Move to Calgary?
#16
Every day's a school day
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Was Calgary back in Edmonton again !!
Posts: 2,667
Re: Move to Calgary?
Having lived here for 2 years i would agree with Calgary being a boring place to live...nothing much happens here..people are quiet and boring too..yes the Rockies are on the door step..but once you have seen one mountain you have seen them all...weather is nice though..very little rain and lots of sunshine which gets a big thumbs up.
If you compared cities to a school classroom..then London and New York would be the cool kids that everybody wanted to hang out with..Calgary would be the class swat never got in trouble and got good grades..a bit of nerd with not too many friends..nobody disliked them or liked them either.
If you compared cities to a school classroom..then London and New York would be the cool kids that everybody wanted to hang out with..Calgary would be the class swat never got in trouble and got good grades..a bit of nerd with not too many friends..nobody disliked them or liked them either.
#17
Re: Move to Calgary?
I agree with cheeky_monkey. I lived in Calgary for 2 years with my family and while we certainly made the most of it (i.e. the proximity to the Rockies for hiking, camping and skiing) we always knew it would never be somewhere we could settle - it really is a very shallow, boring and isolated place. Sorry if that offends anyone.
I have never been to Perth WA, but lots of people have told me that "oh you must try to get on a project there! It's marvellous!" I expect that it is very like Calgary... long way from anywhere, very dull and suburban, and full of people trying to validate their reasons for being there.
I have never been to Perth WA, but lots of people have told me that "oh you must try to get on a project there! It's marvellous!" I expect that it is very like Calgary... long way from anywhere, very dull and suburban, and full of people trying to validate their reasons for being there.
#18
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Move to Calgary?
There's some ex-Calgarians at work, they say something similar.
#19
Re: Move to Calgary?
It must be a step up from certain places I've been. Never been to Calgary but it's on my list of 'visit' places just not very high up.
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Airdrie, AB
Posts: 111
Re: Move to Calgary?
I agree with Geordie Lass, been here 5.1/2 yrs and love it. Wouldn't wanna be anywhere else.
Can always find something to do. OH is getting involved in Rugby so he's happy, 17yr old daughter loves school and has some great friends and is going on a road trip to see 1D in TO in the summer.
We have some fab Canadian friends along with a couple of Brit friends. We were made to feel at home from the start and can't imagine we would ever live anywhere else now, think we're here for good.
KAT
Can always find something to do. OH is getting involved in Rugby so he's happy, 17yr old daughter loves school and has some great friends and is going on a road trip to see 1D in TO in the summer.
We have some fab Canadian friends along with a couple of Brit friends. We were made to feel at home from the start and can't imagine we would ever live anywhere else now, think we're here for good.
KAT
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 133
Re: Move to Calgary?
I don't think all the planning and research in the world prepares you for living it!! Don't fermented wrong I love the blue sky's and sun , some days I look outside and it's like being on a summer holiday, then you get out the door and it's a bloody rude awakening ! I'm one of these that will walk the dog no matter what as she needs excercising, I look like a right Wally though in so many layers and I'm heavily pregnant to, I'd scare young kids I reckon ! If I didn't have a little freezing dog and 2 young kids to take out in it, reckon I'd fare much better on my own !!
#22
Re: Move to Calgary?
The houses are really crammed in as you mention, from my living room I can see right through my kitchen window, through my back neighbor's house and out their front window.
I'm happy enough with where I am right now, and don't have any immediate plans to go anywhere but I couldn't imagine raising a family here...I don't think I'd want my kids to grow up as Calgarians
I'm happy enough with where I am right now, and don't have any immediate plans to go anywhere but I couldn't imagine raising a family here...I don't think I'd want my kids to grow up as Calgarians
I got married to a girl from Edmonton 2 years ago, we have no kids yet as we were waiting on my PR completing, but we're planning to start a family soon. (We've been practicing with two cats first, all indications are good that we can cope with kids). I told her it was a deal breaker that we needed to move within the next 3 years, before we got married. Why? I'd been here long enough to realize I needed to be beside the ocean again, being landlocked makes me uneasy. Added to that is the winter in AB, which effectively shuts down access to most of the places i like to drive to during the better weather! Having said all that, you're never going to understand this in your first couple of years, it's a new country and lots to find out. But once you've found it out you're left with the fact that there's not really any depth to either Calgary or Edmonton. There's no real downtown and there's certainly no culture in the way that we would understand it back home, which is not a fault of either City, just doesn't help me want to stay here. I'm not sure either, as the OP said, that it's somewhere i'd want to bring up my kids. Just my two cents: from several travels to Vancouver Island/Victoria and Vancouver there's more diversity and better weather and i'm willing to pay for it. Whatever floats your boat, this is just one person's verdict of AB after a few years.
I will say that i'd rather have an adventure and make a mistake...than never having tried at all...but you already get that part
#23
Re: Move to Calgary?
Having lived here for 2 years i would agree with Calgary being a boring place to live...nothing much happens here..people are quiet and boring too..yes the Rockies are on the door step..but once you have seen one mountain you have seen them all...weather is nice though..very little rain and lots of sunshine which gets a big thumbs up.
If you compared cities to a school classroom..then London and New York would be the cool kids that everybody wanted to hang out with..Calgary would be the class swat never got in trouble and got good grades..a bit of nerd with not too many friends..nobody disliked them or liked them either.
If you compared cities to a school classroom..then London and New York would be the cool kids that everybody wanted to hang out with..Calgary would be the class swat never got in trouble and got good grades..a bit of nerd with not too many friends..nobody disliked them or liked them either.
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 66
Re: Move to Calgary?
Hi everyone
We aren't exactly new to the moving scene :-) Moved from the UK to NZ and now living in Perth, Australia.
Canada and Calgary was our first choice of places to move to but due to time-frames for getting in and the "chicken and egg" scenario with getting a job and visa we ended up moving to the other side of the planet!
Due to a number of factors we might be looking to moving back to the UK next year.
Before committing (in my case reluctantly) to moving back to the UK, I thought we would entertain the idea of Calgary again.
I now work for an international company so there might be hope of a transfer. Failing that I would have to look at all the Visa's on offer.
We have been to Calgary a few times but only on winter holidays. I would love to hear from people who have moved there and would pass on their thoughts (good and bad) of what Calgary is like as a place to live, especially for a young family (children are 4 and 5).
I know opinions are personal so if a couple of people wouldn't mind replying to this thread or even messaging me it would be much appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Wayne and Co.
We aren't exactly new to the moving scene :-) Moved from the UK to NZ and now living in Perth, Australia.
Canada and Calgary was our first choice of places to move to but due to time-frames for getting in and the "chicken and egg" scenario with getting a job and visa we ended up moving to the other side of the planet!
Due to a number of factors we might be looking to moving back to the UK next year.
Before committing (in my case reluctantly) to moving back to the UK, I thought we would entertain the idea of Calgary again.
I now work for an international company so there might be hope of a transfer. Failing that I would have to look at all the Visa's on offer.
We have been to Calgary a few times but only on winter holidays. I would love to hear from people who have moved there and would pass on their thoughts (good and bad) of what Calgary is like as a place to live, especially for a young family (children are 4 and 5).
I know opinions are personal so if a couple of people wouldn't mind replying to this thread or even messaging me it would be much appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Wayne and Co.
I have always liked Calgary but never really loved it. The weather is appalling, people can say 'oh bundle up, it's not that bad' but it really is that bad. It's 6-7 months of solid winter. Taking your kids trick or tearing is a nightmare. This year we had hardly any chinooks and the snow never went away and lots of -25 days which makes it very hard to get out for a walk with my dog and 2 children. They are 2.5 yrs and 5 months so I'm not bundling them up to go for a walk when the windchill is -44.
The city is nice and clean, nice restaurants and shops but not much for real culture, unless you like cowboys and rodeos. I personally don't enjoy the stampede but each to their own.
I don't meet that many original calgarians, it's a very transient city. But I have rarely met bad people. They are usually friendly and helpful and I like that about Calgary. My neighbours are awesome people and we have made so many friends living here.
If you are into winter sports it's great. I really love being near banff and lake Louise, I've been numerous times over the last 8 years and will never ever get bored of the hikes and views, it's absolutely stunning. I don't ski but my husband does so it's nice to be near the hills.
I love the summers here, the weather is usually really nice. Only problem is that the are a million skanky girls in Calgary walking around in bikinis. That's due to so many rig guys living here and they are desperate to bag a man with money. Sorry to be crass but it's totally true lol.
So it's definitely a personal thing, I'm now looking at either moving back to the uk or onto a different city as I'm tired of the traffic here and the weather, it's starting to get me down, especially with the long winter and having the kids stuck inside so much.
Good luck with whatever you decide
Btw I loved reading the other things about Calgary, very interesting.
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Arnhem, Netherlands
Posts: 287
Re: Move to Calgary?
We have lived in Calgary for almost eight years. Prior to that we lived for three years in France and about three years in Germany....I am originally from London.
What I miss about Europe (aside of the regular friends and family) is the variety - food, landscapes, weather etc etc. We are thinking about moving on in the next year or so - not because of Calgary but just because it is a big world out there. I have been thinking about what I will miss about being here and I am a bit surprised that there are more things than I thought there would be....
When we moved here my boys were three yrs old and eleven weeks old. They have grown up in a street where all the kids get to play outside (weather permitting!!) and all those kids have parents who have taken an interest in my kids. When we go to dinner with friends we go as a family so I don't have to bother with babysitters!! My boys go to an excellent school with teachers who hug them and praise them and are allowed to be strict when required. Generally I find Calgarians to be friendly but not exactly full of life - that said I have made some very good friends who I will be sad to leave behind.
For me the glaring problem has been the weather - I wouldn't want to get old here and have to deal with winter. That said I can only think of a handful of days when I have felt I can't go out....We do a lot of winter sports - not cheap but we are able to manage. I can't really imagine dealing with the cold if I couldn't also see the upside of good skiing an hour away....
You mentioned that you have young kids....I would certainly feel that Calgary is a good place for them to grow up but that is just from my own experience. I guess you won't know unless you try it!!!
Good luck with your decision
Lisa
What I miss about Europe (aside of the regular friends and family) is the variety - food, landscapes, weather etc etc. We are thinking about moving on in the next year or so - not because of Calgary but just because it is a big world out there. I have been thinking about what I will miss about being here and I am a bit surprised that there are more things than I thought there would be....
When we moved here my boys were three yrs old and eleven weeks old. They have grown up in a street where all the kids get to play outside (weather permitting!!) and all those kids have parents who have taken an interest in my kids. When we go to dinner with friends we go as a family so I don't have to bother with babysitters!! My boys go to an excellent school with teachers who hug them and praise them and are allowed to be strict when required. Generally I find Calgarians to be friendly but not exactly full of life - that said I have made some very good friends who I will be sad to leave behind.
For me the glaring problem has been the weather - I wouldn't want to get old here and have to deal with winter. That said I can only think of a handful of days when I have felt I can't go out....We do a lot of winter sports - not cheap but we are able to manage. I can't really imagine dealing with the cold if I couldn't also see the upside of good skiing an hour away....
You mentioned that you have young kids....I would certainly feel that Calgary is a good place for them to grow up but that is just from my own experience. I guess you won't know unless you try it!!!
Good luck with your decision
Lisa
#28
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,710
Re: Move to Calgary?
I really like life in Calgary; but I don't love the city.
Our life is very easy here. We find there is lots to do; we love the outdoors and we ski both days pretty much every weekend from Nov to mid-end April. Calgary is fab for that. Like I cannot honestly think of a better decent sized place in Canada (Vancouver just has too many people all wanting to ski at he same time) for skiing
Downsides to Calgary are:
cold
surburbaness
everything looks the same
too many people have too much money
lack of ocean
good sides are:
mountains (see above)
everything is very handy
its a very easy city to bring kids up in
flexible realistic employers because they know they have to try hard to keep you. You don't find many calgarians on here complaining about lack of vacation for example , or working every hour possible in the day
Our life is very easy here. We find there is lots to do; we love the outdoors and we ski both days pretty much every weekend from Nov to mid-end April. Calgary is fab for that. Like I cannot honestly think of a better decent sized place in Canada (Vancouver just has too many people all wanting to ski at he same time) for skiing
Downsides to Calgary are:
cold
surburbaness
everything looks the same
too many people have too much money
lack of ocean
good sides are:
mountains (see above)
everything is very handy
its a very easy city to bring kids up in
flexible realistic employers because they know they have to try hard to keep you. You don't find many calgarians on here complaining about lack of vacation for example , or working every hour possible in the day
#29
Re: Move to Calgary?
Calgary as a city scape does not inspire me hugely. Bits of it are lovely, but it's more functional with plenty to do, and easy to manoeuvre around, and to get out of.
I like my life here - it is easy, and comfortable and it suits the stage we are at. The job market is strong and high house prices accompany that. On the whole people are easy to rub along with and I don't find it a struggle here.
But like others, I don't know if I see this a long-term home (but the thought of starting over somewhere new again is, well, not quite overwhelming, but a big downside). It's been a good place for our kids to grow up, and as they transition into adulthood they may or may not hang around - I think they will move and so they should really - and I suspect we will move somewhere without the brutal 5 month winters.
#30
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2014
Location: Perth, Australia
Posts: 6
Re: Move to Calgary?
What can I say? ............ Thank you SO much for all those posts. Feel free to keep them coming. There are so many people with so many different opinions and that's exactly the way it should be :-) Without the ebb and flow, the enjoyment and the criticism, the world would be a pretty boring place to be. I've heard more interesting opinions and conversations here than in the 3 years we have been in Perth!
I only wish I was there and we were all down the pub talking about this :-)
If work permits I would love to try it out there, if only with a view of "if it doesn't work there's always somewhere else" :-)
I only wish I was there and we were all down the pub talking about this :-)
If work permits I would love to try it out there, if only with a view of "if it doesn't work there's always somewhere else" :-)