Calgary where to move?

Question

My girlfreind and I are in the process of immigrating to Canada, we are 30 ish and have a baby what do you think would be a good area of Calgary for us to live?

Thank you everyone for your answers, very helpful. I don't understand however why people have given you all the thumbs down!

Answer 1

Well this depends on a number of factors, probably the most important being what can you afford? And are you looking to buy a house, or rent?

Also, do you have a job lined up? Do you want to be located nearby to your job site?

If you are looking to buy, this website will allow you to browse all the available homes on the market in Calgary:
http://www.mls.ca/map.aspx?AreaID=6266

Renting? There are several website you can check, including:
http://relocatecanada.com/calgary/rentals.html
http://www.rentfaster.ca/calgary.php
http://www.homebase.ca/home/browse/class/Calgary/Rental/900/Homes_and_Condos_for_Rent.html
http://www.homerent.ca/rent/ABC/?r_=1

If you find a community that interests you and you are curious about crime stats in the area, the Calgary Police website keeps such stats up to date:
http://calgarypolice.ca/news/stats_community.html

If you have any other specific questions, let us know by editing your question with addtional details.

Welcome to Calgary.

Answer 2

I have lived in Calgary twice. Both the NW and SW quadrants are good. I would recommend the area around Kensington in the NW. It is relatively hip for Calgary and is fairly central. Downtown is close and you are a short drive away from Banff.

17th Ave SW (between 14 St SW & 2 St SE) is also morphing into a trendy part of the city. A lot of good restaurants and shops can be found in this area. Both Kensington and 17th should be good areas to start with for a young couple new to the city.

Answer 3

It depends on how much money you'll be earning. Basically, the further west you move the more expensive it is. However, further west equals safer and (if this matters) more white. I personally prefer the northwest. On the east side of the city less than 65% of the population speaks English at home. This could become an issue when you want to put your kid in school. I live close to the university in the northwest (but I rent). If you want to buy in this area you're looking at about $800,000 for a house. In the Dalhousie area (where I work), which is at the northwest end of the C-Train line houses cost about $425,000 and you can get a condo for about $250,000. The cost of living is astronomical here. MAKE SURE you can pay for what you get yourself into!

Answer 4

I am not sure if you already have a job or not, nor if you have checked housing prices in Calgary lately. Depending on which survey you believe, it is somewhere between number 1 and 3 for most expensive cities to live in in Canada.

We moved from Canmore to Calgary and chose the NW. Getting downtown is painful, but not bad from the NW, but most importantly - it's a close shot back to Canmore/Banff!

I lived in the NE for a while - did not like it. I also have friends in the South but the traffic to get downtown is insane - the infrastructure is terrible.

Hope that helps.

m

Answer 5

Excellent. Calgary is booming because of the high price of oil. You should find it easier to get a job there.

Welcome to Canada!