Tell me about: Okotoks

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I know a guy who lives in Crystal Ridge and loves it. Okotoks has top notch sports facilities for minor sports if you have kids. Strong sense of community there.

Plus they have Big Sky BBQ which gives any authentic Texas Pit a run for its money.

Okotoks has the best (only?) legit deep dish pizza you can come across in the Calgary area as well

[CarlLester]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I know a guy who lives in Crystal Ridge and loves it. Okotoks has top notch sports facilities for minor sports if you have kids. Strong sense of community there.

Plus they have Big Sky BBQ which gives any authentic Texas Pit a run for its money.

This is the first time I've ever heard someone say Big Sky is good.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by CarlLester

This is the first time I've ever heard someone say Big Sky is good.

I'm all ears if you know of a better place south of Glenmore Tr.

[CarlLester]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I'm all ears if you know of a better place south of Glenmore Tr.

Sorry if the last comment came across as snippy. Wasn't the intention. We just haven't had much luck with Big Sky, as much as we wanted to like it.

South of Glenmore might be tough. But if you are willing to relax that requirement by a couple of minutes / km, Jane Bond has been good the few times I have been there.

[Weitz]

There isn’t really a reliably solid bbq place in or around Calgary. Some can have good days but it’s mostly average or below.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

What do you mean nothing? They've develop this nice housing area and industrial centre in the area that got totally flooded out in 2013(you can see the nicely landscaped "creek" that will surely stay in it's channel). What could go wrong?

https://goo.gl/maps/QynxRzA4xJEPbpvW8

Dude, people in the Calgary area do. not. give. a. fata. about flooding. They pretend it won't happen even though it keeps happening. Sunnyside. The big houses along Elbow. There are so many neighbourhoods that will flood with almost certainty and southern Albertans are like, sign me up! I'll never understand. Full neighbourhoods built in flood plains.

I'm not sure if this is totally true, but I've clung to it for a few years: in most cities it's very poor communities situated in flood plains. Calgary is a weird outlier in that we have upscale neighbourhoods in flood plains.

And then look at High River...can you imagine living in a place called High River and then being shocked when it floods?

So I'm not surprised by DMF development at all. It's just what people do around here. I think there are strength in numbers whereby so many people live in the flood plain that they collectively just pretend they don't. If you were the only guy about to build a house in this area, you absolutely would not do it in a known flood plain. But as soon at 10,000 other people do, these guys start a-buildin'.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Dude, people in the Calgary area do. not. give. a. fata. about flooding. They pretend it won't happen even though it keeps happening. Sunnyside. The big houses along Elbow. There are so many neighbourhoods that will flood with almost certainty and southern Albertans are like, sign me up! I'll never understand. Full neighbourhoods built in flood plains.

I'm not sure if this is totally true, but I've clung to it for a few years: in most cities it's very poor communities situated in flood plains. Calgary is a weird outlier in that we have upscale neighbourhoods in flood plains.

And then look at High River...can you imagine living in a place called High River and then being shocked when it floods?

So I'm not surprised by DMF development at all. It's just what people do around here. I think there are strength in numbers whereby so many people live in the flood plain that they collectively just pretend they don't. If you were the only guy about to build a house in this area, you absolutely would not do it in a known flood plain. But as soon at 10,000 other people do, these guys start a-buildin'.

It's just weird becuase this is all greenfield development, while the flood "mitigation" is still underway. It's not even a distant memory! Hopefully insurers are smart enoguh not to cover these places.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

It's just weird becuase this is all greenfield development, while the flood "mitigation" is still underway. It's not even a distant memory! Hopefully insurers are smart enoguh not to cover these places.

If insurers don't the government will step in - either way the rest of is will end up paying.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Sliver

.....I'm not sure if this is totally true, but I've clung to it for a few years: in most cities it's very poor communities situated in flood plains. Calgary is a weird outlier in that we have upscale neighbourhoods in flood plains.....

i feel that this is mostly not true. I grew up in Winnipeg, and I feel like most homes along the river were larger, older homes. some of the areas not far from these riverfront properties were working class for sure.

i also lived in Kitchener, and as i can recall, the areas clsoer to teh river were more of the haves.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Weitz

There isn’t really a reliably solid bbq place in or around Calgary. Some can have good days but it’s mostly average or below.

Comery/Hayden Block, Big T’s, Bookers (whenever it comes back).

All reliably solid, if not reliably great.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Comery/Hayden Block, Big T’s, Bookers (whenever it comes back).

All reliably solid, if not reliably great.

I am unfamiliar with Comery/Hayden, Bookers is gone and Big T's is wildly, wildly unreliable to the point that I've abandoned even going there much less ordering from them.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Paddy's is pretty decent as well. But yeah, "reliably solid but not reliably great" describes all the ones I've been to here.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Comery/Hayden Block, Big T’s, Bookers (whenever it comes back).

All reliably solid, if not reliably great.

Palomino is best in my books.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Comery/Hayden Block, Big T’s, Bookers (whenever it comes back).

All reliably solid, if not reliably great.

All of those places are very hit or miss depending on what you order. Any of the typical short order smoked foods can be very good from those places (wings, hot links) but the brisket, pulled pork and ribs are passable at best.

Timing is everything with low and slow cooked meats, and these places have a chili's vibe when it comes to traditional BBQ. If they can't serve it fresh, they annihilate the meat by re heating it.

The best bbq you'll have in the city is a friend's place who knows their way around a smoker. The freshness can't be compared by our BBQ restaurant scene.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

All of those places are very hit or miss depending on what you order. Any of the typical short order smoked foods can be very good from those places (wings, hot links) but the brisket, pulled pork and ribs are passable at best.

Timing is everything with low and slow cooked meats, and these places have a chili's vibe when it comes to traditional BBQ. If they can't serve it fresh, they annihilate the meat by re heating it.

The best bbq you'll have in the city is a friend's place who knows their way around a smoker. The freshness can't be compared by our BBQ restaurant scene.

Yeah, okay...but thats not exactly a practical solution for people who want the odd meal of BBQ.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, okay...but thats not exactly a practical solution for people who want the odd meal of BBQ.

Fair, if you don't know good bbq, go to any restaurant that will serve 3+ hour old brisket and you'll think it isn't worth the hype and that it sucks. There isn't a practical solution here in Calgary for fresh BBQ.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Fair, if you don't know good bbq, go to any restaurant that will serve 3+ hour old brisket and you'll think it isn't worth the hype and that it sucks. There isn't a practical solution here in Calgary for fresh BBQ.

Holy Smoke was always really good, I havent had it in years though since I moved from my old office.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Dude, people in the Calgary area do. not. give. a. fata. about flooding. They pretend it won't happen even though it keeps happening. Sunnyside. The big houses along Elbow. There are so many neighbourhoods that will flood with almost certainty and southern Albertans are like, sign me up! I'll never understand. Full neighbourhoods built in flood plains.

I'm not sure if this is totally true, but I've clung to it for a few years: in most cities it's very poor communities situated in flood plains. Calgary is a weird outlier in that we have upscale neighbourhoods in flood plains.

And then look at High River...can you imagine living in a place called High River and then being shocked when it floods?

So I'm not surprised by DMF development at all. It's just what people do around here. I think there are strength in numbers whereby so many people live in the flood plain that they collectively just pretend they don't. If you were the only guy about to build a house in this area, you absolutely would not do it in a known flood plain. But as soon at 10,000 other people do, these guys start a-buildin'.

Sunnyside is one hundred percent the absolute best location in the city and I ain’t going to be scared off living here because of some potential water. Pretty lopsided in favour of everyday conveniences vs a once in decades inconvenience.

The storm water bypass, local storm sewer upgrades, multiple new lift stations, and the river berm raising will reduce the risk significantly anyway.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

The storm water bypass, local storm sewer upgrades, multiple new lift stations, and the river berm raising will reduce the risk significantly anyway.

These same people think the infrastructure for the suburbs is unjustifiable.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i feel that this is mostly not true. I grew up in Winnipeg, and I feel like most homes along the river were larger, older homes. some of the areas not far from these riverfront properties were working class for sure.

i also lived in Kitchener, and as i can recall, the areas clsoer to teh river were more of the haves.

Yes, there are many expensive properties built along the river in Winnipeg. Then again, all of Southern Manitoba is practically in the flood plain.