The top city in Canada? Calgary

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I patiently await someone to prove you wrong by posting in this thread saying they have children and don't own a vehicle. I can absolutely guarantee you that such people exist.

I am sure that is possible...my mother did it with 3 kids...we had one vechicle which my dad took to work...but eventually between 2 kids in hockey in the winter, soccer in the summer, equestrian trainning, music lessons etc...another car was def needed..that is my point.

Hey listen i agree, i never owned a car when i lived in Mission...i didnt need one...if i did my roommy worked at a car rental place...but when i started to coach hockey at a high level, i tried the car pool with some of the coaches...and it just didnt work half the time, so i bought a car...

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Caring about architecture is for the wealthy. Most people are more interested about the inside of their home than the outside. You can make your home in the suburbs unique with landscaping. As long as it is a comfortable place to live for you and your family. Thats what most people find important. People who are really into the design and look of their home either have too much time on their hands. Or money is no object. Maybe both. Nothing wrong with liking architecture as a hobby. The reality is most people can't afford to build a unique house.

True. Money is a big thing, and it's not everybody's cup of tea.

However, because I have grown up surrounded by the architecture industry in Calgary, it is pain-stakingly obvious of just how cheap and unartistic Calgarians can be. They'd rather save a few bucks to use cheaper materials than create a marquee building that puts Calgary on the map. In comparison, the companies I know based in Calgary get way more excited to do work outside of Calgary and Canada, because it seems everywhere else, good architecture is the forefront of a good city. Not here. As long as it stands and can hold people, it's good enough.

For a city with a wealth of money, it's perplexing to see architecture, and more broadly speaking, art, treated this way.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I patiently await someone to prove you wrong by posting in this thread saying they have children and don't own a vehicle. I can absolutely guarantee you that such people exist.

Perhaps they do but that is a significant choice in and of itself. If your kids of dance lessons, hockey games (all over the city), soccer practice, recitals, or whatever - cars are a must.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I patiently await someone to prove you wrong by posting in this thread saying they have children and don't own a vehicle. I can absolutely guarantee you that such people exist.

The low-income homeowners next door to my complex have a bevy of these families. They take the bus everywhere.

Let's make a correction here - those who can't live with a vehicle to drive their children around seem to be the affluent ones who are used to driving everywhere they need to go, particularly the second-generation families who have been here for a while - but I digress.

There's a very nice Sudanese family I see on the bus every morning who make the commute. They drop their kids off in Sunalta for school, and work downtown during the day. No vehicle needed at all.

[Saint Troy]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

True. Money is a big thing, and it's not everybody's cup of tea.

However, because I have grown up surrounded by the architecture industry in Calgary, it is pain-stakingly obvious of just how cheap and unartistic Calgarians can be. They'd rather save a few bucks to use cheaper materials than create a marquee building that puts Calgary on the map. In comparison, the companies I know based in Calgary get way more excited to do work outside of Calgary and Canada, because it seems everywhere else, good architecture is the forefront of a good city. Not here. As long as it stands and can hold people, it's good enough.

For a city with a wealth of money, it's perplexing to see architecture, and more broadly speaking, art, treated this way.

I would argue that architecture is the sign of an older and affluent city, good has nothing to do with it. I live in the evil "burbs" and love it, I also enjoyed living in false creek in downtown Vancouver, but it's impractical to try and have a family in a 700 sq. ft apartment.

[habernac]

I live in the suburbs. I'm married, have a wife and a son. We only own 1 vehicle. I ride my bike to work, or on the occasion that I'm tired, etc I take the bus. It's certainly not difficult to get by with just one car.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Well monetary reasons would prob be the big one...and the truth is..most people in the burbs are families and nothing you have listed in your pros about the innercity is on any families mind when they chose were to live. The inner city is for only for a select group of people, usually under 35 , exependable cash, possibly unmarried, and def no kids...which describes me and have lived in the inner city for 7 years now...and i love it...i coudnt imagine living in the burbs at this point ....but if i was to start a Family....i would like to have a home over a condo...just my preference, in fact apparently alot of peoples..whether that is out in Cranston or Valley Ridge i dont know...hopefully its in Elbow Park or Mt Royal...but nothing sells there for less than 1.5 million...

Well, there's other locations where you can get inner-city property in up-and-coming neighbourhoods, not just the established ones like Elbow Park and Mount Royal. I'm calling it right now, Bridgeland is going to be the next big trend. There's also the western end of downtown, there's Bankview, there's also places like Renfrew and northern Crescent Heights... prices are going up (lets call a spade a spade), but to suggest it isn't affordable means you aren't looking hard enough, IMO. And if moving to these areas means reducing your dependency on vehicles to save money... then so be it. There's a huge movement going on right now to reduce dependency on vehicles... I couldn't agree more. And when you're central, you reasons for owning a vehicle drop.

[Thunderball]

You know, some people actually like living as far away from Downtown as possible... they just don't like the density, crime, vagrancy, etc. These people would live in Banff or Canmore if they could, but they work in Calgary. Personally, I love suburban living, I can walk to Fish Creek, I have soccer fields and hockey rinks minutes away on foot, same with basic shopping, schools, etc. Anything more, and I have my car. I have a bus stop maybe 250m from my house if so inclined. I have my space. If it wasn't for the lack of high-paying jobs, I'd totally live in Canmore or Banff.

I don't begrudge people who prefer the density and walkability of inner city living, but many people like their suburbs, and they're not the soulless communes some people like to portray them as. What's the difference between living in a cookie-cutter house and having a unit in a cookie-cutter condo/apartment complex? Personal taste. That's it.

Personally, I think Calgary is a decent place to live with some serious drawbacks. Traffic could be a lot better with a few smart decisions in LRT and road construction/improvements (SW Ring Road comes to mind, as does Crowchild/Bow Tr./Memorial cluster######). I also think the sports scene stinks. Aside from the Flames, there's really nothing professional. The CFL is second-rate. Lacrosse is a fringe game with limited appeal. There's no pro-baseball, no pro-soccer, nothing else aside from the odd SPGA or CPGA tour stop. The local facilities are mediocre at best, and godawful at worst. In the US, college teams would be ashamed to play in McMahon. Foothills Stadia (Soccer and Baseball) are disgustingly inadequate.

The Arts are decent, but nothing to brag about either. Funny, with all the money in this city, you'd think we'd be punching way above our weight in pro sports and the arts.

The hospital situation is pretty pathetic too. No downtown hospital (good Job, Ralphie), and no hospital for the SE (until 2011)... essentially one hospital per 367,000 people and a childrens hospital. Even with the South Hospital, it'll still be one hospital per almost 300,000 people.

It almost seems like Alberta was only supposed to have one major city. Calgary's strengths are Edmonton's weaknesses, and vice-versa.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Saint Troy

I would argue that architecture is the sign of an older and affluent city, good has nothing to do with it. I live in the evil "burbs" and love it, I also enjoyed living in false creek in downtown Vancouver, but it's impractical to try and have a family in a 700 sq. ft apartment.

I think people are not realizing something here.

Architecture isn't 'for the wealthy' as someone put it. That's such an uneducated statement it's ridiculous.

It's just that developers have found a way to undercut architecture by mass-producing randomly-computer-generated homes that cost little to build by using mass-produced cheaply-made materials. It's the Wal-Mart effect, and unfortunately it's hitting Calgary - and hard.

I think alot of you would be surprised about how much it actually costs to get a beautiful home designed by an architect without breaking the bank. But alas, people don't do their homework reagarding this, I guess.

[troutman]

Good thread. Good points all around.

Ever play Sim City? I'm reminded of it now.

[Saint Troy]

Originally Posted by Muta

I think people are not realizing something here.

Architecture isn't 'for the wealthy' as someone put it. That's such an uneducated statement it's ridiculous.

It's just that developers have found a way to undercut architecture by mass-producing randomly-computer-generated homes that cost little to build by using mass-produced cheaply-made materials. It's the Wal-Mart effect, and unfortunately it's hitting Calgary - and hard.

I think alot of you would be surprised about how much it actually costs to get a beautiful home designed by an architect without breaking the bank. But alas, people don't do their homework reagarding this, I guess.

Such B.S. man, a privately designed home by an architect isn't going to cost more, right.

[ricosuave]

Originally Posted by troutman

Good thread. Good points all around.

Ever play Sim City? I'm reminded of it now.

i actually built calgary, circa 88 on sim city! well, a good chunk of what would be considered downtown and the 'inner city'

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

You know, some people actually like living as far away from Downtown as possible... they just don't like the density, crime, vagrancy, etc. These people would live in Banff or Canmore if they could, but they work in Calgary. Personally, I love suburban living, I can walk to Fish Creek, I have soccer fields and hockey rinks minutes away on foot, same with basic shopping, schools, etc. Anything more, and I have my car. I have a bus stop maybe 250m from my house if so inclined. I have my space. If it wasn't for the lack of high-paying jobs, I'd totally live in Canmore or Banff.
.

I don't know what Calgary is like, but I know that in Vancouver, the crime is actually worse in the suburbs. I'd feel much more safe walking around downtown Vancouver at night than I would Surrey or Maple Ridge.

The fact the density is high means there are always people around. It makes it more safe.

[habernac]

seeing all the crack addicts, needles, riff raff, etc on the river valley pathways made my decision easy as to where I wanted my son to grow up.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by habernac

seeing all the crack addicts, needles, riff raff, etc on the river valley pathways made my decision easy as to where I wanted my son to grow up.

Bingo. Downtown has become a lot seedier in the past 5-10 years, especially if one ventures away from the CBD...which is a real shame. While Forest Lawn/Bowness/Properties have their fair share of crime, I'm quite sure the epicentre of crimes committed in Calgary are within city centre.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Saint Troy

Such B.S. man, a privately designed home by an architect isn't going to cost more, right.

I never said it wouldn't cost more. Try interpreting what I stated a little more intelligently. I said,

"I think alot of you would be surprised about how much it actually costs to get a beautiful home designed by an architect without breaking the bank."

Yeeesh.

Oh, and by the way, I'm in the industry we're discussing, if that counts for anything.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by fotze

We saw a homeless guy taking a big crap right along that path on Memorial Drive there when we were walking the dog and kid.

I saw the same thing in a parking lot in a town of 10,000.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Bingo. Downtown has become a lot seedier in the past 5-10 years, especially if one ventures away from the CBD...which is a real shame. While Forest Lawn/Bowness/Properties have their fair share of crime, I'm quite sure the epicentre of crimes committed in Calgary are within city centre.

I'm not saying crime isn't a problem, it definitely is, especially such as places like the river pathways these days.

But, it also seems like some people like to let crime and fear control their lives. Some people are blowing the whole crime thing in the inner city waaaaay out of proportion. Crime is evident everywhere these days; and I'm pretty sure it's growing in the suburbs.

Unless it's TERRIBLY bad in a certain location, letting fear and crime dictate the way one lives is sad, IMO.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by fotze

That was me.

Lol... you warped me as a kid then.

It was a handicapped parking spot in front of a building and for the longest time, I thought the handicapped symbol of a stickman sitting on a semi-circle was actually a guy sitting on the toilet. I noticed the symbol on many bathroom doors and figured that when it was painted on the ground, it was a "bathroom" for homeless people.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Muta

I'm not saying crime isn't a problem, it definitely is, especially such as places like the river pathways these days.

But, it also seems like some people like to let crime and fear control their lives. Some people are blowing the whole crime thing in the inner city waaaaay out of proportion. Crime is evident everywhere these days; and I'm pretty sure it's growing in the suburbs.

Unless it's TERRIBLY bad in a certain location, letting fear and crime dictate the way one lives is sad, IMO.

Honestly, I don't get the fear of inner-city crime either. My wife and frequently walk alone, at night, through the pathways and streets of downtown Calgary. In over five years of living here, I've never once feared for my safety.

On the other hand, I have feared for my safety while dealing with all the suburban commuters driving along Deerfoot and Crowchild during rush hour.