Real Estate and my anti-NE bias

[MrPlow]

Hi All,

I've grown up in Calgary my entire life but my wife is from BC. We're currently looking for townhouse/houses (Westbrook mall area, south to heritage, north to brentwood) in the ~300-350K range.

She keeps finding these properties in Temple, martindale and all of the other NE communities. Basically all of the communities that my "snob" factor makes me say that they aren't "nice" or ideal for us to buy in

I keep getting called a snob because I am saying things like "they aren't that nice" and "statistically speaking there is more crime in the NE than the SW". Am I right? or am I a snob?

I've been looking on the calgary police service website (their crime report) to get a definitive answer that there is more crime per capita in the NE than anywhere else

Basically... am I right in saying that generally that NE is not as safe as other parts of the city? Or am I just a snob because I grew up in the SE?

[jharp]

snob or not, if you don't feel safe, don't move there

[ExiledFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by MrPlow

Hi All,

I've grown up in Calgary my entire life but my wife is from BC. We're currently looking for townhouse/houses (Westbrook mall area, south to heritage, north to brentwood) in the ~300-350K range.

She keeps finding these properties in Temple, martindale and all of the other NE communities. Basically all of the communities that my "snob" factor makes me say that they aren't "nice" or ideal for us to buy in

I keep getting called a snob because I am saying things like "they aren't that nice" and "statistically speaking there is more crime in the NE than the SW". Am I right? or am I a snob?

I've been looking on the calgary police service website (their crime report) to get a definitive answer that there is more crime per capita in the NE than anywhere else

Basically... am I right in saying that generally that NE is not as safe as other parts of the city? Or am I just a snob because I grew up in the SE?

Funnily enough my Mom and Dad had the exact same conversation when they were looking for a place 25 years ago. My Mom was born and raised in Calgary, my dad moved from outta town.

My Dad saw the value in the NE and my Mom said no way in hell.

They ended up buying in the NW and everything worked out great. Me and my brother are not drug dealers or gangbangers. Sure they got less house but who cares. The house is worth a hell of a lot more than a similar house in the NE now.

Location location location. The NE is not as safe as you can clearly see from crime statistics. The median income is lower, property values are lower, you are very far away from important family things like post secondary schools.

As a born and raised Calgarian you are the expert on real estate here. Things are cheaper for good reason.

[Ducay]

Avoid the NE if you have any stigmization against the NE already. Most people in the NE grew up in the NE, or moved there without knowing what the NE was (ignorance is key). Obviously its not that bad, but if you already don't like it, you won't when you live there.

That said, the area just west (within 2 blocks) of Westbrook is still pretty trashy, you've got to go ~3-4 blocks away to get into nicer parts of Rosscarrock/Westgate.

[Regular_John]

I'd say hop in the car and have dinner up in the NE and then do some cruising around blocks/neighbourhoods you're seeing listings/value in. See how safe you feel and what the neighbourhood is actually like during the evenings.

I have friends in the NE and there are some areas I feel perfectly safe in, and other's that seem a little sketchier after dark.

Or to put that in more PC terms, there's neighbourhoods I could see myself living in, and others I could not.

[shermanator]

I grew up in Temple and I turned out TV...

But seriously, I agree with others in that if you don't feel safe living in the NE, then don't buy there. There's a reason why every single one of my friends, and their parents have moved out of the NE. I think there could be some great finds in individual homes or streets, but the communities as a whole just haven't taken care of themselves over the years.

On the other side of the coin, a few things that could persuade you to at least consider it is that you have almost everything within walking distance (speaking of myself growing up in Temple). All 3 schools, the hospital, countless restaurants, grocery stores, rec centre, etc were within a 30 minute walk. The food is tremendous as well.

[You Need a Thneed]

Having lived in the NE for nearly 35 years, I can honestly say I wouldn't move anywhere else, even if those other places had similar housing prices.

Sure, you have to be a bit selective when picking a street to live on, but that is the same as anywhere else. There's "rougher" areas all around the city.

Crime? Crime is so low everywhere, it not really even worth talking about. I highly doubt its higher than anywhere else in the city, by any significant amount.

Amenities? All readily available.

Transportation options? generally better then anywhere else in the city. The area isn't mostly reliant on one road like many other areas in town are. LRT, and bus routes work well. I can get to most places in the city in a relatively reasonable amount of time.

The multiculturalness of the area is a big factor why I like the area so much. There simply isn't many other places around (frankly, in the entire world) where people of so many cultures mix together and intermingle.

Frankly, I haven't heard a legitimate reason to dislike the NE that's not racist or classist - if you call those "legitimate" reasons.

[MillerTime GFG]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Sure, you have to be a bit selective when picking a street to live on, but that is the same as anywhere else. There's "rougher" areas all around the city.

That's the thing - the NE is a pretty big quadrant. Sure, there are some sketchy neighborhoods in the NE, but the same can be said for any quadrant.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Frankly, I haven't heard a legitimate reason to dislike the NE that's not racist or classist - if you call those "legitimate" reasons.

I've a few different places that are east of Centre but west of Deerfoot. The only reason I don't like the deeper NE is it's so damned flat. Lots of stuff on either side of the Nose Creek valley is great, past that, too flat.

[Righteous1]

Their's been a couple shootings, robberies, drug busts and some drunk driver smoked my parked car once in the last 15 years on my block. Also the guy who used to live across the street from me killed a hooker or something.

Now when I think of it, my block is pretty f'd up. But the immediate neighbors are very polite, I haven't had any problems personally. Plus the location is close to all highways.

I do like the area, I think if I were to move now i'd look to build in Chestermere or Conrich area.

[ExiledFlamesFan]

The NE is definitely exciting. People routinely show up at Peter Lougheed with gunshot or stab wounds. The only hospital in Calgary that you'll see gunshot walk ins.

[rotten42]

Born and raised in the NW. I've lived in Cambrian Heights, Edgemont, Charleswood, Citidel, Rocky Ridge and Royal Oak. I would never live in the NE. I've had some friends that moved out there but all of them moved back within 5 years.

I live the amenities (SAIT, U of C, Foothills and Children's Hospitals, Football stadium)...and the quickest rout out to the mountains. I also like that the NW isn't so strictly gridded like other parts of town. I find when dealing with traffic there are so many more ways to get somewhere.

I'm kicking myself though. I had a house in Charleswood that backed on to a greenbelt and then Nose Hill. It also had a paved back alley that got plowed after any major snow fall. I'm sure we had somebody high up in the City of Calgary streets division living on my street. I bought the place for $134k in 1996. The last time it was on the market it was up for $750k. That's what I get for listening to my (ex)wife.

[calgarywinning]

So the moral of the story is ex-wifes are worse than the NW?

[FireFly]

I currently live in the NE and can't wait to get out. The drivers are especially terrible. My drive home is the worst part of my day. My neighbours aren't awful and the amenities are okay, but the stress of dealing with my whopping 15 minute drive home is what gets me.

[Sliver]

I think it's okay to be classist. That's the reason I wouldn't want to live in the NE. Wouldn't dream of raising my kids there, either.

I'm the only Calgarian I know that has lived in all four quadrants (each for numerous years; not like six months or something). Was raised in Temple until moving to the NW in grade 6. That was in 1987. My mom saw the writing on the wall almost 30 years ago about the NE and she was bang on. Wanted us to move to the NW so we'd be more likely to attend University. Well, everyone of my friends I grew up with in the NW went on to post secondary. A couple of my friends from NE did; most just got jobs after high school and that was that.

Why wouldn't you want to shoot for a higher-class quadrant? People in higher classes generally have better lifestyles than people in lower classes. The NE is lower on the socio-economic class scale. It may sound lame to say that, but a fact is a fact.

With a budget of $350K, you can find plenty anywhere in the city. Settle for less house and more neighbourhood. You'll have a better life and a way better investment.

As for the best quadrants, NW is fine, SW is fine and SE is fine (not Forest Lawn and stuff - most of the lake communities are in the South and there are a lot of reasonably priced homes in the McKenzie area and even further south). I think you'd be nuts to buy in the NE given every other quadrant is better and a better investment.

And on the investment point - we sold our house in Temple for $140k and bought in Dalhousie for $105k ('87). The Dalhousie place was worth about 50% more than the Temple place when I last looked a couple years ago. The Temple house was way nicer at the time, but holy crap the street looks like garbage now compared to the Dalhousie street. Whoever said location location location is bang on.

[PsYcNeT]

Yeah most Anti-NE sentiment in Calgary is racist/classist.

I've even heard anti-NE rhetoric when it concerns neighbourhoods that border Centre St (Beddington, Huntington Hills, Thorncliffe) which is hilariously dumb.

"Oh you want to buy on that side of the road? Well enjoy your home devaluing because of those people."

That said, I've head this from people who live in the SW for literally every other quadrant. Having lived a significant portion of my life in the SW, and then living in both the NW and NE, you hear some awful garbage spewed from SW Calgary residents. It's the biggest group of NIMBY WASP anti-immigrant types you've ever seen.

[#-3]

I don't come to this sub-fourm often, so I missed out on most of this conversation. I was raised in the original properties communities, and my first house was in Martindale couldn't agree more with Thneed.

For some reason people incorporate about 1/2 of the SE with the NE. Anything South of Memorial is not part of the NE. It really has traditionally been the smallest quadrant in the city. With Deerfoot, 16th Ave, Barlow, the LRT, it has always been the easiest place to commute in the city. (stereotyping coming up here, since moving away I have found the drivers in other areas are much much better at driving in general, but traffic is so congested it is harder to commute). Right now the NE the fastest growing part of the city, so I am not sure if it will stay that way.

I also have always refused to look a houses in the SE because I think of the SE north of Glenmore as the most unsafe area of the city, and the deep SE has always struck me as an undesirable place in terms of amenities and commuting.

So I guess its all prospective.

[taco.vidal]

The bolded part is pretty racist and classist itself.

itself

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

Yeah most Anti-NE sentiment in Calgary is racist/classist.

I've even heard anti-NE rhetoric when it concerns neighbourhoods that border Centre St (Beddington, Huntington Hills, Thorncliffe) which is hilariously dumb.

"Oh you want to buy on that side of the road? Well enjoy your home devaluing because of those people."

That said, I've head this from people who live in the SW for literally every other quadrant. Having lived a significant portion of my life in the SW, and then living in both the NW and NE, you hear some awful garbage spewed from SW Calgary residents. It's the biggest group of NIMBY WASP anti-immigrant types you've ever seen.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by #-3

It really has traditionally been the smallest quadrant in the city. With Deerfoot, 16th Ave, Barlow, the LRT, it has always been the easiest place to commute in the city. (stereotyping coming up here, since moving away I have found the drivers in other areas are much much better at driving in general, but traffic is so congested it is harder to commute). Right now the NE the fastest growing part of the city, so I am not sure if it will stay that way.

I grew up in the properties from around the late 80's until 1998. Driving around the NE has always been painful and is getting worse. The main routes (32 Ave, 36 Street, 52 Street, 68 Street, Memorial and McKnight are the most painful roads to drive in terms of traffic, volume and lights.

[terminator]

I'm brown and would not do the NE.

But with that said their are good neighborhoods like Coral or Redwood or whatever.