Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyB
Edit: To add my Calgary experience
I grew up in Hawkwood. I loved it. When I was growing up, the pond that is now part of a retirement/nursing home was just a public pond and beyond that was the countryside. I spent my childhood with my brother and my best friend playing in that pond and in little forests as well as in the construction sites of new houses being developed. I felt so free and had so much fun in my childhood. We spent summers riding bikes, catching frogs and salamanders, setting fires, shooting slingshots and just generally having fun and exploring.
The neighbourhood seemed to go through a rough period, but I was back in Calgary for the first time in a long time this summer and spent time with my bro and best friend in our childhood stomping grounds (even hanging out drunkenly under the crab apple tree in my childhood backyard well after midnight) and I thought it seemed like the neighbourhood had come back around to having more young families and feeling like a positive place to be.
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Thanks for the nostalgia trip! Pretty much my memories of growing up in Hawkwood too. Can't believe they sold off that pond land and let it get fenced in later on, even though I was in high school at that time I was sad to see that happen, knowing that lots of kids wouldn't get the same experiences you and I had there. At least the sledding hill remains open.
As for my current neighbourhood of Sunnyside:
Pros:
-Close proximity to downtown
-Great sense of community, you know your neighbours
-Kensington entertainment/shopping district
-Proximity to Eau Claire/Chinatown areas
-Sunnyside LRT station right in the community
-Prince's Island Park
-Riley Park
-Bow river pathway system at your doorstep pretty much
-Great mix of renters, owners, singles, couples, families, seniors
-Great mix of housing (single family, townhouse, small apartment, new mid-rise buildings)
-At least 3 or 4 of us CP'ers live there
Cons:
-Generally more expensive (but there are some deals out there)
-Property taxes are high
-If you are looking for larger homes there are fewer to choose from
-Hipsters (although some may put this in the "pro" column)
-Sometimes it floods
Overall my wife and I are incredibly happy to be here, and have no plans to ever leave the community if we can work it that way.