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I'm thinking about purchasing a house down in one of these areas over the next year but from someone who currently lives in the West i'm looking to get some feedback on what people think of these areas.
Essentially if you work downtown and live in these areas how do you find getting to/from work (Both transit or driving). Also do you find it difficult to commute around town.
Also if you have also lived in the SW/West and moved please share thoughts please share comparisons.
People think Nolan Hill and Sage Hill are out in the boonies for some reason.
These are quiet neighborhoods near the edge of the city. Beyond it is pretty much farmland and undeveloped areas so there is not a whole lot of traffic.
I used to live in Hidden Valley (5 mins away) and worked in downtown. I would take Shaganappi and park at Dalhousie to take the train. Easy stuff. Only problem with that was Shag can be a clusterfuck in the morning with slow ass drivers and the lights so it slows down the commute significantly.
Now, you can just take Stoney all the way down and park at the Crowchild LRT station in 10 minutes or less. Since it's the first or second stop from the NW (I think Tuscany has an LRT station too), you'll most likely get a seat on the train too :D.
I don't find issues with commuting around town but it really depends which areas you frequent. If you head into downtown and/or the NE, it is really no different than if you lived in Panorama. You can loop around and take Stoney Trail onto southbound Deerfoot, or just take Symon's Valley Blvd to Beddington Trail to Deerfoot.
I've lived in sage hill from the beginning and I love it.
Everything is close by (Wal mart, Costco, Superstore, Home Depot). All within a 10 minute drive
its about 20-25 mins drive from Sage to the Shaw campus on 32 ave where I work. Quiet neighborhood with a younger crowd. My only complaint is people using their driveways and garages for everything except cars but that's a pretty minor thing
I chose not to move so far out because of transit into downtown.
From my house in Hidden Valley I have enough options for transit.
-62 Express to downtown (door to door in 40min AM, 1 hr PM)
-8 to Brentwood then train (also park&ride)
-8 to Country Hills loop then 301 (also park&ride)
-118 to Sandstone loop; several DT options from there
At the end of the day, all these transit options take an hour-ish, even if I drive to a park and ride. Getting onto an express bus is nice, not having to get out and wait for the transfer (especially with snow).
Driving downtown (I've done a few times) isn't bad in the morning before 7:30. I always leave around 4pm which is a clusterfuck (I'm at Banker's) and never get home within an hour.
Meeting people DT from my area is nice again because of options. Anywhere west end DT I take crowchild, East end I take Beddington Deerfoot.
I've lived NW all my life so I have no comment on moving from south to north. I do know that I prefer North because finding my way around one obstacle (Nose Hill), is much easier than finding which bridge to cross the river, then which roads cross Deerfoot (NWers generally don't venture NE so crossing Deerfoot isn't an issue)
Thanks for the responses everyone!Quote:
Originally posted by jwslam
I chose not to move so far out because of transit into downtown.
From my house in Hidden Valley I have enough options for transit.
-62 Express to downtown (door to door in 40min AM, 1 hr PM)
-8 to Brentwood then train (also park&ride)
-8 to Country Hills loop then 301 (also park&ride)
-118 to Sandstone loop; several DT options from there
At the end of the day, all these transit options take an hour-ish, even if I drive to a park and ride. Getting onto an express bus is nice, not having to get out and wait for the transfer (especially with snow).
Driving downtown (I've done a few times) isn't bad in the morning before 7:30. I always leave around 4pm which is a clusterfuck (I'm at Banker's) and never get home within an hour.
Meeting people DT from my area is nice again because of options. Anywhere west end DT I take crowchild, East end I take Beddington Deerfoot.
I've lived NW all my life so I have no comment on moving from south to north. I do know that I prefer North because finding my way around one obstacle (Nose Hill), is much easier than finding which bridge to cross the river, then which roads cross Deerfoot (NWers generally don't venture NE so crossing Deerfoot isn't an issue)
So essentially i'll be coming out of Aspen and my current commute is:
Car - 20 Minutes AM/25 Minutes PM (To Be Fair DT Traffic is nill these days)
Train - 7 Minutes + 25 Min Train
My fear is I'm going to hate my life commuting from these areas to downtown as i've been accustomed to something much quicker. Basically I can pull out a larger mortgage to stay in SW or I can have a much larger equity stake to move out north.
I lived in Nolan Hill for almost a year. Pretty peaceful neighborhood. Lots of amenities around. You're minutes away from Beacon Hill (Costco,Good Life, banks, Best buy, Canadian tire, Pet Smart etc). Nolan Hill strip mall should be done in couple months ( Sobys (grocery store and liquor store(open), Petro (open),dentist,medical,chiropractor, Papa John, Diary Queen etc). Sage Hill Gate is minutes away (Walmart super center for now, but they are building other stuff). Minutes away from the NW auto mall (Audi,BMW(soon),Honda, Toyota, Lexus Nissan, and Mazda). Minutes away from Creekside (more amenities). There is a farmers market/restaurant at Symons Valley Ranch. Close by to the City dump. There is a fire station close by on Symons valley rd.
Issues I have is construction debris flying on to your yard and driveway. You live far away from most of your friends and family ( Literally you live on the edge of NW).
As for getting around town. Stoney is minutes away. Can get access to Deerfoot from Beddington Trail.
Not bad to get downtown (25-30 minutes), but there are days I cringe.
If you work downtown and want to stay in that area I would recommend looking at Royal Oak/Rocky Ridge/Tuscany as the C-Train is right there and would probably cut down on your commute to DT by a good chunk. It will also shave a good 5-10 minutes off your car trips downtown and it provides you with all the access to amenities noted above.
I just moved from Royal Oak to West Springs. I miss the closeness to Costco/Home Depot, etc being in the NW but the quick commute DT and different amenities (restaurants, shopping, kid activities) in the SW are really nice.
Its definitively a toss up! Good luck with your decision!
EDIT:
Just read your post above...looks like we are doing the opposite. PM me if you have any specific questions about the areas!
Isn't that the definition of boonies? :rofl:Quote:
Originally posted by rx7boi
People think Nolan Hill and Sage Hill are out in the boonies for some reason.
These are quiet neighborhoods near the edge of the city. Beyond it is pretty much farmland and undeveloped areas so there is not a whole lot of traffic.
Evanston, Symons Valley Rd/Beddinton trail is your only way out. 14th St is only good for coming in and out of Westbound Stoney.
Sage, you have Shag and Symons Valley
Nolan, you have Sarcee and Shag
Both of these are alright. Shag is a bit annoying around Hidden valley as it drop to 60s.
Amenities goes, Walmart is up in Sage and Loblaws should be right next to it soon.
Travelling to downtown, you have 2 choices. You can either go to Cardel Place to get on 301 or hit the Ctrain line (Tuscany, Crowfoot, Dalhousie). Distance wise, they are all pretty much same from those neighborhoods.
I'm in Hamptons and it's a 30min drive for me on good days to DT. That's leaving around 7:45.Quote:
Originally posted by ickyflex
Thanks for the responses everyone!
So essentially i'll be coming out of Aspen and my current commute is:
Car - 20 Minutes AM/25 Minutes PM (To Be Fair DT Traffic is nill these days)
Train - 7 Minutes + 25 Min Train
My fear is I'm going to hate my life commuting from these areas to downtown as i've been accustomed to something much quicker. Basically I can pull out a larger mortgage to stay in SW or I can have a much larger equity stake to move out north.
Coming home leaving at 5pm, you are looking at about 45mins. It doesn't get much better if you leave at 4pm either. I use Crowchild.
If you like your current commute, you can't beat Aspen.
:rofl: I always thought it technically meant buttfuck out in the middle of nowhere.Quote:
Originally posted by Xtrema
Isn't that the definition of boonies? :rofl:
Never would have guessed people liked to use boonies to describe an outer community which takes 15 minutes to get to downtown.
@ OP, come to the NW and join the dark side with me and asian_defender. :poosie: :poosie: :poosie:
I don't work downtown, but if I did I certainly wouldn't feel Kincora (yeah, not one of the areas you mentioned but close enough) was an appropriate spot for my home. It's just too far from any C-train route, so no matter what mode of transportation you choose, you're going to be dealing with commuting times that I personally feel are unreasonable.
Very nice area of town though. Kincora and the others listed are nice, safe, quiet communities that are all close to whatever amenities you need.
Everything outside of the ring road is boonies to me.Quote:
Originally posted by rx7boi
:rofl: I always thought it technically meant buttfuck out in the middle of nowhere.
Never would have guessed people liked to use boonies to describe an outer community which takes 15 minutes to get to downtown.
:rofl:
What he said. Lots of folks here own trucks so they just park them on the driveway or on the streets.Quote:
Originally posted by Asian_defender
Quiet neighborhood with a younger crowd. My only complaint is people using their driveways and garages for everything except cars but that's a pretty minor thing
I live in Strathcona so, I have a similar easy commute to downtown in the morning and one that can be slightly frustrating driving home in rush hour.
Perhaps drive the Nolan Hill commute to downtown and back few times in rush hour to get a feel for it. I have made the drive into downtown a few times from Sage Hill and found the commute to be longer than what I am used to, but still not too bad.
However, I could see congestion increasing as the area is further developed.
:bullshit: First you say 20 minutes, now it's 15 minutes... yet this guy lives 5 minutes closer (your own words - 5 minutes away) and takes 1 hour. :rofl:Quote:
Originally posted by rx7boi
Never would have guessed people liked to use boonies to describe an outer community which takes 15 minutes to get to downtown.
Quote:
Originally posted by jwslam
At the end of the day, all these transit options take an hour-ish, even if I drive to a park and ride. Getting onto an express bus is nice, not having to get out and wait for the transfer (especially with snow).
Driving downtown (I've done a few times) isn't bad in the morning before 7:30. I always leave around 4pm which is a clusterfuck (I'm at Banker's) and never get home within an hour.
The problem on my block are the hoarders that think a garage is suppose to be a storage space. If their garage looks like that, I can't even begin to imagine what their basement looks likeQuote:
Originally posted by rx7boi
What he said. Lots of folks here own trucks so they just park them on the driveway or on the streets.
There is even one guy with a permanent storage bin in front of his garage so he parks his truck on the street
I'm not in the boonies by your definition :clap: :clap:Quote:
Originally posted by Xtrema
Everything outside of the ring road is boonies to me.
:rofl:
That's actually the same definition I use, as a self-justification of my location choice
:werd: I think I could only do 15min if:Quote:
Originally posted by Strider
:bullshit: First you say 20 minutes, now it's 15 minutes... yet this guy lives 5 minutes closer (your own words - 5 minutes away) and takes 1 hour. :rofl:
-Excessive speeding is condoned
-Only during the hours of extreme darkness and zero traffic(12pm-5am)
-Perfect weather conditions
-Your definition of downtown is Deerfoot @ Memorial, or Crowchild @ Bow Trail.
-You literally live on Shaganappi (which I do)
Actually getting anywhere INTO downtown, forget it. Calgary traffic lights are set up way to efficiently to prevent you from getting anywhere you want in a reasonable manner even in hours of zero traffic.
Door to door is 17km for me, according to google. To do it in 15min is an average of 67kph with all the lights...
I've been commuting from the NW for 15 years, and now bike / run commute from Sherwood year round (last 2 years). Downtown in 40-45mins on a bike, and home in ~50 with the climb up nose hill.
Otherwise - train from crowfoot is the quickest. Shaganappi to Stoney, but it is easier to get a parking spot at Dalhousie last I checked.
In the past I also drove ~1/2 way to macmahon stadium. Parked, took the train. More parking available.
Bus, you can drive into Beddington / Sandstone, or take the 301 from Panorama.
Either way - plan for ~45mins.
Driving - without traffic / off-peak you can make it downtown quickly. Say 20 or 25 mins?
:rofl: I couldn't decide if it was 15 or 20 minutes for me but that time is out of context. Definitely not what it's like M-F.Quote:
Originally posted by Strider
:bullshit: First you say 20 minutes, now it's 15 minutes... yet this guy lives 5 minutes closer (your own words - 5 minutes away) and takes 1 hour. :rofl:
I only head into downtown on the weekends when there's little to no traffic so I guess I didn't really answer OP's question since he needs to commute for work daily.
I can see jwslam taking an hour if it's just another work day.
Agreed, that's how I was really looking at it because I only ever take Deerfoot into downtown on the weekends or during the evening/night time. I don't commute there for work like most of you here.Quote:
Originally posted by jwslam
I'm not in the boonies by your definition :clap: :clap:
That's actually the same definition I use, as a self-justification of my location choice
:werd: I think I could only do 15min if:
-Excessive speeding is condoned
-Only during the hours of extreme darkness and zero traffic(12pm-5am)
-Perfect weather conditions
-Your definition of downtown is Deerfoot @ Memorial, or Crowchild @ Bow Trail.
-You literally live on Shaganappi (which I do)
Actually getting anywhere INTO downtown, forget it. Calgary traffic lights are set up way to efficiently to prevent you from getting anywhere you want in a reasonable manner even in hours of zero traffic.
Door to door is 17km for me, according to google. To do it in 15min is an average of 67kph with all the lights...
From Sage Hill to the Beddington->Deerfoot off ramp takes me about 5 minutes and then from there to Downtown (Riverfront) is about 10-15 minutes. I don't speed excessively. On Deerfoot I am normally hauling 120, no more than 130 if that counts :rofl:. Once I reach the Bow, I consider that downtown.
double post
I live in Sage hill and have been there for 5+ years now. Originally drove to crowfoot and took the train which took around 45-50mins each way. Now I drive every day and park downtown. Takes me around 20-25 mins each way in ideal conditions (NW corner of downtown near mcdougal). When it snows hard the first day is a pain, then it usually takes about 30mins in winter. I don't mind it at all. Having to travel such long distance, I have various routes I use to get to/from work. Now that stuff is actually opening, it isn't so bad either. Walmart, sobeys. soon. Lots more likely opening next year near walmart too and the sobeys complex should be all done very soon. Close to costco, balzac, creekside etc. Nolan/sage etc. also have sarcee/shag/symons valley for access in and out. I use shag the most though that bridge over stoney is the worst in the mornings. Deerfoot is fast to access from shag/stoney/country hills. Crowchild I just take stoney.
I have no issues with the area except for taking taxis home as it is $$$ for the distance as they take the worst routes.