For All Calgarians- What keeps you here?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Family and School, but I'm leaving soon so I guess I don't count.

Reasons I'm leaving: school, girlfriend, family, weather, boredom and curiosity

[Hack&Lube]

a dearth of dollars

[sparky69]

family and friends.... but damn Ive lived here my hole live and i still get memorized by the mountains.

[Table 5]

After enduring the windy and humid hell of an east-coast winter, I will never againt complain about the cold in Calgary. Dry weather is amazing.

[The Goon]

This city feels like a small town to me. People are friendly. I love seeing the mountains on the horizon. Stampede is my favourite time of year.

Still, the poor roads and the health-care horror stories make me wonder if I should move elsewhere before starting a family.

[Table 5]

Btw, I dont live in Calgary, but I will probably move back eventually for a few reasons.

1) family and friends - of course.

2) The sun. You just don't realize how great it is to live in a sunny city until you dont.

3) The flames and hockey culture. As much as people like to say that hockey is only a game, I value the ability to be part of such a close community to follow the sport.

4) It really can be a pretty vibrant city for it's size. It's not a big city by any means, but I like the idea of watching it grow and mature.

My only problem right now is that Calgary is not that innovative or forward in my profession (design), so working there wouldn't be easy.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by The Goon

Still, the poor roads and the health-care horror stories make me wonder if I should move elsewhere before starting a family.

Funny you say that, since Ive come to realize how good health care in Canada really is. I don't even dare to go to a doctor in the US unless it's absolutely necessary, since the insurance companies here send you to the crappiest holes possible.

The system in Canada is far from perfect, but I trust that system much more than I do the one here.

[getbak]

Grew up here.
Everyone I know is here.
Mountains a short drive in one direction, the Badlands a short drive in the other direction.
Chinooks in the winter, sunshine in the summer.
Go Flames Go.
Go Stamps Go.

[SpitFire40]

Nothing really... Just too much of a chicken **** to up and leave I guess.

I'm not particularly fond of the city itself, and I do feel i've lived here way too long. *shrug*

[KevanGuy]

Lethargy

[browna]

Family and friends.
Career.
1 hour drive your in the middle of the mountains, camping or in Banff.
1 hour flight and you're steps away from the Pacific.
Still ok to get around - Spolied now living closer to d/t, but still, an extra 10 minute drive down to where my parents live during rush hour is not the end of the world, compared to other cities.


Seasons - Silly as it may seem, and although haven't been out of town, vacationed enough that having more or less 4 distinct seasons is pretty cool. As T5 says, a lot of sun, the chinooks don't make winter as harsh temperature wise, or percepitation wise, as Eastern Cities.

Flames games in the winter, saving up $$ in the winter, the odd vacation in the winter you appreciate more, and then srping and summer one feels a lot more alive and out of hibernation. to do more things, spend the money saved over the winter etc.

I guess I just couldn't get used to mild conditions year round where the seasonal change isn't quite as noticable, where you can golf somewhere at Christmas for example.

Just me.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Parole requirement.

[ken0042]

Big thing for me is friends. Not only am I still good friends with the people I met when I first moved here 15 years ago, but I also find that because of how many people move into Calgary; it is very easy to make friends here. Whereas in places like Winnipeg; people keep the same friends they had in high school.

And for me; most of my friends who were worth hanging out with in high school have since moved away from there.

Plus the chinooks, NHL hockey, and the big city yet small town feel.

[habernac]

I moved here for the proximity to the mountains.

Most of my family has moved here as well.

LOL@Jiri! Winter? We don't get winter here, that's another bonus.

Sunshine. Sunniest big city in Canada. If I lived in a place like Vancouver I'd likely be a serial killer.

[worth]

Ultimatley I think i'd like to move a little outside the city where I could get a piece of land and a nice house. The city is getting too big for me. Too much traffic, too many impatient people.

I've lived here all my life, and will always call this home. Pretty much all my family and friends are here and everything I know is here. I wouldn't want to move anywhere else in the world, maybe just a little out of town is all.

[North East Goon]

Gravity! I know, that was lame. I think I would be open to leaving to somewhere in the Okanagan or even elsewhere if I could live the same lifestyle financially.

[Cowperson]

Coincidentally, a survey of Calgarian attitudes in the Calgary Herald today:

"We're Happy, But Nervous."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...e3f0539&k=3349

Cowperson

[Bobblehead]

The things that keep me in Calgary seem to be disappearing.
My favourite watering hole disappeared a few years ago; Flames tickets are much harder to get, traffic is getting nasty, customer service is slipping, and so on.

The reason I stay is my job, and the flipside of the big city problems - the big city advantages - NHL team, concerts, festivals, close to mountains. Plus I like that it doesn't get too hot in the summer (or at least not for too long).

If there was a good opportunity somewhere else there are a few things I would miss but nothing that would make it gutwrenching to leave (neither my wife or I have any family within here).

[Thunderball]

This is where I feel I belong, my friends and family are here... its a beautiful place, with vastly different environments within 100kms.

However, there's a lot of forces pushing me away... ineptitude of politicians at all levels in matters of education (75 first year spaces in UofC's faculty of law? give me a break), healthcare (either privatize it or invest in it already... 3 hospitals for 1.1 million people is disgusting), and infrastructure (SW ring road plans are now 45 years old, and because of inept city planners, 20 min drives take 60 minutes, LRT is crammed past capacity, rundown shacks are worth a quarter of a million dollars, renters are falling prey to rampant profiteering, and any plan for improvement is halfbaked or 20 years overdue, such as LRT expansion) .

The idea of higher income, cheaper housing, lower taxes and a better standard of living in the US (for university graduates at least), is very appealing. The Alberta Advantage, due to mismanagement, societal complacency and incompetence has become the Alberta Disadvantage.

[rubecube]

Lack of a better alternative.