What are suitable suburbs in calgary for family living?

Question

We will be relocating to Calgary by the end of next month...family of 4(husband, wife and 2 kids)

Let me know which communities to prefer in terms of family living.

Also which communities have better public schools and whether it is a good idea to find a home near those localities.

Do the schools have waiting lists or children can be accomodated easily into school ( age 12 and 4)

Which of the neighbourhoods are considered a bit unsafe generally?

Answer 1

The follwing info is something I provided in the past for another Yahoo question regarding different levels of income in relation to where to settle in the Calgary area. It might provide some of the info you are looking for:

Calgary is basically separated into four quadrants: NW, NE, SE, and SW.

Broken down into the four quadrants, here are the pro's and cons of each:

NW - Very desirable area, good schools, close to university and technical college, excellent proximity to mountains (which results in excellent mountain views from most of the communities in this quadrant), hilly (as opposed to flat), very good access to downtown (corporate sector), good access to LRT (Calgary's public transit train system), fairly expensive homes (approx $450K to $700K for an average home). Some of the most desirable family communities in the NE are Tuscany, Royal Oak, Arbour Lake, Citadel, Rocky Ridge, Edgemont, Hamptons.

NE - Lots of ethnic shops, schools, churches (the vast majority of Calgary's muslim community resides in the NE), highest crime rate in Calgary, good access to downtown and LRT, not very close to post secondary institutions, flat as opposed to hilly, least expensive area for homes (approx. $250K to $400K for an average home), good access to the airport (which can also mean increased noise). A fair bit of industrial businesses call the NE home. Some of the "least desirable" areas in the NE are Martindale, Taradale, Falconridge, Pineridge, Marlborough. Some of the better NE communities would include Panaroma Hills, Coventry Hills, Harvest Hills and Evanston.

SE - This one's tricky... the further South you go in SE, the nicer the areas tend to be, like Douglasdale, Lake Chapparal, New Brighton, Lake Bonavista and Parkland (all of which have homes in the $500K to 900K range) but all of which also have some serious commuting issues to getting downtown. The shopping and schools are good there, but there's limited access to post secondary. The further East you go in SE, the scarier the neighborhoods get - Dover, Forestlawn, Forest Heights and Pembrooke should be avoided if at all possible - though these areas are the cheapest (houses range from $180K to about $250K) that comes with a multitude of problems that just aren't worth it if you can avoid that area. Additionally, the bulk of Calgary's industrial sector is in the SE.

SW - Desirable area, with good access to both downtown and the mountains (and the promise of a new LRT route being built in the next few years to that area, improving the access to downtown even more), good shopping and schools, good access to Mount Royal College, some issues with Native Tribes concerning a future "ring road" planning to be built through native lands, some flat and some hilly areas, fairly expensive housing (approx $450K to $800K for an average home. Some of the most desirable (And expensive - $800k plus!!) communities in the SW include Licoln Park, Palliser, Pumphill, Strathcona, St Andrews Heights and Tanglewood. Some of the more modest communities in the SW include Cedarbrae, Woodbine, Shawnessy and Sundance.

Rent in each of these areas will vary, of course, but on average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1000/mth to $1800/mth for an average 2 or 3 bedroom condo, not including any utilities, and considerably more if you're thinking of renting a house. If you're looking for ultra cheap, then you might be better off renting a room in someone's home (approx $400 - $500/month), or perhaps a shared accomodation setting (around $500 - $800/month).

Now, having said all that, where you eventually settle will depend a lot on your personal preferences. Personally, I live in the NW and I really like it up there - hubby and I both work downtown, and our morning commute takes about 25 minutes... slightly longer to get home in the afternoon. Great schools for our teens, and close to the University when the time comes. Aside from private schools, there are no waiting lists for schools in Calgary.  Excellent shopping and recreational facilities. Love going camping in the mountains during the summer, and skiing in the winter. You could choose to settle in one of Calgary's "bedroom" communities, like Okotoks (south of Calgary), Airdrie (North), Chestermere or Strathmore (both East), or Cochrane (West), but the housing prices are about the same, and the extra commuting time can make it prohibitive.

Hope this helps... and welcome to Calgary!!

Answer 2

Well, there are some pretty nice towns or smaller centres only about 10 mins outside of Calgary.  I don't consider them towns anymore...they have every service you need including police, hospitals, grocery stores, hockey rinks, pools, gyms, shopping centres (Wal-mart, Canadian Tire's, etc.).  Cochrane to the west, Airdrie to the north and Okotoks to the south.  I live in Okotoks and love it here.  I work as a teacher in the public division and no there are generally no waiting lists for children to get into new schools.

McKenzie Towne in SE Calgary is my favorite community in Calgary.....Evergreen and BridalWood are in the SW and I like these communities as well.  I am bais though to the south communities...as they are the ones that are closest to where I live.

Answer 3

All the suburbs away from the city center are good. Just look for ones in the same quadrant where you will work. That is, SW, NW, SE or NE. If you have to drive between quadrants to get to work, you will regret the choice within a week.

There is an old neighborhood near the Stampede grounds that is a little run down, but really, Calgary has no really unsafe neighborhoods. Really, Calgary is a great place to raise a family though my personal preference is the NW quadrant, up near the University.

Just try to avoid commuting to work on Crowchild to the North West.

As for schools, if you are a legitimate resident of a certain school's catchment area, they will make space for them. The schools in Alberta are uniformly excellent.