I think it's okay to be classist. That's the reason I wouldn't want to live in the NE. Wouldn't dream of raising my kids there, either.
I'm the only Calgarian I know that has lived in all four quadrants (each for numerous years; not like six months or something). Was raised in Temple until moving to the NW in grade 6. That was in 1987. My mom saw the writing on the wall almost 30 years ago about the NE and she was bang on. Wanted us to move to the NW so we'd be more likely to attend University. Well, everyone of my friends I grew up with in the NW went on to post secondary. A couple of my friends from NE did; most just got jobs after high school and that was that.
Why wouldn't you want to shoot for a higher-class quadrant? People in higher classes generally have better lifestyles than people in lower classes. The NE is lower on the socio-economic class scale. It may sound lame to say that, but a fact is a fact.
With a budget of $350K, you can find plenty anywhere in the city. Settle for less house and more neighbourhood. You'll have a better life and a way better investment.
As for the best quadrants, NW is fine, SW is fine and SE is fine (not Forest Lawn and stuff - most of the lake communities are in the South and there are a lot of reasonably priced homes in the McKenzie area and even further south). I think you'd be nuts to buy in the NE given every other quadrant is better and a better investment.
And on the investment point - we sold our house in Temple for $140k and bought in Dalhousie for $105k ('87). The Dalhousie place was worth about 50% more than the Temple place when I last looked a couple years ago. The Temple house was way nicer at the time, but holy crap the street looks like garbage now compared to the Dalhousie street. Whoever said location location location is bang on.
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