Living in Airdrie

[Oliwa]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I always considered Airdrie a suburb of Calgary. It's not really that far out that it even seems like a separate town. I laugh at that top prospects Ty Rattie video where he says he was born in Calgary but grew up in Airdrie, like its some small town in the middle of nowhere.

I agree with the part that it is just a suburb of Calgary. Im pretty sure most Airdronians would agree. But why wouldent Ty say he grew up in Airdrie? he is loved here. We see him in the our newspaper all the time. He is the local hockey hero. For him to say he grew up in Calgary would be a smack in the face to Airdrie.

[Locke]

I know enough people from Airdrie, the crap that I hate is this:

"Hey, you want to grab some beers?"

'Awesome, come on over.'

"Nope, I'm not driving to Airdrie."

'Well, I drive to Calgary 5 days a week, on the weekend I want to stay at home, come on, we'll go to Boston Pizza, actually....we'll go to Mr. Mike's because the Boston Pizza is always full.'

"Still nope. I can throw a rock from my place and hit a Boston Pizza, and so what, you drive to Calgary 5 days a week because you work here, not my fault you decided to move to Airdrie. Thanks, I'll hang out with people who live 5 minutes away instead of driving 40 minutes to Airdrie and another 40 back, I just dont like you that much."

If you want to move out there with your wife and kids so that you never have to see your friends again, thats great. Airdrie is like a black hole, once they're up there, they're gone.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Oliwa

I agree with the part that it is just a suburb of Calgary. Im pretty sure most Airdronians would agree. But why wouldent Ty say he grew up in Airdrie? he is loved here. We see him in the our newspaper all the time. He is the local hockey hero. For him to say he grew up in Calgary would be a smack in the face to Airdrie.

It's just the way he describes it, if you didn't know the area you would figure he lived way out in the boonies.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

Yeah a newer community does have all the ammenities but right now we live in an older community with a single corner store. If we want anything we have to go out and get it.
We are also looking at communities in Calgary like Panorama, Evanston, Harvest Hills etc. so it is not like we are just focusing on Airdrie. That is just the biggest change for us so I wanted opinions on Airdrie.

What about Aspen and its surrounding communities? It's newer, maybe more expensive, but there's everything you could ask for there. Easy access to Stoney, easy access to downtown, 17th Ave, and the LRT, easy access to shopping centres.

If I was buying right now that's the first place I would look.

Come on, Locke, there are Original Joes and Brewsters now, too!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Red

It's because in the big city you have small yards, cookie cutter houses, narrow streets etc.

Living in Luxtone is like country living.

Really? My friend must have gotten the wrong house in Luxtone then because an adult human can barely walk between the houses.

[jayswin]

It's weird when people describe Airdire as a way to get that small town feel, and not be part of the big city. The houses and lots there, look as squished and cookie cutter as any commnity in Calgary. The only difference is in Airdrie you don't have 4 other cookie cutter communities bordering yours. But to me, that is set back by the fact that you have to commute to Calgary to do anything fun.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

Yeah a newer community does have all the ammenities but right now we live in an older community with a single corner store. If we want anything we have to go out and get it.
We are also looking at communities in Calgary like Panorama, Evanston, Harvest Hills etc. so it is not like we are just focusing on Airdrie. That is just the biggest change for us so I wanted opinions on Airdrie.

As long as it's not that.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Locke

Really? My friend must have gotten the wrong house in Luxtone then because an adult human can barely walk between the houses.

I take it that both of our sarcasm meters are off today....

Funny this is that Luxtone has much bigger yards that the neighbourhood just south of them. The one by the skate park. Those are tiny.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by flameswin

It's weird when people describe Airdrie as a way to get that small town feel, and not be part of the big city. The houses and lots there, look as squished and cookie cutter as any community in Calgary. The only difference is in Airdrie you don't have 4 other cookie cutter communities bordering yours. But to me, that is set back by the fact that you have to commute to Calgary to do anything fun.

Funny you should mention that. My daughter thought we were in Cranston and going to see one of her aunts when in fact we were in SE Airdrie. If even a 2-1/2 year old can be aware of just how similar it all looks...grey brown beige cookie cutter suburbia.

Locke, we were going to one of those "once a year" birthday parties there too. Your description of someone living in Calgary never visiting friends in Airdrie definitely rings true in my experience. Heck, I think I saw him more when he lived in Cold Lake for two years!

[Table 5]

Airdrie seems like the worst of both worlds. You don't get any small town charm or country feel, yet you still have to drive a crapload to get anywhere worth going. If you want small town, at least move to Cochrane or something with a little bit of character. There at least you have a nice view of the mountains.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Airdrie seems like the worst of both worlds. You don't get any small town charm or country feel, yet you still have to drive a crapload to get anywhere worth going. If you want small town, at least move to Cochrane or something with a little bit of character. There at least you have a nice view of the mountains.

High River has an excellent view of the mountains

[Swayze11]

I never really understood the hate for cookie cutter houses, I personally like them much better then the old falling a part looking ones.

[puckluck]

Some great quotes in this thread. Airdrie is a terrible place to visit, let alone live.

At least if you live in Strathmore you can actually do 130/140 all the way home.

[trumpethead]

If you are looking for small town "charm" I would live in Okotoks before I would live in Airdrie. Granted neither are small towns any more, but Okotoks feels less "urban" (maybe its just because the highway doesn't cut right through the middle of it).

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by trumpethead

If you are looking for small town "charm" I would live in Okotoks before I would live in Airdrie. Granted neither are small towns any more, but Okotoks feels less "urban" (maybe its just because the highway doesn't cut right through the middle of it).

Okotoks is about half the size as well, so that has something to do with it.

Airdrie is fast approaching 50,000.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Swayze11

I never really understood the hate for cookie cutter houses, I personally like them much better then the old falling a part looking ones.

I don't think it is the "falling apart" look that people are romanticizing. I live in an area built in the late 80s where it appears most of the houses were built by different builders because most of the houses look very different. The street has 2 level, 1 1/2 level, bilevel homes; some with stucco, some with siding, different roof types and slopes. Yet in the newer areas all the houses look very similar. Not the same, but very similar styles, colour palettes, etc.

While a newer house would be nice; on a 25 year old house it is probably time to do some major remodelling; it is nice to have a place that doesn't look like all your neighbours places look.

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Airdrie seems like the worst of both worlds. You don't get any small town charm or country feel, yet you still have to drive a crapload to get anywhere worth going. If you want small town, at least move to Cochrane or something with a little bit of character. There at least you have a nice view of the mountains.

Originally Posted by Dion

High River has an excellent view of the mountains

One thing I forgot to mention from the other threads I read through was Table 5s hate for Airdrie and Dions love for High River.

As for Cochrane that is a nice community and I do like it there, but that hill in the winter is a b**tch from what I hear. Then you have to take 16th in and that is bad as well.

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by Dion

High River has an excellent view of the mountains

But the downside to that is you'd have to live in High River.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Airdrie seems like the worst of both worlds. You don't get any small town charm or country feel, yet you still have to drive a crapload to get anywhere worth going. If you want small town, at least move to Cochrane or something with a little bit of character. There at least you have a nice view of the mountains.

My perception is similar to this. I would consider living in Cochrane for some reason, but not Airdrie. Airdrie seems like any other suburb of Calgary to me, just further away and more isolated. I have also heard residents complaining of traffic on the main roads as well, particularly during rush hour, just to get out of town.

Cochrane is closer to the mountains, has hills and a river, and just seems to have a little bit of character.

This is just my perception, and I'll admit to never having lived in either parasite community. One thing to consider, although you may save a little on the house price, you'll be spending more money on transportation and, perhaps most importantly, you'll be spending more of your life in your car or on a bus. I don't exactly live in the inner city of Calgary, and although my commute is reasonable, I certainly wouldn't want it to be any longer than it is.

[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I don't think it is the "falling apart" look that people are romanticizing. I live in an area built in the late 80s where it appears most of the houses were built by different builders because most of the houses look very different. The street has 2 level, 1 1/2 level, bilevel homes; some with stucco, some with siding, different roof types and slopes. Yet in the newer areas all the houses look very similar. Not the same, but very similar styles, colour palettes, etc.

While a newer house would be nice; on a 25 year old house it is probably time to do some major remodelling; it is nice to have a place that doesn't look like all your neighbours places look.

Fair enough, I just don't understand the hate on cookie cutter houses. Who cares if your neighbors house looks similar?