later and you can be losing yourself in Banff or Kananaskis, add an hour or two and the whole mountain park system becomes available to you.

 

[drag n' fly]

I haven't lived in Calgary, but have done extended visits with family there. The housing market is insane right now....houses being bought as soon as the sign goes up, bidding wars, etc...

I find the C-train easier to use and better laid out than the Go system in T.O.

Calgary, as a city, is more "laid back" in atmosphere...not quite as multi-cultural....more "country".

Personally, I would rather live in Calgary than T.O. any day, but a lot of that is personal living style.

Just to clarify a few things. The housing market is not insane. That insanity died down a long time ago, well over a year ago. Right now the market has stabilized. You can get a 3 bedroom 1700sq ft house with attached garage for approx 420,000. Prices have come down quite a bit. It is a buyers market right now tons to choose from. Calgary is no Toronto but we also are not a bunch of gopher shooting white breads either. It is a wonderful melting pot of cultures and you will find all kinds on your street no matter where you choose to live.
Op we have fairly effective public transit here. Commuting is a nightmare and I don't recommend it if you can get away with it. It is normally quite nice in summers and cold in the winters. Cold snaps can last 2 weeks and then a chinook blows in and melts everything. I was born here and raised here and you are very lucky to have to chance to be here. Close to the mountains, lakes etc. If you need specific information ask away

 

[roscoepc1]

"You can get a 3 bedroom 1700sq ft house with attached garage for approx 420,000."

Sorry, but in my book, that's insane. No where NEAR a buyer's market! Yes, T.O. is worse, but still....and in my Aunt and Uncle's neighbourhood (which I'm not going to disclose for privacy's sake...not me I'm mentioning, kwim?), things are still selling like crazy...their house isn't even for sale, and they've had lots of people just walk up to them and ask to buy it!

Everything I said was a compliment. Sorry if you took it otherwise. I LOVE Calgary.

 

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

Just to clarify a few things. The housing market is not insane. That insanity died down a long time ago, well over a year ago. Right now the market has stabilized. You can get a 3 bedroom 1700sq ft house with attached garage for approx 420,000. Prices have come down quite a bit. It is a buyers market right now tons to choose from. Calgary is no Toronto but we also are not a bunch of gopher shooting white breads either. It is a wonderful melting pot of cultures and you will find all kinds on your street no matter where you choose to live.
Op we have fairly effective public transit here. Commuting is a nightmare and I don't recommend it if you can get away with it. It is normally quite nice in summers and cold in the winters. Cold snaps can last 2 weeks and then a chinook blows in and melts everything. I was born here and raised here and you are very lucky to have to chance to be here. Close to the mountains, lakes etc. If you need specific information ask away

I am in total agreement to you! I was born here and raised here for most of my life! Calgary is a wealth of cultures and you are correct, there are all sorts on every street and in every community. I have lived in every quadrant of the city though and will always prefer the NW communities for the views they give of the mountains. OP you are lucky to get the chance to see what our city offers you! sometimes you just don't know how good it is here until you leave. I moved to bc for 10 years and couldn't wait to get back here! Good luck in your decisions, if you need more info ask away!

 

[drag n' fly]

"You can get a 3 bedroom 1700sq ft house with attached garage for approx 420,000."

Sorry, but in my book, that's insane. No where NEAR a buyer's market! Yes, T.O. is worse, but still....and in my Aunt and Uncle's neighbourhood (which I'm not going to disclose for privacy's sake...not me I'm mentioning, kwim?), things are still selling like crazy...their house isn't even for sale, and they've had lots of people just walk up to them and ask to buy it!

Everything I said was a compliment. Sorry if you took it otherwise. I LOVE Calgary.

That is the reality of living here. Well all the other neighbourhoods in Calgary with the exception of your aunt and uncles of course are flooded with houses right now. There is such a glut of them on the market you really can choose and pick your price at this point. You can probably bring down that 420 house to 399 now which is a steal here.

OP Even though our city population exceeds a million it is still a very easy and pleasureable city to live in and easy to get around. As for location west of Deerfoot is your best bet. You will not regret moving here

 

[calgarygary]

The OP is from Ajax so commuting in Calgary is a breeze vs. what the OP has to face if his/her commute is into Toronto. Calgary does not compare to the area the OP is from as far as cultural diversity but it is changing as more people move here. The housing market throughout the city has stabilized and the average selling price has dropped the last few months despite spring CMHC estimates to the contrary. There are multiple listings for every buyer at the moment. The OP should be able to save substantially over what the same house would have cost this time last year. I would even consider negotiating rates with realtors and other services as the market is very soft compared to its peak of last year. Currently, the C train system only serves a small portion of Calgary - the south (a centrally located line), the north east and the north west, although there are plans to hopefully develop a western line along bow trail. Unfortunately, to the OP our lakes in the area are not much more than ponds. However, some of their settings are fantastic!

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think the OP should explore the advantages of living in one of Calgary's lake communities - it really is a great life style.

 

[drag n' fly]

It would be helpful if the OP could indicate what type of house they are looking for, what area of the city they will be employed in, whether you want a commute or use transit. Mabey we can be of some help then.

 

[Ham Ham]

Traffic has no where near the volume. Colleagues who've been out there say it is so much easier to move around Calgary than Toronto and the GTA.

Not sure how efficient their transit is? Hopefully a local Diser can chyme in.

Like many boom cities depending where you live schools may be crowded with portables and the needs of the community for recreations centres and other services may be under a strain.

Housing prices are a little less than T.O.

 

[photomama]

op is that me

My husband's company is on the SE side of the city. He said about 20 minutes outside of the city.

We will be looking for a 3br home in the burbs. We paid $400 here in Ajax 2600 sq ft. home; so hopefully Calgary will be close to that.. From what I have read, everyone says the west side is the best, obviously because of the mountain views. But, any great burb cities on the east?

We will be going to Calgary to check out everything before he accepts BUT I really appreciate the help and information given.

Thanks

Dawn

 

[drag n' fly]

Mackenzie and Douglasdale are really nice SE communities. This link will make it much easier to see what is happening in the market right now and what is available. Their really is no comparing Toronto to Calgary so I have no comment there

http://www.mls.ca/map.aspx?AreaID=6266

 

[calgarygary]

op is that me

My husband's company is on the SE side of the city. He said about 20 minutes outside of the city.

We will be looking for a 3br home in the burbs. We paid $400 here in Ajax 2600 sq ft. home; so hopefully Calgary will be close to that.. From what I have read, everyone says the west side is the best, obviously because of the mountain views. But, any great burb cities on the east?

We will be going to Calgary to check out everything before he accepts BUT I really appreciate the help and information given.

Thanks

Dawn

Dawn as you may have noticed, I have a real preference for the lake communities in the city so I would pick Lake Mackenzie over Douglasdale. However there are many choices available to you - places like Cranston, Lake Chapparal, Auburn Lake are all newer communities just to name a few. Something you may want to consider, if you don't already have it, is to download Google Earth. That will allow you to view your husband's workplace and nearby communities to assist you in your search. If you have proximity to Deerfoot Trail (Hwy 2) you will have easy access to major shopping centres and ability to move around the city. Believe me, I left Burlington back in 1985 and the traffic here in Calgary is yet to get to anything like I experienced back then, much less what the greater T.O. must be like today. Don't get to caught up in our comments about the west side of the city being preferential, if your husband works in the east then I would definitely be looking at some of the south east communities.

 

[gwak4]

The NW and SW are my preference for communities, but only because of work locations. If I worked in the SE, I would NEVER live N/SW because access to the SE is terrible!!! There are some very, nice new communities in the SE if your husband's work will be located there. Depending on the actual location of his new job, you might also consider the bedroom community of Okotoks.

 

[gwak4]

Aaaack!!! Double post!!!

I do agree with calgarygary, that the lake communities are a very nice perk for homeowners (although you will pay a mandatory yearly fee).

 

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

you can also check out the communities the others are talking about at this link http://www.calgaryarea.com they have all the info for all communities in calgary by quadrant, and community. hope it helps

 

[HappieMommie]

I lived in Calgary since middle school and left when I went away to University. We lived in a not-so-nice area when we transplanted from Winnipeg in the '90's. Granted, I was always fine and safe.

After graduation from Uni I got married and we moved back to Calgary. It was lovely. We had our first baby in Calgary. I would avoid the North East quadrant. I am not familiar with all areas, but for the most part, I wouldn't want to live there. We lived in the South, and it was great. Even now in the far south, there are awesome new communities being built, like Chapparel and New Brighton.

I personally would recommend Lake Sundance (Sun Valley?). I worked in that area for awhile and it has a beautiful lake with NHL players houses backing onto it. If that makes any difference. The houses are not brand spanking new, but are a little older with larger lots. And I find the quality of home built a little before the Oil Boom Housing Marking explosion are of slightly better quality, as it wasn't a huge rush job to complete them. Just my opinion, though.

The quality of life here is incredible. You really pay for what you get. There are tons of awesome activities for any age group, great sports teams, great post secondary institutions, and plenty of jobs for any industry, not just oil. There's a TON of cultural events and of course, the Stampede. Yee-haw!

My husband worked for a large toy company that moved to Mississauga, and we opted to stay here, despite a huge raise and a great promotion. I just couldn't see myself living in "Ontario speed". Westerners definately "work to live"...not the other way around, for the most part.

All in all, Calgary is great. I wouldn't hesitate to move back...we just moved futher north in the province. Go OILERS!

 

[Shelebeen]

The air is pretty different here as well... Very dry, that you will notice immediately. Also we apparently have WAY LESS smog. One of my students families was told to relocated from Ontario because of his asthma problems.. now instead of having big attacks weekly, his dad said he has had them maybe once every 3 months....

We like the North end of the city.. no mountain views here or lake community (where I live), but it is close to Deerfoot, the University and either heading up north to our cabin on a lake or out West towards the mountains...

The housing market has slowed a lot in Calgary.. the house behind us has been on the market for at least 6 weeks - the past it would have gone within a week at most. Our friends have a place near Southcentre that has been on the market since April....