Calgary Real Estate Blog

Close to SAIT, a quick trip across the Peace Bridge from downtown, and walking distance to some of the city’s trendiest restaurants and coffee shops, Hillhurst is a young couple’s dream community, evidenced by the fact that nearly 80 percent of its residents are single or couples. Hillhurst is celebrating its centennial this year, making it one of the city’s oldest communities. Nearly 6,300 people live in the community, which measures a little under one square kilometre.

Aside from great eating and drinking, Hillhurst residents take full advantage of the 20-acre Riley Park, as well as an active community association that organizes youth soccer, an annual comic book sale, flea markets and seniors groups. The community hall is one of Calgary’s bigger ones, with two licensed kitchens, a gym, board rooms, three halls, craft areas, and more; they even have their own bouncy castle to rent out for birthday parties.

Hillhurst was among the communities affected by 2013’s flood, and the community association offers extensive resources regarding flood recovery on its website. Much of the area is back to pre-flood condition however.

With both public and separate school options for elementary through high school, Avenue Magazine’s annual survey declared Hillhurst the fifth-best neighbourhood in Calgary for 2013.

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Acadia is a southeast community that a little over 10,000 people call home. The 53 year-old neighbourhood – voted Calgary’s second-best (after Arbour Lake) by Avenue magazine in 2013 – is served by a long list of schools, businesses, and recreational facilities, including the community hall and curling rink. With quick access to the Bow River, walkers and cyclists have plenty of opportunities to get out and about, while the close proximity to Macleod Trail and Heritage Drive means commutes are pretty straightforward.

Avenue Magazine cited the nine schools, rec centre (including a pool), and multiple nearby services as reasons for this to be the city’s second-best place in which to live.

Acadia is a growing community, with its population going up nearly one percent year-over-year, and a little over half the homes are owner-occupied.

To see homes available in Acadia, do a Quick Search.

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When you think of Calgary, you don’t often think of sandy beaches, paddleboating, or fishing, especially within the city limits. But residents of the city’s upscale Lake Bonavista community get to enjoy these activities at their leisure (at least, when the weather cooperates).

This nearly fifty year-old neighbourhood was one of our country’s first to be built around a man-made lake (others followed suit, including in Calgary). Beginning as a trailer park, it has grown to house more than 10,000 residents with a median income over $100,000. Served by four local elementary schools and three junior highs, Lake Bonavista is a great place for young families.

With stores and restaurants (including the renowned Newport Grill), easy access to major thoroughfares, and a well appointed community centre, offering two skating rinks, a gym, and multipurpose rooms, Lake Bonavista is rich with amenities, but it’s most prominent feature is the lake itself and its associated benefits.

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The 35 year-old community of Edgemont, in Calgary’s northwest quadrant, is one of the city’s largest, boasting a population of nearly 16,000 in 2012. Butting right up against the formidable Nose Hill Park, Edgemont residents have access to some of the most extensive hiking trails available within the city limits of any North American community.

Edgemont has an active community association, hosting business expos, craft sales, a skate park, and hall rentals. Kids in Edgemont attend one of three schools in the community through junior high, then move on to nearby Sir Winston Churchill and Saint Francis high schools.

Median household income in the community is on the high side, about $88,000, with about a third of the residents having immigrated from other countries.

To see homes available in Edgemont, do a Quick Search.

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Mount Royal is one of Calgary’s most wealthy neighbourhoods, and as such is home to some of the most stunning real estate in the city; in the mid-2000s, one family that owned three adjacent lots was profiled in the Calgary Herald for its plans to construct one massive home in the style of the Chateau Lake Louise.  The economic downturn in 2008 put a hold on those plans, but it still gives an idea of the imagination (and resources) with which property is approached here.

Located in the southwest, Mount Royal was originally called “American Hill” due to the large proportion of US-immigrants who chose to reside there. Just under 3200 people currently call Mount Royal home, served by the public schools Earl Grey Elementary and Mount Royal Junior High. The community is split into Lower Mount Royal, which is mostly comprised of condominiums and townhomes, and Upper Mount Royal, which is almost entirely single family homes; median income in Upper Mount Royal is nearly four times that of Lower Mount Royal.

With its close proximity to downtown and the bustling strip of 17th Avenue SW, amenities are plentiful in Mount Royal, with a vast selection of restaurants to choose from and a complete compliment of cultural opportunities. Additionally, Elbow Drive provides easy access to Chinook Mall and other nearby attractions. Residents may also access the Glencoe Club, a private sports and recreation facility serving Mount Royal and Elbow Park, founded in 1931.

To see homes available in Mount Royal, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on Mount Royal, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.

The northwest community of Bowness has a pretty fascinating history, being one of a few Calgary neighbourhoods that was originally a town unto itself before becoming amalgamated into the city proper. Indeed, there is evidence of native peoples inhabiting the Bowness area more than 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age.

In the early 1900s, after changing hands several times, Bowness was purchased by an English inventor who developed the land, put in a bridge, and arranged for transit service to Calgary in exchange for donating what is now known as Bowness park to the city. The community grew, slowly, until it became part of Calgary in the early 1960s.

Bowness is now a thriving and diverse community, home to more than 11,000 people with a median household income of just over $40,000. About a third of the residents live in condos or townhomes. Those who call Bowness home enjoy the many recreation opportunities available at the Bowness Community Hall and Sportsplex, which includes an ice rink, meeting rooms, and one of the largest halls in Calgary. Outdoors, there’s the aforementioned Bowness park and the Bowness Golf and Country Club.

The community is close to the mountains, but also adjacent to 16th Avenue for easy travel downtown, or connection to southern routes like Sarcee Trail. 

To see homes available in Bowness, do a Quick Search. 

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The name Palliser is used in a few contexts in Alberta, thanks to the significance of explorer John Palliser’s efforts to map western Canada. One such namesake is Calgary’s nearly 50 year-old community of Palliser, in the city’s southwest.

There’s a focus on outdoor recreation opportunities in Palliser, located as it is along the edge of the Glenmore Reservoir and near the Weaselhead Flats: hiking, boating, and more are within easy reach of Palliser residents. Further, the Heritage Park historical village is in the same vicinity, with its renowned Sunday brunch (once frequented by Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff), rides for the kids, and ambience linked to our shared history. With Heritage Drive, Glenmore Drive. Crowchild Trail, and Macleod Drive all nearby, this community is an easy drive from nearly all Calgary has to offer.

Served by four elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools (including public, separate, and private options), Palliser has an abundance of options for the 400 or so school-age children in the neighbourhood. Its population has remained steady in recent years – growing only 0.3% from 2007-2011, compared with the city’s 7% growth overall – and so its a good place for people looking to put down roots and build relationships with neighbours.

To see homes available in Palliser, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on Palliser, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.

For this installment, let’s look at another wonderful community on the city’s edge, Woodbine. Bordering on the Tsuu T’ina First Nation in Calgary’s Southwest, Woodbine is a 33 year-old community 10,000 people strong, that’s become popular with higher income earners (median income is in the mid-$80,000s) and those appreciating quick access to mountain getaways.

The Woodcreek Community Association recently completed an addition to its popular community centre, making it even more versatile for the varied groups using the facility; Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, a Lions club, seniors groups, and the Bulldogs football club are just some taking advantage of the centre’s playing fields, tennis courts, skating rinks, halls, boardrooms, and other amenities.

Within Woodbine’s 3.5 square kilometres is also a karate studio, a dance studio, and a fitness centre, along with both public and separate elementary schools. Fish Creek Park and Glenmore Park are both in close proximity.

One attractive feature of Woodbine is it’s low crime rate compared to the rest of Calgary: in 2006 and 2007, the community recorded the lowest person and property crime rates in the city, according to the Calgary Police Service.

To see homes available in Woodbine, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on Woodbine, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.

Another of the city’s more populous neighbourhoods, the 22 year-old community of Coventry Hills is home to nearly 16,000 people, with a well above-average median income and a large number of families (almost a third of all residents are under the age of 19). Located in Calgary’s north-east, Coventry Hills is near the northernmost limit of the city. However, having Deerfoot Trail, Sarcee Trail, and Country Hills Boulevard on its borders, commuting time is less than you might expect, which somewhat explains the popularity of this suburban community.

Children in Coventry Hills attend one of five elementary schools, four junior highs, and three high schools in the public, separate, and private systems. Represented by the Northern Hills Community Association, residents have access to community garden plots, inspirational speaker events, and other activities. The northern location also has easy access to Crossiron Mills shopping centre, including restaurants and a state-of-the-art movie theatre.

Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, Inglewood was established along the Bow River in 1875. Its obviously central location means its in the heart of everything: while Fort Calgary was, you know, a fort when Inglewood was first established, now it’s a perennial tourist attraction; Inglewood is also near the Zoo, plenty of shopping, the downtown core, natural walking areas, and Spolumbo’s!

Home to nearly 3500 people, Inglewood is a bustling community with a lively arts and culture scene. The Inglewood BRZ – slogan: Calgary’s Original Main Street – runs an up-to-date website listing all the happenings and opportunities in the area. The Inglewood Community Association features a three-room hall available for rental to residents.

Median income is close to the city’s average, around $60,000 per year, and nearly half of all residents are in the 25-44 age range.

To see homes available in Inglewood, do a Quick Search.

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