2013 Calgary Best Neigbourhoods

[Violator]

wooot,

number 20

Thank god I moved from hoodbine.

[Travis Munroe]

No Altadore or am I reading this wrong?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Bunk

This list continues to be the most ridiculous one re: neighbourhood desirability.

For one, you'd expect based on the criteria that neighbourhoods with similar characteristics would be somewhat clustered on this list. Instead you have one neighbourhood that ranks high, and others very similar in most respects showing up nowhere. For instance Beltline and Lower Mount Royal - separated by 17th Avenue have almost identical characteristics. One ranks #9, one doesn't rank at all.

The "most pedestrian friendly" communities list is even more silly. Valley Ridge 5th - a community whereby you can walk to almost nothing.

I would agree with that general sentiment. I think some neighbourhoods are on the list, simply because they are close to desireable neighborhoods. Houndsfield Heights? The desireability factor is that it is close to Hillhurst, which is close to Kensington. Strangely, Sunnyside seems kind of far down the list, which is weird.

But anyway, this reminds me of the Maclean's university rankings where, yearly, universities get butt-hurt if they're not regarded highly enough, discredit the entire ranking process, and pretend to not care about it until they actually crack the top 10 and then suddenly the ranking is something to be proud of.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by flameswin

And that retired Calgary police officer who must have been very well respected when he was with the force because he would have police on teenagers faster than they respond to murders when we were younger.

No joke, he literally had police show up within ten minutes once, after one verbal warning from his deck for bouncing a basketball after 10pm, even though that should be a bylaw issue.

And the time he saw us drinking in the alley, yelled that he saw what we were doing and had three cruisers, 6 cops and hawcs helicopter out there within 15 minutes.

I really want to know more about that guy. He must have been pretty high up. He could see anything he didn't like and make a call and have CPS go "Yes sir, right away sir, we'll apply any and all services you request to this situation.

Was it John Mar?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...complaint.html

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I would agree with that general sentiment. I think some neighbourhoods are on the list, simply because they are close to desireable neighborhoods. Houndsfield Heights? The desireability factor is that it is close to Hillhurst, which is close to Kensington. Strangely, Sunnyside seems kind of far down the list, which is weird.

But anyway, this reminds me of the Maclean's university rankings where, yearly, universities get butt-hurt if they're not regarded highly enough, discredit the entire ranking process, and pretend to not care about it until they actually crack the top 10 and then suddenly the ranking is something to be proud of.

It's actually a pretty nice area. Some of the houses on 12th Ave or Briar Crescent have amazing views. If I had 3/4 of a million dollars the buy a home it would be high on the list.

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Did Sunnyside move up or down due to being able to canoe around the community?

It also should have received a "Bigtime Bump" two years ago due to my arrival, on account of me being a big deal and all.

It went downhill since I left last fall. Notice, I moved from Sunnyside, it floods, my new neighbourhood (at least the part within 3 blocks from me) is perfectly dry.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Sliver

No, it's totally objective, which is why I put the word in there. You pay basically nothing for a lake (we pay ~$250 annually at Lake Bonavista) and it gives you an insane amount of leisure opportunities that people in a non-lake community don't have. Having those opportunities is objectively better than not having those opportunities.

I grew up in Lake Bonavista, i've experienced those insane amount of leisure opportunities first hand. The downside of every lake community in Calgary is that you have to live in suburbia to get the lake. So for me, no lake community would qualify as Community #1. I value more time with my kids over an hour+ commute both ways just to have weekend man-made lake leisure. That's what camping is for - weekend leisure at real lakes.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Peanut

I grew up in Lake Bonavista, i've experienced those insane amount of leisure opportunities first hand. The downside of every lake community in Calgary is that you have to live in suburbia to get the lake. So for me, no lake community would qualify as Community #1. I value more time with my kids over an hour+ commute both ways just to have weekend man-made lake leisure. That's what camping is for - weekend leisure at real lakes.

Well if you work in Banff, yeah Lake Bonavista isn't a good choice. Fortunately, nowhere in Calgary is an hour + away from the community. Don't make me Google map this to prove my point...you know you exaggerated the commute time by doubling it (at least).

[Peanut]

Is there a google add-on for "blizzard conditions plus accident on the deerfoot while your child screams in the carseat after a 9-hour day at daycare"?

I lived in Lake Bonaventure for 16 years, 6 of which were driving to U of C and back everyday so I do have a bit of first hand experience with the commute. My boyfriend at the time was living in Chaparral as well, so I'm pretty familiar with going another 10-15 minutes further south to another nice lake community.

That's great you love where you live. I'm not here to change your mind and you won't change mine. I'm just saying that for me personally, lake communities don't have any particular draw and it's because of the suburbia factor.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

So is it some sort of pre-requisite that every few months Sliver has to go full ###### over something?

I don't know why you are disparaging the mentally handicapped here.

[qiang]

its so funny. to see you guys argue on either lake community or non lake community is better,,,,in my country-China,,,lake community is just to show the status of the people,,,which is mianzi in Chinese,,,lmao ,,you know . the traditional Chineseculture-social stratum. thats why Chinese ppl like lake . community,,which would get more respect

[RinkRat]

[QUOTE=Wormius;4345480]Was it John Mar?

John Mar may have been a cop, somewhere at sometime but it wasn't with CPS and no one in CPS seems to know where it was either, but he was part of the Calgary Police Commission who determines things like budget from the city.

[Bigtime]

John Mar was RCMP.

[username]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

WILDWOOD:

1. 8 minutes to downtown by car

2. Close to Edsworthy Park, dogwalk, Dounglas Fir Trail, bike paths and
Bow River

3. Developed in late 50's and many upgrades and redevelopment since.

3. Close to LRT

4. Tremendous Community Association and community spirit

5. Excellent tree growth

6. Great access to Stoney Trail and Trans Canada Highway going west and north

7. Close to schools

8. Low crime rate

9. Good access to shopping - Westbrook Mall, Westhills and downtown

10. Public golf course nearby - Shaganappi

11. Etc

Ranked 33rd?????

I agree, how Wildwood isn't top 3 is beyond me and I don't even live in that community.

I lived in Arbour Lake for 5 years and it's a terrible community. I'm surprised it's made the top 30. Other than that large toilet bowl that Sliver calls a lake that community has nothing going for it. No trees, no paths, long commute to downtown and you literally need to drive to get to anything - nothing is walkable. It's no different than every other cookie cutter suburb. Avenue might as well just group every suburb together and call it one community since nothing really differentiates these communities.

I now live in Altadore (Garrison Woods) and the difference between it an Arbour Lake is night and day. The commute to downtown is less than 10 minutes, I have the river, sandy beach, Marda Loop, the reservoir and access to both Crowchild and Glenmore. To top it all off, the community is super quiet and the people are all friendly.

I guess Avenue considers a large toilet bowl a better amenity than a natural flowing river and beach - weird.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Is there a google add-on for "blizzard conditions plus accident on the deerfoot while your child screams in the carseat after a 9-hour day at daycare"?

I lived in Lake Bonaventure for 16 years, 6 of which were driving to U of C and back everyday so I do have a bit of first hand experience with the commute. My boyfriend at the time was living in Chaparral as well, so I'm pretty familiar with going another 10-15 minutes further south to another nice lake community.

That's great you love where you live. I'm not here to change your mind and you won't change mine. I'm just saying that for me personally, lake communities don't have any particular draw and it's because of the suburbia factor.

I guess I wouldn't have a problem with your posts if you weren't being so blatantly dishonest. First of all, why would you take your children with you on a commute? There are childcare options in the neighbourhood including a Montessori. That school is five minutes from any house in the neighbourhood. Drop your kids off then drive to work like everybody else does. I'd scream my head off too if you unnecessarily dragged me on your commute everyday.

And kids don't stay little forever. There are three elementary schools that I can think of in the neighbourhood as well as a Junior High. In a couple of years when your kid is in school your home's proximity to the school will be one of the most important things in your life so I hope you have one close by.

Also, I just Google mapped Lake Bonavista Drive to UC. It's 23 minutes taking Crowchild or 25 minutes taking Deerfoot. You said that commute was over an hour, which wasn't close to true. You tripled the time for your post.

Lake Bonavista Drive to the Calgary Tower is 21 minutes. Big whoop.

Lake Bonavista Drive to a random business in the Foothills Industrial Park (where tens of thousands of Calgarians work) is 13 minutes.

You're suggesting LB is in the boondocks, but it's not.

[username]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Also, I just Google mapped Lake Bonavista Drive to UC. It's 23 minutes taking Crowchild or 25 minutes taking Deerfoot. You said that commute was over an hour, which wasn't close to true. You tripled the time for your post.

Lake Bonavista Drive to the Calgary Tower is 21 minutes. Big whoop.

Lake Bonavista Drive to a random business in the Foothills Industrial Park (where tens of thousands of Calgarians work) is 13 minutes.

These times might be true at 3am on a Sunday night......but nice try.

I just google mapped Arbour Lake to downtown and it said 21 minutes.......that drive in rush hour was 40 minutes min every day.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I guess I wouldn't have a problem with your posts if you weren't being so blatantly dishonest. First of all, why would you take your children with you on a commute? There are childcare options in the neighbourhood including a Montessori. That school is five minutes from any house in the neighbourhood. Drop your kids off then drive to work like everybody else does. I'd scream my head off too if you unnecessarily dragged me on your commute everyday.

And kids don't stay little forever. There are three elementary schools that I can think of in the neighbourhood as well as a Junior High. In a couple of years when your kid is in school your home's proximity to the school will be one of the most important things in your life so I hope you have one close by.

Also, I just Google mapped Lake Bonavista Drive to UC. It's 23 minutes taking Crowchild or 25 minutes taking Deerfoot. You said that commute was over an hour, which wasn't close to true. You tripled the time for your post.

Lake Bonavista Drive to the Calgary Tower is 21 minutes. Big whoop.

Lake Bonavista Drive to a random business in the Foothills Industrial Park (where tens of thousands of Calgarians work) is 13 minutes.

You're suggesting LB is in the boondocks, but it's not.

Wait, you are calling someone out for being dishonest? In a thread where you repeatedly (and 2 years in a row) tried to tell us that the value of a lake is an objective fact? That's amazing.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I guess I wouldn't have a problem with your posts if you weren't being so blatantly dishonest.

Yeah, you don't want people encroaching on your territory and stealing your schtick. All ridiculous exaggerations and outright obtuse denials of reality should fall into your bailiwick, right?

While your trolling attempts are occasionally amusing, if only for the frothy-mouthed reactions some people fall into, their increasing frequency and length begin to bore. Nobody could seriously be as clueless as you purport to be, so maybe dial it back a bit until hockey season starts and you can camouflage your pronouncements of idiocy within all the other rabble-rousing that will inevitably begin again.

[Maccalus]

Originally Posted by username

These times might be true at 3am on a Sunday night......but nice try.

I just google mapped Arbour Lake to downtown and it said 21 minutes.......that drive in rush hour was 40 minutes min every day.

We just need to move a Lake Community into Airdrie and that would eliminate the commute issue.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I would agree with that general sentiment. I think some neighbourhoods are on the list, simply because they are close to desireable neighborhoods. Houndsfield Heights? The desireability factor is that it is close to Hillhurst, which is close to Kensington. Strangely, Sunnyside seems kind of far down the list, which is weird.

Technically there is no "Kensington". There is Sunnyside, Hillhurst and West Hillhurst. The area around 10th st and Kensington Road somehow became known as Kensington (it is all part of Hillhurst really).

I never heard of Hounsfield Heights.

Ah, Briar Hill:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hounsfi..._Hill,_Calgary