Urban vs Suburban

[arian_ma]

Originally posted by 88CRX


Yea if you could get all that a comparable price I'd probably be in too.... but you're looking at double or triple the price for comparable properties.

Because it's two or three times better than living in the burbs....

[D'z Nutz]

I wipe sitting down.

[desi112]

Originally posted by 88CRX


Yea if you could get all that a comparable price I'd probably be in too.... but you're looking at double or triple the price for comparable properties.

That is the thing though, I left my house in Mckenzie towne (2300sqft) to move to DT and spent the same amount to get a 1000sqft apartment.

But hell, it was worth the savings of more then an hour each day. Plus i got wicked tenants in my house.

[88CRX]

Originally posted by ercchry


one day when my house budget triples... i'll do it. but i want to do a custom infill so i'd need a lot for the down payment. so as another caveat, one day when my budget triples AND my current house is paid off. i'll do it

Agreed 100%.

Originally posted by desi112


That is the thing though, I left my house in Mckenzie towne (2300sqft) to move to DT and spent the same amount to get a 1000sqft apartment.

But hell, it was worth the savings of more then an hour each day. Plus i got wicked tenants in my house.

I can understand how some people would enjoy this but shoot be now if I had to live in an apartment style condo.

[speedog]

There's no right or wrong place - just what works for you. Before we bought our almost inner city bungalow 16 years ago, we looked at buying in Crossfield - way lower prices, but the commute into downtown Calgary at the time and the cost of an additional commuter vehicle plus the value of my extra time spent commuting pretty much ate up any savings that we might have realized. There are some wonderful little communities hidden in Calgary depending on what you want - was driving through Southview late yesterday afternoon and my 20 year old son commented on how nice of an established community it was. Now most people would instantly mark this area off of their list because of it's location and yet it has street upon street of well maintained older bungalows in an almost inner city location that is close to so much - certainly a nice area that I would consider, but also an area that most Beyonders would never ever look at.

The burbs - while I can appreciate the homes out there, it's just not my cup of tea. Own a business in Bridlewood but would never live there - would miss the mature trees and such where I currently am although the downside is the amount of fall clean-up I've got to do plus the amount of sidewalks I have to shovel. Good and bad points - every home/community has them, it's just what you're willing to settle for in the end.

[rage2]

Originally posted by speedog
So a Q for rage2, how much space do you and your gf need? How about this inner city gem, a bit pricey for most but it comes with a four car attached garage measuring 44'x20' with in floor heat and floor drain - great location. Another nice one - this bungalow offers a bit less home, but the yard and location are quite something. Both are quite stunning homes.

Uhh, Cambrian Heights isn't exactly inner city. I'd like to see you walk to downtown from there haha. That's like calling Varsity inner city (I grew up there). I would say inner city would have the following borders:

South of 16th Ave.
East of Crowchild
West of Deerfoot
North of 25th or 26th Ave.

You're not really close to downtown, or anything at Cambrian Heights. And at inflated prices. No thanks.

How much space do I need? At least 3000sqft.

Originally posted by 88CRX
Inner city folk

I can understand why someone would want to live inner city... but what I don't understand is why everyone who does live inner city thinks everyone who doesn't live down there just doesn't get it. And they spend so much energy trying to convince us suburbanites that our lives are so terrible living in the burbs. Have a friend that does this all the time and it pisses me off haha.

Carry on...

haha it's funny, we were down at the Renfrew stampede breakfast, met with Gian-Carlo Carra (the Alderman) and we explained that we moved to Arbour Lake. That started a nice round of urban/suburban jokes from him. Pretty funny that the suburbanies are usually pretty chill, and don't care where you live. Unless it's the deep south, but that's purely for entertainment value.

Originally posted by desi112
Inner City is boss. I live very close to the core, 2 blocks, and have lived in the burbs for most of my life. Inner City is much better then driving/biking or commuting to work. 5 min walk trumps 10min drive even if you can "afford the parking".

I drive a Black Series. If I have an excuse to drive 2 blocks to lunch, I'm there!

[desi112]

Originally posted by rage2

Uhh, Cambrian Heights isn't exactly inner city. I'd like to see you walk to downtown from there haha. That's like calling Varsity inner city (I grew up there). I would say inner city would have the following borders:

South of 16th Ave.
East of Crowchild
West of Deerfoot
North of 25th or 26th Ave.

You're not really close to downtown, or anything at Cambrian Heights. And at inflated prices. No thanks.

How much space do I need? At least 3000sqft.


haha it's funny, we were down at the Renfrew stampede breakfast, met with Gian-Carlo Carra (the Alderman) and we explained that we moved to Arbour Lake. That started a nice round of urban/suburban jokes from him. Pretty funny that the suburbanies are usually pretty chill, and don't care where you live. Unless it's the deep south, but that's purely for entertainment value.


I drive a Black Series. If I have an excuse to drive 2 blocks to lunch, I'm there!

I don't understand the "I drive a black series" part?

[taemo]

Originally posted by msommers


I'll take your word regarding Arbour Lake, but 15 min from Renfrew to DT is bologne.

And ironically, the only triple garage for sale in Arbour Lake is 1.05M

i can see it plausible.
Rage works on the west end of DT and Renfrew being on the NE, he can
-take Edmonton Trail
-take Deerfoot through 16th ave
-go through Bridgeland, Memorial
and you have to take into consideration the stop lights too.

whereas from Arbour lake, he just need to hop into Crowchild.

Regarding Urban vs Suburban, I live in Beddington and while I love the location and convenience to anywhere (3min away from Safeway/Plaza, 3min away from Deerfoot), the houses are not great unless you are willing to spend $$$.
Ultimately the fiance and i decided to get a house in Skyview for a more modern house, bigger place, double garage.
IMO the best location to live is Harvest Hills, so close to deerfoot, airport, TnT

[jaylo]

Oh yeah I forgot to add we do not have to deal with big pickup trucks and rigs parked in front of our house, annoying teenagers, shady people, and new family

Mostly businessmen/women and seniors live around my area (West Hillhurst)

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by rage2

Uhh, Cambrian Heights isn't exactly inner city.

i was going to say the same thing. I used to live about a 10 minute walk from those houses. It's definately not inner city, it's a 1960s era subdivision. You could walk to downtown, but it would take a really long time.

A lot of houses on that hill there were snatched up by flippers and are being sold at outrageous prices... the problem is that the entire area is becoming crack central, which is rapidly spreading from the east across centre and 4th and taking over cambrian heights... it's a pretty rough neighborhood now just on the north/east/south sides of the cemetery. It was nice when I first moved to that neighborhood in 2001, but I moved out in 2009 because the whole area was going really downhill.

[speedog]

K rage2, you caught me on the inner city thing although many realtors and such are expanding what Calgary's inner-city really is. Over-priced, I suppose - out of my price range for sure, but I suspect they'll go before long. One only has to look at communities like Mount Pleasant and Capitol Hill that are being so quickly being remade and it becomes very apparent that there is quite a demand for these almost inner-city over-priced homes.

Farther out in the central north, almost inner-city, communities like Rosemont, Cambrian Heights and Highland Park are all also seeing lots of redevelopment - still within a 45 minute walk of downtown and a much shorter bicycle ride. As far as for "not really being close to anything", I guess that depends on your definition of anything - if big box stores like Costco, Walmart, etc and complexes like Crowfoot are your thing, then yeah, inner city or almost inner city certainly aren't close to anything. Don't do Walmart or Costco or Crowfoot so it's not a big deal that I'm not close to anything - each to their own and I don't begrudge those that like the burbs, if it works for them then who's to say it's wrong.

[88CRX]

Originally posted by speedog
As far as for "not really being close to anything", I guess that depends on your definition of anything - if big box stores like Costco, Walmart, etc and complexes like Crowfoot are your thing, then yeah, inner city or almost inner city certainly aren't close to anything.

I always lol at this too. As much as I hate walmart, superstore and costco you can’t survive on just latte’s.

[rage2]

Originally posted by desi112
I don't understand the "I drive a black series" part?

Uhh, it's a lot of fun, and I can't stop finding an excuse to drive it?

Originally posted by jaylo
Oh yeah I forgot to add we do not have to deal with big pickup trucks and rigs parked in front of our house, annoying teenagers, shady people, and new family

Mostly businessmen/women and seniors live around my area (West Hillhurst)

All I have around my area are stay at home moms that come out in the day working in their garden in short shorts. The other night, there were drunk teenagers wandering around flashing their friends. They didn't do it right tho, left their bras on. That's definately a -1 for suburban.

I don't get the whole shady people thing in the suburbs. There's 100x more sketch ppl walking around in inner city at any hour.

I like West Hillhurst now that they've cleaned it up. But at the end of the day, I have to spend over $2m to get the house that I want, where I can easily do better for $1m in the suburbs.

[speedog]

Originally posted by FixedGear


i was going to say the same thing. I used to live about a 10 minute walk from those houses. It's definately not inner city, it's a 1960s era subdivision. You could walk to downtown, but it would take a really long time.

A lot of houses on that hill there were snatched up by flippers and are being sold at outrageous prices... the problem is that the entire area is becoming crack central, which is rapidly spreading from the east across centre and 4th and taking over cambrian heights... it's a pretty rough neighborhood now just on the north/east/south sides of the cemetery. It was nice when I first moved to that neighborhood in 2001, but I moved out in 2009 because the whole area was going really downhill.

Crack central - now that's hilarious. I guess it depends on the crowd you hang out with - funny thing is that I know way more families that have teens with drug dependency problems in the burbs then I do in the inner city or the 50-60's communities.

Kind of like people who think inner city high schools are trouble spots and yet I know way more kids who have had fighting/drug/alcohol issues at the farther out high schools - drugs/alcohol/transients, they exist everywhere. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean that it isn't there - my teenaged niece before she went through 2 drug rehabs could've found me any kind of drug within 5 minutes and this from the more affluent part of Tuscany or from the more desirable and supposed safe? high school that she attended.

[speedog]

Originally posted by 88CRX


I always lol at this too. As much as I hate walmart, superstore and costco you can’t survive on just latte’s.

Don't do latte's - not good for my middle aged not so girlish figure.

[rage2]

Originally posted by speedog
K rage2, you caught me on the inner city thing although many realtors and such are expanding what Calgary's inner-city really is. Over-priced, I suppose - out of my price range for sure, but I suspect they'll go before long. One only has to look at communities like Mount Pleasant and Capitol Hill that are being so quickly being remade and it becomes very apparent that there is quite a demand for these almost inner-city over-priced homes.

Like I said, I'm a car guy. I enjoy driving. If I wasn't a car guy, I'd have a house in Mt Royal. There's a lot of advantages to inner city, but for someone that enjoys driving, it just doesn't work. I lived in a downtown apartment for 3 years in my 20's too, so it's not like I never gave inner city a chance. I've lived in this city almost all my life, grew up in Falconridge, lived in Varsity, Woodbine, downtown, and partially in Renfrew, so I've lived in pretty much every corner of the city. NW just works for me, but it isn't for everyone.

Originally posted by speedog
Crack central - now that's hilarious. I guess it depends on the crowd you hang out with - funny thing is that I know way more families that have teens with drug dependency problems in the burbs then I do in the inner city or the 50-60's communities.

Kind of like people who think inner city high schools are trouble spots and yet I know way more kids who have had fighting/drug/alcohol issues at the farther out high schools - drugs/alcohol/transients, they exist everywhere. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean that it isn't there - my teenaged niece before she went through 2 drug rehabs could've found me any kind of drug within 5 minutes and this from the more affluent part of Tuscany or from the more desirable and supposed safe? high school that she attended.

You can get drugs anywhere. Hell you can get it delivered. The difference is, it's hidden in the suburbs, while crack houses in inner city looks like, well, crack houses. Purely perception, the problem is everywhere. Of course, perception goes a long way for many people.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by speedog
Own a business in Bridlewood but would never live there - would miss the mature trees and such where I currently am although the downside is the amount of fall clean-up I've got to do plus the amount of sidewalks I have to shovel. Good and bad points - every home/community has them, it's just what you're willing to settle for in the end.

off-topic, but do you guys carry solid gold's wolfcub puppy food? i need to pick some up but their website doesnt have canadian stores on it. so i dont know where to look.

on topic... im pretty close to there but on the better side of fishcreek and our streets are beautiful with all the mature trees, smells so nice too

[dexlargo]

Originally posted by ddduke
What I hated most in the burbs was people always sticking their noses in your business. If I were to entertain then the police got called, worked on a car bylaw got called, dog barked was a bylaw call, grass wasn't cut then bylaw again. Another issue was shithead teenagers everywhere, fucking with everyone's shit.

So, you're the guy who lives on the street who has his shitty cars in the driveway in pieces all the time, doesn't mow his grass, has loud parties and dogs that constantly bark. I don't blame your neighbours for calling the cops. That shit gets annoying fast.

[msommers]

Originally posted by taemo


i can see it plausible.
Rage works on the west end of DT and Renfrew being on the NE, he can
-take Edmonton Trail
-take Deerfoot through 16th ave
-go through Bridgeland, Memorial
and you have to take into consideration the stop lights too.

whereas from Arbour lake, he just need to hop into Crowchild.

Yeah if he works on the west end then it's different. But before he mentioned he was driving into and through DT for both locations which made it sound central (like 6ave/3rd area). Once you're DT, you're at the mercy of the idiots, pedestrians and accidents, much like Deerfoot. But to get to the core doesn't take any time at all. The other points are very valid given his criteria and wants. If working on the west end and considering inner city or closer to DT, west hillhurst and parkdale would be my suggestions.

As for the home value, well that much should be obvious, and anyone expecting the same sq ft home close to downtown vs. the burbs for the same price is out to lunch. Property taxes I'm sure are quite a bit higher. Big thing for me is the style of homes as you get into the burbs are almost all the same and it's just not for me. I like the old neighborhoods with smaller, unique homes, large trees etc. I can understand the appeal of not living close to DT especially with communities that have huge shopping centres close by with pretty much everything you'd need, especially if you're raising a family.

To be fair to speeddog, comparing the cambrian heights lot to the arbour lake lot you're:

- Paying $250,000 more (~19%)
- Gaining a garaged parking spot
- Losing a "mountain view"
- Losing 53.82 sq ft
- Gaining a bathroom
- Interior is personal but appears more updated

For the areas I think Rage is looking at and with his criteria, I agree that getting it for even less than 2mill is probably not going to happen, plus a triple garage isn't that common. Even getting a large lot is becoming harder because builders are not putting a house on there but rather a "condo" (duplex) which really limits your square footage. From the builder's financial point of view, it's golden (they're sneaking condo fees in there too) but I don't understand why some people would pay so much for a duplex (starting from 600K usually).

I think it's becoming pretty obvious but I think Rage, you should just pick up this little place and be happy

Here is a potential.

[Mibz]

You can have shitty neighbours in inner city as easily as you can in the suburbs. If you have neighbours calling bylaw on you then there's a good chance you haven't spent more than 30 seconds talking to any of them. Or you're a dick. Seriously, a 10 minute conversation between owners, just shooting the shit, is the best way to ensure a healthy community.

Shit, somebody new came onto our street and would never look/wave when people went by. We spent 5 minutes talking about lawns and now they're all smiles.

As for the rest of the discussion, if I didn't like living where I do then I wouldn't have continued living here. I went from Millrise to Shawnessy to Sundance to Walden. I stay in the South because I genuinely love it here. Do I bitch when I have to drive to Crowfoot, or if there's endless construction fucking my commute downtown? Of course. But if you think I wouldn't find stuff to bitch about living anywhere else then you're lying to yourself.

I really don't care what my house (the house itself) looks like on the outside. Don't care if it's similar to other houses. Honestly don't care what other houses look like. We've got a lotto home across from us that looks like it's out of Vice City. Zero fucks given. They've got a gorgeous lawn and the owner is nice. I would hate to live near big trees. Sticky shit and leaves everywhere, then you get roots fucking up the streets and sidewalks. Not my thing, though I do love driving through places like Parkland and Midnapore. Gorgeous to pass through, not very practical to live near IMO.

EDIT: Inner city people sound like Android owners.

"I like my Apple device"
"But Android is so much better, you need to switch"
"But I'm happy"
"You'll be so much happier with Android. You can do this and that"
"I don't need to do this and that"
"Well you're just a fanboy"