Airdrie...cons?

[chkolny541]

There are literally 3 pages of cons people have listed and you've cherry picked whatever information you want to hear. Obvioulsy you've made up your mind before you even posted this thread. Enjoy the new place! If thats what you wanted all along I really dont see the point of this thread Its just about bashing the airdrie commute lol

[Rocket1k78]

Originally posted by chkolny541
There are literally 3 pages of cons people have listed and you've cherry picked whatever information you want to hear. Obvioulsy you've made up your mind before you even posted this thread. Enjoy the new place! If thats what you wanted all along I really dont see the point of this thread Its just about bashing the airdrie commute lol

This thread totally reminded me of Mar's veloster thread Only difference is there are some pros to airdrie where as every single comment about the veloster was negative and he still got it

[blitz]

Originally posted by chkolny541
There are literally 3 pages of cons people have listed and you've cherry picked whatever information you want to hear. Obvioulsy you've made up your mind before you even posted this thread. Enjoy the new place! If thats what you wanted all along I really dont see the point of this thread Its just about bashing the airdrie commute lol

I was thinking the same thing.

Also I love how 5 days after asking "How is this city to live in" he's signing a purchase agreement for a house

[vengie]

Originally posted by chkolny541
There are literally 3 pages of cons people have listed and you've cherry picked whatever information you want to hear. Obvioulsy you've made up your mind before you even posted this thread. Enjoy the new place! If thats what you wanted all along I really dont see the point of this thread Its just about bashing the airdrie commute lol

... By people with second hand knowledge or speculating.

The posters from Airdrie (such as myself) painted the actual picture for him which may have helped in the decision.

I used to bash Airdrie as well before I moved here. In fact if I didn't work downtown and need to commute daily I would have very little problem living here.

[Type_S1]

Originally posted by vengie


... By people with second hand knowledge or speculating.

The posters from Airdrie (such as myself) painted the actual picture for him which may have helped in the decision.

I used to bash Airdrie as well before I moved here. In fact if I didn't work downtown and need to commute daily I would have very little problem living here.

Lol minimum 45 minute door to door in the morning in the summer. Winter...your guess I'd as good as mine. Minimum 1.25 hour door to door commute going home in the summer. Winter...good luck. 2 hour round trip commute per day just turned my 10 hour day into a 12 hour day if road conditions are optimal whereas a commute from an inner city area is 30 mins. Plus on top of that you need to pay to park downtown where in most inner city neighborhoods you have other options. Anyone who says they don't mind the commute downtown from Airdrie are likley lying.

As for houses - bang for your buck is there. Hands down. I would rather live in Airdrie then one of the far down south communities like Cranston....those areas suck big time compared to Airdrie.

As for the community - it's smaller, easier to get around, there's never any traffic. Road speeds are retarded going 30km in some areas pissed me off.

Eating out - Airdrie's selection sucks big time. There is only a few decent places to eat out unless you frequent chains like BPs.

Schools - the schools in Airdrie would fall in the middle ground compared to Calgary. They are nothing special and the public schools are actually pretty ghetto because of the low income people living in Airdrie (trailer parks). Put your kids in catholic for Airdrie and then tell them the religion classes are BS and focus on actual school work.

[ExtraSlow]

I'd prefer to commute into downtown from Airdrie than somewhere deep south or Okotoks.

That being said, I prefer my inner-city home even more.

[vengie]

Originally posted by Type_S1


Lol minimum 45 minute door to door in the morning in the summer. Winter...your guess I'd as good as mine. Minimum 1.25 hour door to door commute going home in the summer. Winter...good luck. 2 hour round trip commute per day just turned my 10 hour day into a 12 hour day if road conditions are optimal whereas a commute from an inner city area is 30 mins. Plus on top of that you need to pay to park downtown where in most inner city neighborhoods you have other options. Anyone who says they don't mind the commute downtown from Airdrie are likley lying.

As for houses - bang for your buck is there. Hands down. I would rather live in Airdrie then one of the far down south communities like Cranston....those areas suck big time compared to Airdrie.

As for the community - it's smaller, easier to get around, there's never any traffic. Road speeds are retarded going 30km in some areas pissed me off.

Eating out - Airdrie's selection sucks big time. There is only a few decent places to eat out unless you frequent chains like BPs.

Schools - the schools in Airdrie would fall in the middle ground compared to Calgary. They are nothing special and the public schools are actually pretty ghetto because of the low income people living in Airdrie (trailer parks). Put your kids in catholic for Airdrie and then tell them the religion classes are BS and focus on actual school work.

- Takes me 35-40 minutes to commute, both ways. Leaving the house at 7:30 and getting home at 5:30-6 most days. I have done this commute everyday for the last year and a half. Winter can be interesting some days though (stay at home for the morning kind of days). How do I do this? DON'T TAKE DEERFOOT until you're past Mcknight.

- Company pays for parking so there is no issue there.

- As far as transit goes, they days I don't drive downtown (40% of the time) I drive to Mcknight-Westwinds station (20-25 mins from Airdrie), and the train is 20 mins from there, not terrible. I usually take this time to read a good book.

- The 30km/h road speeds are residential streets. Personally not a fan, but I am on residential for ~ 30 seconds to get to my house so it doesn't affect me much.

- I can't argue with the eating out, there are very few restaurants. However we did find a good sushi restaurant so not too worried there.

- Can't comment on the schools, don't have kids so I have no experience with the schools.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by chkolny541
There are literally 3 pages of cons people have listed and you've cherry picked whatever information you want to hear. Obvioulsy you've made up your mind before you even posted this thread. Enjoy the new place! If thats what you wanted all along I really dont see the point of this thread Its just about bashing the airdrie commute lol

+1, my first thought was the velostar thread as well haha.

1) Ask question, likely trying to validate a decision you have already made before making the thread
2) Overwhelming feedback, just not what you wanted to hear
3) Do opposite of what everyone recommends because it wasn't what you had already decided

Nothing wrong with wanting to live in Airdrie if that was the plan all along, but after reading this thread it sure would be a tough sell haha.

[Jonrox]

It seems silly to me to choose to live just far enough away from one of the greatest cities in the country that you won't really be able to enjoy everything it has to offer. I think a lot of people take Calgary for granted and don't realize how great it is.

It will feel like you're close enough to still do things in Calgary, but you won't. Even if you're thinking right now that it isn't that far, when you think about "going into the city" it will "feel" far and you won't go.

You'll live just far enough away from your friends and family in Calgary that they'll never come out to your place... you'll always have to go into the city to see them (especially if you're trying to get a group together).

And the money you think you're saving will be eaten up in extra fuel costs, maintenance costs, and increased depreciation of your vehicles when you try to sell them with so many more km's on them.

You'll also convince yourself that the commute isn't that bad... but I'll ask, would you rather spend your time alone in your car or with your wife, kids, dogs, and friends? Wouldn't you rather be doing anything that's more fun than being in traffic?

You give up a lot for $200/month. Plus... it's Airdrie and that just sucks. It may have everything you "need" but it doesn't have everything you "want".

[vengie]

31 minutes door to door today, including a little construction on Mcknight. Bow Valley Square to NW Airdrie.

[JohnnyHockey]

HAHA! I don't think this is anything like the Veloster thread.

Did I already make up my mind before making this thread? No, but I was close already. I made the thread in case a lot of people would point out some major cons that would deter me....so far I haven't read any.

I honestly think there's been an equal amount of pros and cons listed and a lot of stuff I never thought about...I think I decided 100% to do it around 2.5 pages in. Some of you are much younger than me so you have reasons to not live in Airdrie and those are good reasons for your age...and a couple of you are in the same stage in life as me and you've actually made the move and yes, validated my decision.

Anyways, thanks everyone for all your input! And ya, mods, close it cuz the decision's already been made ...didn't think this would turn into a Calgary versus Airdrie fight haha

And sorry Jonrox, with all due respect I burst out laughing when you said Calgary is one of the greatest cities in the country...no offence

[riander5]

Well if Calgary is low on the list you just moved to a basement dweller haha

[Feruk]

Originally posted by JohnnyHockey
Some of you are much younger than me so you have reasons to not live in Airdrie and those are good reasons for your age...and a couple of you are in the same stage in life as me and you've actually made the move and yes, validated my decision.

Based on your comment about wanting kids but not having any yet, I'd actually bet most people are not "much younger" than you. I'd guess a lot of us are around the same age or older. I really don't like the attitude that you're making this decision because you're somehow more "mature" and we don't understand that "mature" logic. Truth is, we probably get it a lot better than you do, and just think you've made a stupid choice that you'll regret.

[vengie]

Originally posted by Feruk

Based on your comment about wanting kids but not having any yet, I'd actually bet most people are not "much younger" than you. I'd guess a lot of us are around the same age or older. I really don't like the attitude that you're making this decision because you're somehow more "mature" and we don't understand that "mature" logic. Truth is, we probably get it a lot better than you do, and just think you've made a stupid choice that you'll regret.

Lol, who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?

I don't think he is making this because of a "maturity" thing. Its based on lifestyle.

I own a condo downtown still, I lived there for two years before moving to Airdrie. I used to party pretty hard so living downtown was conducive to that. My lifestyle has since changed and I no longer party like I am 19 anymore. Airdrie has a much more laid back pace than Calgary does which fits my current lifestyle much better. If I want to spend a night partying in Calgary, I have the benefit of living 30 mins away, its a win-win in that regard.

Making a move to Airdrie will take an adjustment period, some people will like it more, some less.

Its a pretty simple concept really, and nothing to get your panties in a bunch over.

[imranm]

I moved from Royal Oak to West Springs. The reason? My commute to downtown. Why? I do have kids and the extra 20 minutes in the morning driving...I get to sleep, and getting home an extra 20 minutes early..I get to play with them.

The reason I say this is that IF you are planning to have a family, regardless if you are a home body or not, time becomes a huge factor. The more time you waste in traffic, the less time there is for sleep and playtime with the kids. Seriously consider the commute long term when you have kids and need to go to soccer practice, rehearsals, etc.

With regards to Airdrie - can't say - never been. But talking to friends who live in the "outer suburbs" I keep hearing if it's not Calgary its Cochrane or Chestermere.

Good luck with your decision.

[Feruk]

Originally posted by vengie
Its a pretty simple concept really, and nothing to get your panties in a bunch over.

His post came off as saying that most posters here were not "mature" enough to understand his decision. I'm sure Airdrie is a perfectly fine place to live. So is Red Deer and Okotokes. Just the blatant disregard for opinions because he perceives them as less "mature" than his rubbed me the wrong way.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by Feruk

His post came off as saying that most posters here were not "mature" enough to understand his decision. I'm sure Airdrie is a perfectly fine place to live. So is Red Deer and Okotokes. Just the blatant disregard for opinions because he perceives them as less "mature" than his rubbed me the wrong way.

I don't think it comes off that way... To me it just comes across as he is trying to explain that he is in a different place in life now and his priorities are not the same as those who value what city life offers vs smaller town life. It is exactly how I feel too. That isn't a comment on maturity. I think you are just reading into it worse than it was intended...

[Mitsu3000gt]

I read it the same way as Feruk, but maybe I was wrong.

The main reasons given (commute times, restaurant choices, spending more time with family, friends/family in Calgary, windy, poor infrastructure, etc.) all have little to do with age or maturity. Also as a "home body" he's going to be spending more time than ever in his car rather than his home.

Nobody was like "Airdrie sucks because of the nightlife and lack of clubs" haha. I thought it was all pretty reasonable quality of life arguments, and had nothing to do with age.

It doesn't matter, sounds like he's happy with his decision, it was just funny that this thread was exactly like the Velostar thread.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
I read it the same way as Feruk, but maybe I was wrong.

The main reasons given (commute times, restaurant choices, spending more time with family, friends/family in Calgary, windy, poor infrastructure, etc.) all have little to do with age or maturity. Also as a "home body" he's going to be spending more time than ever in his car rather than his home.

Nobody was like "Airdrie sucks because of the nightlife and lack of clubs" haha. I thought it was all pretty reasonable quality of life arguments, and had nothing to do with age.

It doesn't matter, sounds like he's happy with his decision, it was just funny that this thread was exactly like the Velostar thread.

I hear that but even as I read the responses, it sound like a ton of people are doing just the same thing saying that he is dumb for thinking like he does. In the end, all people are wanting to feel justified in their opinions, and it seems like everybody gets hurt feelings or something when someone else doesn't agree. I try not to run down others opinions as much as offer my own. Can't say I am always successful at it, but it is what I try... lol

Saying things like "he wants to be with family more, but will spend more time in a car" and saying it like he is an idiot. Really though, people don't consider that some of us enjoy the time in our car during our commute most of the time. It isn't just about more time time with family as much as more quality time. When I get home to my family straight after work it takes me some time to come down from the issues of my day, and the extra 15 or 20 minutes of driving helps a ton with that. Have some tunes on, alone with my thoughts, I get my head straight before walking in the door to the highs and lows of my families day and I can enjoy my time much better with them rather than snapping at one of my kids for doing something stupid or whatever. Coming in to work is the same thing. I can sort much of my day out without interruption in my head before walking in the door to ringing phones, customers etc. Some guys look at that extra time as a waste and some for some of us it is valuable.

This is just an example.

Forgive me man, but if I am being honest, most people who are judging him as being silly and/or confrontational about this are the ones that are coming across as the ones being all judgemental to me (and probably him as well).

Ugggh... I am being all judgey now! This is why I try and stay out of this stuff. I wish more often we could all just offer our opinion on our preferences rather than saying someone else' preferences are wrong, myself included.

[vengie]

Originally posted by tirebob
I hear that but even as I read the responses, it sound like a ton of people are doing just the same thing saying that he is dumb for thinking like he does. In the end, all people are wanting to feel justified in their opinions, and it seems like everybody gets hurt feelings or something when someone else doesn't agree. I try not to run down others opinions as much as offer my own. Can't say I am always successful at it, but it is what I try... lol

Saying things like "he wants to be with family more, but will spend more time in a car" and saying it like he is an idiot. Really though, people don't consider that some of us enjoy the time in our car during our commute most of the time. It isn't just about more time time with family as much as more quality time. When I get home to my family straight after work it takes me some time to come down from the issues of my day, and the extra 15 or 20 minutes of driving helps a ton with that. Have some tunes on, alone with my thoughts, I get my head straight before walking in the door to the highs and lows of my families day and I can enjoy my time much better with them rather than snapping at one of my kids for doing something stupid or whatever. Coming in to work is the same thing. I can sort much of my day out without interruption in my head before walking in the door to ringing phones, customers etc. Some guys look at that extra time as a waste and some for some of us it is valuable.

This is just an example.

Forgive me man, but if I am being honest, most people who are judging him as being silly and/or confrontational about this are the ones that are coming across as the ones being all judgemental to me (and probably him as well).

Ugggh... I am being all judgey now! This is why I try and stay out of this stuff. I wish more often we could all just offer our opinion on our preferences rather than saying someone else' preferences are wrong, myself included.

Very well said.