Has Calgary lost it's appeal?

[tanguay'sstillgood]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

dude im in a wheelchair and I'm not nervous goin downtown.

Nobody's gonna try to pick a fight with someone in a wheelchair. And it's not all that fun to have to worry about looking at someone the wrong way and having them flip out. I commend you on your bravery, however.

[tanguay'sstillgood]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Where in Canada though? That's the thing- once you leave Canada you have all sorts of issues with immigration, language can be an issue. Whereas when I moved here, a buddy told me he was moving to Calgary, and I said "heck, why don't I move there too."

Well, if you want to stay in a bigger city, then you guys have a good arguement. But, if your willing to live somewhere smaller, there are a lot of places west of here that offer what I mentioned before you get too close to serious earthquake territory, that's what I was getting at.

[icarus]

It has lost much of its appeal for me. I can live here in Sydney, one of the great cities of the world in every regard, for less than it would cost me to live in Calgary. Calgary is my home, but after spending the summer in Calgary I am happy to stay away from there for a few more years still.

[Flames in 07]

For me, Calgary is just starting to be my kind of town.

I've lived here my entire life and really didn't like the small town feel. Now living downtown is becoming desireable, restaurants are better, more entertainment options and the airport is connected to the world.

The only negative for me is how many people in town don't know how to deal with big cities. Nobody thinks ahead and figures out how to be efficient.

However I would say that I wouldn't like it if I was in the service industry and had to deal with people in that kind of relationship all day.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by housejunk

Born in Calgary, lived there for 22 years. I've lived in Van for the last 5 years and except for friends and family (and the Flames), I can't imagine ever moving back.

My stories exactly the same except change the numbers to 23 and 4 months. Too soon to tell for sure though

[Jayems]

After just having spend 2 days in edmonton, i can tell you that that city pisses me off more than calgary ever has. Dual turning lanes on green, people have absolutely no idea how to drive up there... and even worse than Calgary (yes.. I know. hard to believe). Pedestrians just j-walk where ever they want... dear god. I hate that city.. and not just a biased Calgary view either. It honestly sucks.

[FireFly]

If I could find a decent job and reasonable rent in a different city, I'd be out of here. Don't get me wrong, I love this city, but it seems that either the people moving here are idiots, or people have become idiots with more people around them. The city has not dealt well with growth.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

For me, Calgary is just starting to be my kind of town.

I've lived here my entire life and really didn't like the small town feel. Now living downtown is becoming desireable, restaurants are better, more entertainment options and the airport is connected to the world.

The only negative for me is how many people in town don't know how to deal with big cities. Nobody thinks ahead and figures out how to be efficient.

However I would say that I wouldn't like it if I was in the service industry and had to deal with people in that kind of relationship all day.

###. There's too many people here from small towns. You can tell by how they merge onto freeways ie Crowchild, Deerfoot, and Glenmore. In addition to being freaked out by big roads and traffic these people also limit our entertainment scene as Kris Kotasrski in the Herald mentioned (I rarely agree with anything the guy says but he has a point here) 'Hey if you come from Carstairs, Calgary is an entertainment mecca however compared to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal it's very lacking.'

[Hakan]

Moved to Vancouver 5 years ago and would never move back to Calgary.

[Regorium]

I've been living in Toronto for university, and I would never imagine going back to Calgary after I graduate.

I live in a Condo, and the whole urban lifestyle is just my thing. It's not something you can duplicate in Calgary.

[Ozy_Flame]

I got back from travelling and realized that this city is not for me. I was born and raised, and I am looking for the next opportunity to slip out the door and probably never return to live again, unless something miraculous happened.

It's just too expensive, too hectic, and not enough culture for me too stay much longer. I'm hoping to go work in Asia for a while.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I got back from travelling and realized that this city is not for me. I was born and raised, and I am looking for the next opportunity to slip out the door and probably never return to live again, unless something miraculous happened.

It's just too expensive, too hectic, and not enough culture for me too stay much longer. I'm hoping to go work in Asia for a while.

Count me in on the 'you can't go home again' category too. It's hard after having lived in a much bigger city with more history and culture to go back to Calgary, which is really just a smallish city with a big footprint and oodles of suburbs, traffic lights and identical mini-malls. There's still lots to love about Calgary, but I can't imagine myself living there again for a long time. Still, you never know how you'll feel a few more years down the line of living in big, packed cities like those in Asia.

[octothorp]

I like Calgary a lot, but I live in Sunnyside and work downtown, and other than playing softball, I am rarely further away from the core than a five minute drive. I think my wife and I are going to stay here another three-to-five years, and then move elsewhere (american city like San Fran or Boston, or possibly to europe) for a couple years. We'll probably keep our house in Calgary so we have the option of returning, but we'll see how we feel after a couple years living elsewhere.

[Reaper]

While there is an increased ######bag-factor in Calgary, I am a Calgarian who moved here in 1996 from the B.C. lower mainland. I have zero desire to move back there as I hate the weather (slit your wrists because you haven't seen the sun for longer than a 30 minute stretch from October until April) and hate the smugness (the whole "our city is so beautiful and wherever you are from is obviously ugly). I am just finishing school for a profession that is really centred around the Oil and Gas Industry so I'm not leaving any time soon. Please leave if you don't like it so I can buy your house to use as rental property as the population continues to boom here.

[burn_baby_burn]

People complain about how busy Red Deer is getting. I tell them, anytime you feel that Red Deer is getting too busy and you can't stand it anymore. Head to Calgary or Edmonton for the day. Red Deer seems like paradise in comparison.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Still, you never know how you'll feel a few more years down the line of living in big, packed cities like those in Asia.

That's true, and I don't plan to live there forever. I'll come back to Canada in due time, as I think if you have a Canadian citizenship you better use it because it's a privledge to live here. However, I know I can live in Tokyo or Hong Kong and love it for what it is; I've travelled extensively and I can honestly say that cities of that magnitude are far more appealing to live in because of their size and what's available. You just have to be street smart, that's all.

Actually it's probably best to get street smart in Calgary these days, we're starting rack up the homicide count and the senseless violence of a bigger city.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by icarus

It has lost much of its appeal for me. I can live here in Sydney, one of the great cities of the world in every regard, for less than it would cost me to live in Calgary. Calgary is my home, but after spending the summer in Calgary I am happy to stay away from there for a few more years still.

###.

I'd love to live in Sydney... passed through there for four days back in February and was astounded by it. I don't know where to start, however, when looking for a move down there. Oh well.

I'm also becoming extremely disenchanted with Calgary. I was also born and raised here, but after traveling around the world and seeing what other places have to offer, its hard not to consider a move. If you only live once, why would you not want to try living in different locales and cultures? There's far more interesting places than Calgary; especially right now when, despite its economy, it's changing at such a rapid rate and there's no distinct feel to this city. Seems like a place that's good to raise kids in and that's it.

I'm really considering a move back to Auckland or even to Brisbane or Sydney... so many things you can do, the culture there is not so 'workaholic' as it is here, and the atmosphere is generally more relaxed and friendly (as I found, anyways). I loved my time in New Zealand so much. Work in a fun donwtown environment during the workweek, go skydiving / surfing / daytripping on the weekends. Oh yes... and a huge rally racing environment and palm trees everywhere are a plus!

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by FireFly

If I could find a decent job and reasonable rent in a different city, I'd be out of here. Don't get me wrong, I love this city, but it seems that either the people moving here are idiots, or people have become idiots with more people around them. The city has not dealt well with growth.

###.

There is still alot this city and area has to offer, but I am finding that while being in the middle of such a hot economy, people tend to have blinders put on them. A lot of the charm retreats as people fight for their piece of the pie and then consider what they are to do with it. There is so much going on in such a short time span that it is no wonder that some people are fed up. Yet, how on earth can you expect people not to do what they are doing right now?

I was born and raised here and it is starting to cross my mind more and more what life would be like elsewhere. Part of it is the recent hustle and bustle taking away from what we used to know Calgary as, the other part of it is the doomsayers always warning that "what goes up, must come down". Obviously, no one wants to squander the boom this time around, and no one knows when it is going to go down (but I think we all understand that it will leave someday). Deep down, my considerations come more from the worry about losing what I have fallen into moreso than the quality of the city deteriorating. I still believe that this city is great and that the people who live here with me share compassion and love for each other and the town they call home.

What Firefly said captures it for me - we are simply not responding to growth well. This is upsetting to me, because it in trying times (and having the economy anywhere but down the middle qualifies as trying times for me) the true, underlying character of people (or groups of people) come to light. I used to like to think that Calgary was a fine community and a great place to live - now it seems everyone is only concerned about money. I am no different, as this is my prime focus right now, so who am I to complain? I try not to - but there is definitely a part inside of me that is hungry for something that I am not getting here right now. I am too immature to know what that is, I suppose, but the pangs are obvious.

I think what it comes down to is that we are seeing a conflict between self and community. I have Bronco as a mayor because he is enabling a rapid growth that does not have much thought put behind it, but who am I kidding if I say that there has been true resistance to how this city has been developed in the past 5 years?

I hope that more and more people come down from the high and can touch base with their fellow citizen and re-build some of the intangible "community" that has been neglected for the last few years. But as I bitch about this, I am drawn to the thought that "you must become the change you want to see in the world", so it is meaningless to put the responsibility on the weight of imaginary shoulders.

The point of my ramblings is that I think that deep down, the character of this city will cause people to pause and start to put more time and effort into each other, as opposed to themselves. It is necessary - in my mind it is the only way that Calgary (and Alberta) will truly prosper from the boom for a prolonged period of time.

Yet, I do not think that long term prosperity for Calgary is important to everyone that is here. The people that don't care are leaving - protecting the bounty that this windfall has afforded them. This is selfish, but can you blame them? Can you expect everyone to stay? Also, not everyone that is coming to this city or province to work have the intentions to make where they are going a better place to live.

I am urging that if you do feel that Calgary has lost its appeal and want it to change, keep the idea that you are working not only for yourself, but also to improve what you can for others in your heart every day and you will find that the city will be back to its old self in no time.

[arsenal]

I have lived here all my life, born and raised calgarin, but if the opportunity for me to move to another city arose, I would take it in a heart beat.

It seems like Calgary right now is an adolescent trying to find themselves. The city has just gone through a major growth spurt, and its trying to get handle on what to do next, and find it's place on the world stage.

Until Calgary can shake the "Hick town" persona, and show that is a world class city, things like entertainment will always be lacking in Calgary. Unless you are a fan of festivals... god i hate those things..

[Joborule]

Seems like everyone agrees on eon thing. Calgary lacks a cultural vibe. And it's not being taken seriously enough by administrators of the city yet. If they started bringing it to the front of the to do list more, then Calgary can have more of a cultural feeling to it and get away from the dead street life vibe after rush hour.