The Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in the Suburban or Urban area of Calgary

Posted by Justin Havre on Thursday, October 25th, 2018 at 11:12am.

Suburban or Urban Living in CalgaryWhether you prefer the suburbs, living in the city or you're not sure what you prefer, it's important to find the right place to call home. Calgary has plenty of great suburban and urban areas to choose from. Here are a few things to consider before home shopping.

Lifestyle

Living in the downtown area provides a different type of lifestyle compared to suburban living. If you enjoy eating out, heading to the newest bars and grabbing a cup of Joe at a hot cafe, urban living may be the right choice for you. However, families tend to choose suburban living for the outdoor activities and open green space.

Of course, urban living also comes with the noise of downtown, while suburban living provides a quieter environment. Those without a vehicle also prefer living downtown because of the public transportation.

Commuting

If you hate driving and dealing with traffic, making the decision between urban and suburban living may depend on where you work. Some of the suburbs provide public transportation into the city, but you will need to live near one of the stations. Urban living, on the other hand, usually means commuting by foot or with public transportation. This means, less time in traffic and no need to drive to work.

Cost

Cost can also be the deciding factor between urban and suburban living. Downtown living is typically more expensive and you won't get as large of a home for the same price. However, the extra cash you spend on your home will be made up with the gas you won't have to spend to get to downtown for work or play.

What Are the Calgary Suburbs Like?

There are many misconceptions surrounding the Calgary suburbs and a lot of people avoid them because they feel that they will be somehow stranded far away from the city. The suburbs do have their own look and feel to them, but it doesn't mean necessarily that you're going to be stuck driving a minivan and mowing the lawn every Sunday morning. You can be who you want to be in any part of the Calgary landscape.Suburban or Urban Living in Calgary

The suburbs are much like self-containing cities of their own that are right next to the urban metropolis of the bigger city. Most of the things that you can find in Calgary's inner-city can also be discovered on the suburban fringes of town. As the suburbs continue to take shape and grow larger, more businesses and opportunities work their way there as well. For anything that you can't find in the suburb, it's just a short jaunt away from the larger city that has everything.

You don't become a different person when you move to the suburbs; you're just finding a place where you can live and be yourself. If you're the type of person that loves the excitement that only can be found in the downtown core of Calgary, you won't find that anywhere but right in the heart of the city. For you, living anywhere else but right in the city would be a compromise of your reality.

If you're just looking for a safe and secure place to call home you'll be able to structure things to meet your lifestyle in the suburbs. While it used to be that these areas were populated generally only by families, there are now different types of housing opportunities that are springing up across the suburbs including townhouses, condos, single-family homes and luxury units of all types. Seniors, couples, singles and families are welcomed into these pockets of the city. The suburbs are quickly becoming a mixed bag of demographics.

For the most part, housing prices go down the further you step away from the downtown part of Calgary so you'll usually end up with a larger home with a bigger lot for your money. You'll have the convenience of being close to most of the amenities you'd ever need while just being a hop skip and a jump away from everything else that's provided in Calgary proper. It's definitely worth taking a look at the housing offered in all parts of the city to get a full understanding of what's available in each section.

Final Decision

Making the decision between urban and suburban living in Calgary isn't easy. There is no right answer and it really comes down to what you prefer for your specific lifestyle.

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