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.

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

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

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.

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

From time to time, I’m going to focus on communities in and around Calgary as – like all Realtors worth their salt – I’m fascinated by the intricacies and individuality that define them. Today, let’s look at Varsity, which was named Avenue Magazine’s Best Neighbourhood in their 2011 & 2012 features. Encompassing both the University of Calgary and Market Mall, Varsity was established in 1963, and grew throughout the 60s and early 70s to nearly seven square kilometres. Varsity’s population grew a little over 1% from 2011 to 2012, to about 12,200 people, with a median household income of nearly $59,000.

About a third of the residences in Varsity are rentals, which makes sense given its close proximity to the University; the average home was assessed at $527,000 in 2012, while condos averaged $238,000. Varsity supports three public elementary schools, a public junior high, and a Catholic elementary and high school.

Gord Smith, the general manager of the Varsity Community Association, has sat on the Better Business Bureau’s board of directors for many years. The Association hosts a wide variety of activities, including Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and a Good Samaritans program where volunteers help local seniors with daily tasks and chores.

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

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