Farmboy1892

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Planning very much ahead here but I am in talks with an employer who will require me to move to Calgary in Jan 2018. i am still waiting on my BOWP and then PR to come through so very much fingers crossed

My job will require me to work from home and be within a close commute to Calgary International Airport. I will be required to travel on a regular basis.

We are a family of five. My Wife, three kids Grade 3,4 and 7 and our black lab.
We want to rent a 4 bedroom home close to good schools.
My son and I are avid soccer fans. He currently plays for two teams here in Ontario and wants to push on with a good team in Calgary whilst also having access to a full indoor program in the winter months which he currently has no access to here.
My girls are dancers and currently love their jazz and acro classes so we would want replicate that for them.
My Wife will also be looking to work part time and comes from a back ground in Dental practice management. She would consider any job in a busy office environment which will fit in with school hours.

Being close to a golf course would also be an advantage to however I realize that this would be asking a lot.
I was always told if you dont ask you dont get so there you have it.

Perhaps the kind people here on the forum would have a few suggestions on the Calgary area and what we should look out for to narrow our search down.

Many thanks in advance

Kind Regards

Farmboy.

Former Lancastrian

Define close commute?

The North West or North East of Calgary itself. You might want to consider Airdrie just north of Calgary which might be slightly cheaper and gives you the smaller rural setting as opposed to being in the actual city.

Im sure others will be along.

Farmboy1892

Hi FL,

Thanks for your reply. Obviously we dont want to be living in the flight path and with no experience of living in Calgary or its road network I would suggest an easy access to the airport which takes into consideration the traffic in and around that area and winter driving.
I will look at Airdrie and the other spots you have mentioned for starters. Thanks for your help.

Regards

Farmboy

Yorkiechef

NE is rough.
NW starts on the other side of Deerfoot, very close to the airport but very acceptable.
No idea about soccer here in Calgary, but they do play it every evening at the local schools in the gyms in the evening and weekend.
Golf clubs everywhere that will cater for you budget and ability, but only for 5 months of the year....snow and ice?..

Farmboy1892

Thanks Yorkie!!

I will take a look here at house rental and schools ratings in that locale.

My daughter is currently in Grade 7. The school she is attending seems to go right through to grade 8 before high school. Looking at most schools in the Calgary area they seem to stop at 6 and then continue with middle school before high school. Have I got this wrong?

My young lad needs plenty of football (Soccer) in his legs so I appreciate your input on that. I will hunt out a good local team if and when we get that far.

Just leaves dance to sort out and keeping the wife happy with services every modern lady requires!!
Full time job being a modern Dad!!

Regards

Farmboy

Almost Canadian

If you are not travelling to the airport every day (as your posts suggests) I would rather live in an area of Calgary that I wished to live in, rather than one that has "easy" access to the airport as, outside of rush hours, nothing in Calgary is more than 30 minutes drive from the airport.

The rest of your "wants" could be easily accommodated from just about every area of Calgary or its surrounds.

Siouxie

I moved your post to the main Canada forum as you are more likely to get responses.

Here's a couple of links for you with regards to soccer..

Calgary Minor Soccer Association powered by GOALLINE.ca

https://albertasoccer.com/player/exc...-team-program/

Calgary Soccer Clubs

Winter training

There's a ton of dance studios - here's the results of a google search (the map is probably easier for ascertaining areas they are in).

Flossie and Jim

There's basically every type of neighbourhood choice within the city limits - urban/trendy moving out to inner suburbs, moving out to outer suburbs. Very generally the age of houses gets newer as you go outwards (apart from the modern infills in some of the inner neighbourhoods).

Lots of choice for soccer clubs here - someone has already sent you links. Same for dance.

For the closer-in satellite communities, look at Cochrane (NW), Airdrie (N), Chestermere (E), Okotoks (S).

If getting to the airport is not required during rush hour or everyday then you could go even further out. If its a more regular commute then maybe look at communities in the NW - across town drive isn't too bad, or something N or S on Deerfoot or Stoney Trail maybe.

Schools - some are K-6 and some are K-3, then 4-9, it varies sometimes. Check out the Calgary Board of Education website for designated schools - also check out school info as some might be oversubscribed and on a lottery basis in certain areas. Also Calgary Catholic, plus some Charter Schools as welll if those float your boat.

Good luck

Siouxie

http://www.cbe.ab.ca/schools/find-a-...s/default.aspx (schools, map which you can specify age etc.,)

neill

Parts of the NE are rough.
Parts of the NW are very redneck F150 trash.

My biggest concern with the North-NE is the sheer amount of building going on and the added traffic. The light rail won't be extended there for years.

Aviator

Personally I would go with Airdrie or the SW of Calgary. I needed to get the an airport every week or so and had no desire to live near one. Often had an hour plus commute, far preferred the rural location to live and the hour commute to work.

Almost Canadian

You realise that there are already two c-trains lines that go to the NW and the NE. How many more do you want?

Which parts of the NE are rough?

suzeandmatt

I live & work in the NW, near the University. Super easy to get around transit wise- plenty buses and the train goes right up to Tuscany in the NW. We find the area safe and clean. We’re right by the river too which is nice. No issues getting around Calgary. We find it super easy to drive around- and I never understand people’s issues with the transit here- though my direct comparison was the metro system in/around Newcastle in North East England- now that is bad!! We can hop on the train near ours & be downtown in 15mins though. No issues with that- it’s cheap too. (Again- comparison wise to what I was used to.)

Getting around the NE where the airport is, is a pain. For some reason everything feels like it takes longer in the NE, it all feels way more spread out. It takes us around 25/30 mins to get to the airport from where we live (husband flies in and out generally once a month so it’s a well trodden drive for us.) so not bad time wise.
But if we were to ask anyone either of us work with about the NE, they’d describe it as rough. We have no real reason to go apart from the airport and months ago when I needed to get a police clearance check (police HQ is in NE) - so no real personal experience over that side.

I am told a lot of Brits move to the SW of the city- I come across a few at work and they tell me that’s where they’re all hiding! Haha explains why I don’t come across many Brits.

Nothing feels too far away in this city though I don’t think. Roads are easy. Transit is alright. Can be out of the city super quick and away from it all if you like. Lots of nice neighbourhoods within the city. My fave being Inglewood (its the oldest so I may be attracted to that.) considering moving there next year.

Can’t comment on schools/where to live with kids as don’t have any- sorry!

Good luck in your search! :-)

Shakyuk

I was thinking that, the line goes all the way up Saddletown already, which was done in 2012 I think. There's plans to continue this to the new developments north of Saddletown. But currently there's a good corridor straight up the NE with bus routes from the extremities in to the C-train stations.


I stayed in the NE when I visited Calgary and althogh it was only a visit, it didn't seem bad. I used public transport every day including buses and the C-train. We had a car but preferred to use the C-train to get downtown.


The NE looked like the divide between industrial, commerical and residential zoning wasn't as clear which made it less attractive than other parts of the city. I think the communities are poorer too but it didn't feel unsafe at all. It seemed nicer than where I am from in the UK and the people I encountered on the bus/C-train all seemed decent enough.


I'm sure the NE does have less money, but I'm not sure the reputation as 'rough' really stands up to UK terms of rough and if it's said so much that it's because the accepted reputation which is rarely challenged.


I think you can get trouble anywhere, a few years ago a man was found cut up in a wheelie bin near my mates mums house in my town. She lives in a nicer area. A couple of weeks ago a girl was stabbed in the neck outside of a busy supermarket at 2pm in the afternoon in my town. Again, not a rough area of town.


Obviously I was only a visitor and that's just my impression. Those who live there will know better.

ann m

That's it, in a nutshell - it isn't as pretty and the main routes are pretty ugly sprawling box stores, light industrial units, etc. And roads radiating out from the airport, surprise surprise, are related to a lot of airport-related industries and int'l business. The land is cheaper too so that's where a lot of businesses' set up. Some of the neighbourhoods are older and yes, not as affluent, and let's not forget to throw in the diversity (or not) of some of the communicates. But 'rough'? Not really.

I wouldn't want to live there necessarily because I figure if you're gonna live in Calgary, then get a a view (!) - but not because it's 'rough'.