Best Areas to Live in Calgary: 10 Best Neighbourhoods in Calgary

Where will you find the best areas to live in Calgary? Truth be told, the “Heart of the New West” is a wonderful city to live in for people from many walks of life because of its stunning natural landscapes, abundance of parks, access to the mountains, well-maintained infrastructure, and diversity of real estate.

Today, Calgary is home to an ever-expanding list of communities that are excellent to live in for a wide range of buyers including families, young professionals, empty nesters, luxury buyers, and everyone else in between!

Below, we discuss several of the best neighbourhoods in Calgary’s Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast quadrants that you might absolutely love, and why!

Arbour Lake

Crowfoot Park

Why residents love living in Arbour Lake:

• Central lake
• Active community association
• Family-oriented
• Crowfoot Crossing
• Close to mountains

This suburban neighbourhood is one of the few lake communities in Calgary, and the only one in the Northwest. Centred around a man-made lake with exclusive use for residents, Arbour Lake is one of the best areas to live in Calgary for families who love the beach and enjoy the benefits of a tight-knit community.

Homes for Sale in Arbour Lake range from small condominiums to mobile homes to exclusive lakeside estates. Prices typically range from the $300,000s up to the $1.5 million+ range for its higher-end properties. Arbour Lake West is a new mixed-use development in the area offering new construction condos and townhomes, providing more options for buyers looking for more affordable homeownership opportunities.

Arbour Lake residents enjoy quick access to Crowfoot Crossing, a large strip mall with several amenity mainstays like Shoppers Drug Mart, Cineplex Odeon, Rona, Indigo, Safeway, and several other services. With all it has to offer, it’s no surprise that Arbour Lake is one of the best neighbourhoods in Calgary.

Capitol Hill

Why residents love living in Capitol Hill:

• Five minutes to downtown
• Adjacent to Confederation Park
• Close to amenities galore
• New infill redevelopments
• Child-friendly with playgrounds

Capitol Hill is one of the best areas to live in Calgary because of the convenient access to amenities along the TransCanada Highway, in Banff Trail, and along 14th Street NW. Residents also enjoy living close to one of Calgary’s largest urban parks, Confederation Park, complete with an extensive paved pathway system, several parks, picnic tables, playgrounds, and even a golf course.

Prices for Capitol Hill real estate typically range in the $500,000 to $1 million+ range. But on rare occasions, you’ll find condominiums in the $300,000+ range close to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

This community has a quiet ambience close to downtown with lush, mature vegetation lining its streets. Its streetscapes have been transformed over the past decade with several new infill developments underway and/or complete in the area, more reasons why locals know it as one of Calgary’s best neighbourhoods.

Hillhurst

Peace Bridge

Why residents love living in Hillhurst:

• Ten-minute walk to downtown
• Adjacent to the Bow River pathways
• Home to the Kensington District
• Beautiful streetscapes with mature vegetation
• Live a fully walkable lifestyle.

Hillhurst is one of the most loved neighbourhoods in Calgary for its walkable location near the river and in the Kensington District, one of the city’s Business Improvement Area which is home to more than 100 restaurants, shops, and services. The community is especially favoured by downtown professionals who value the opportunity to walk to work year-round, avoiding traffic altogether while saving time for the more important things in life like family and leisure.

Because of its desirability as one of the best areas to live in Calgary, Hillhurst home prices in the area typically are on the higher-end. However, it is host to several older condominium buildings with units that sell in the $200,000 to $300,000 range. Infill properties in the area can easily start in the $800s and go up to $1.2 million plus.

Hillhurst is home to SAIT and the Alberta University of the Arts. New infill developments are sprouting up everywhere in this sought-after riverside neighbourhood as residents get to enjoy a walkable lifestyle with hundreds of businesses nearby in the Kensington shopping district as well as convenient access to the river pathways and Peace Bridge.

Coral Springs

Why people love living in Coral Springs:

• Central man-made lake
• Active Homeowners Association
• Sandy beach on central man-made lake
• Established, tight-knit community
• Convenient city access via main highways

Coral Springs is well known as one of the best neighbourhoods in Calgary’s northeast because it was established in the 1990s, meaning that many families have lived there for a long time and know each other well, whether it be through the HOA or over time. As a result, this community is undoubtedly one of the best areas to live in Calgary for families as a result of the tight-knit feel it offers.

Home to almost entirely townhomes and detaches properties, prices for Coral Springs real estate typically range from the mid $400,000s and can reach as high as $1.5 million plus for lakeside semi-estate lots.

Coral Springs’ active community association hosts weekly events year-round and features a sandy beach on its central man-made lake. A limited selection of properties line lake and have their own docks, giving families the opportunity to enjoy water leisure and recreation as long as the weather permits.

Bridgeland

Bow River Pathways

Why people love living in Bridgeland:

• Riverside community with spectacular views
• Vibrant and eclectic streetscapes
• Highly walkable community
• Central park and community centre
• Home to many top restaurants

Bridgeland’s reputation as one of the best Calgary neighbourhoods stems from its inner city location just a short walk away from the Bow River, Calgary Zoo, St. Patrick’s Island, Prince’s Island Park, Eau Claire, Chinatown, East Village, the downtown business core, and more! But lo and behold, the sought-after community is also home to an impressive list of amenities found along 1st Avenue NE which include some of Calgary’s best restaurants like Sushi Bar Zipang and Shiki Menya.

Real estate listings in Bridgeland are usually priced from the mid $200,000s up to $3 million or more, depending on the property’s location characteristics. A plateau on the north side of the community is home to several luxury estate ridge walkout homes with spectacular views of the downtown skyline, which can easily go for $2.5 million or more.

The neighbourhood’s central park is home to an expansive green space with playgrounds and picnic tables. It’s also where you’ll find the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association, an active facility with weekly activities and events great for the whole family. But what really sets Bridgeland apart as one of the best areas of Calgary to live in is its spectacular location close to all the amenities you could ever hope for.

Aspen Woods

Why people love living in Aspen Woods:

• High-end properties
• Beautiful rolling foothills and aspen groves
• Panoramic mountain views
• Westside Recreation Centre
• 15 minutes to downtown
• West Calgary C-Train

Aspen Woods has long been one of the most sought-after communities in Calgary because of its pristine location in the West District and its impressive real estate portfolio that attracts high-end buyers. The community has long been known as one of the best neighbourhoods in Calgary, a place where families can plant themselves and grow to make lasting memories while taking advantage of the numerous public/private schools, public transportation, and recreational opportunities it offers.

Price wise, Aspen Woods real estate ranges from the $300,000s for a single-bedroom condominium up to $8 million for its most luxurious and expansive properties.

This highly desirable community is found on the brim of the southwest quadrant, where access to the foothills and beyond is as traffic-free as it gets. Over the years, Aspen Woods has grown to include a handful of subdivisions each with their own unique characteristics and real estate portfolios, providing a wide range of buyers with the opportunity to live in the area.

If you are looking for well-designed, well-built, luxury homes near top-in-class amenities like the Westside Recreation Centre and private schools galore, then Aspen Woods may be the perfect for you.

Beltline

The Beltline

Why people love living in the Beltline:

• Walk to the best entertainment and nightlife
• Lock-and-leave lifestyle in multi-family properties
• Highly walkable location
• All the amenities you could ever hope for
• Live, work, and play in the urban centre

The Beltline is where you'll find some of Calgary's most luxurious streetside townhouses and high-rise apartments. It is also perhaps one of the most walkable neighbourhood on our list of best areas to live in Calgary, with hundreds, if not thousands of restaurants, shops and services found along entertainment corridors such as 10th, 12th and 17th Avenues SW. Downtown workers love the Beltline because of its "close-to-everything" location, including work in the business core.

Properties in the Beltline are limited to multi-family with a select few detached properties, and typically are priced anywhere from the high $100,000s for a studio apartment, all the way up to over $2 million for single-family homes (if available).

Calgary’s Beltline attracts many buyers looking to live, work, and play where all the action is in the city. This urban lifestyle is particularly attractive to those looking for a “lock and leave” lifestyle in a condominium apartment whether it’s a downtown executive with three children or a young professional flying solo. As a result, the Beltline is by far the best urban neighbourhood in Calgary to live in.

Crestmont

Why people love living in Crestmont:

• Closest to mountains as it gets
• New construction homes
• Family-oriented community
• 15 minutes to downtown
• Active Homeowners Association
• Ease of access to Stoney Trail ring road

Crestmont is a family-oriented community unlike any other in the city, with immediate access to the foothills and mountains to the west where you’ll find some of Alberta’s most beautiful parks. The relatively new construction community features townhomes and single-family properties, many of which have spectacular views of the Rockies. It’s no wonder Crestmont is regarded as one of the best areas to live in Calgary.

Crestmont homes for sale are priced from the $500,000s to the $1 million plus range. Its well-crafted master-plan features many parks and children’s playgrounds. It is also home to an active homeowners’ association with weekly events like “movie in the park” which serves to promote connecting individuals and families across the neighbourhood.

Just to the east you’ll fine the acclaimed Winsport at Canada Olympic Park and a new Goodlife Fitness at Trinity Hills. Also, the Calgary Farmers’ Market West is a few minute drive, while reaching downtown doesn’t take any longer than 15 minutes.

Garrison Green

Past Listing in Garrison Green

Why people love living in Garrison Green:

• Five-minute drive to downtown
• Expansive parks and interconnecting pathways
• Easy access to the mountains
• New construction from late 2000s and early 2010s
• Family-oriented community

Garrison Green was phase two of three of the Canadian Forces Base redevelopment in Calgary. Find exclusive million-dollar homes in the area backing out onto large park spaces, in addition to Victorian-style row houses and a select few affordable housing units near the Crowchild Trail sound barrier. The community is also home to several condos at the Garrison Gate building tucked away close to Glenmore Trail.

Garrison Green’s inner city location makes it unique with respect to the age of construction, with most homes built in the late 2000s or early 2010s. Real estate prices range from the high $200,000s for a single bedroom condo, to more than $1.5 million for parkside semi-estate homes.

War memorials are found amid Garrison Green’s two large parks where kids are often playing with others in the neighbourhood, and locals set up an ice-rink during the winter. This truly is a tight-knit, family-oriented neighbourhood just five minutes away from the downtown business core, and is truly one of the best areas to live in Calgary by a long shot.

Mahogany

Why people love living in Mahogany:

• Family-oriented
• Central man-made lake w/ exclusive access
• Homeowners’ Association
• 22,000 square foot Beach Club
• Wide variety of real estate to choose from

Mahogany may just be the best area to live in Calgary if you enjoy water recreation and leisure during the summer. The community’s exclusive 22,000 Beach Club and active homeowners’ association provides residents with all the services they need to enjoy summer fun at the 84-acre freshwater lake such as canoeing, paddle-boating, swimming, and other water activities of the sort. Visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy the lake when tagging along with residents.

But apart from the lake, Mahogany has a full spectrum of real estate to choose from. Whether it be condos to duplexes to move-up homes to island estates, the community has something to offer almost any type of buyer. Mahogany real estate is typically priced anywhere from the high $200,000s to the high $2 million range.

Mahogany residents benefit from close proximity to the South Health Campus and the Seton Gateway Retail District, where you’ll find a VIP Cineplex Odeon, Save-On-Foods, Shoppers Drug Mart, TD Bank, BMO, and several other handy amenities. Overall, Mahogany is one of the top neighbourhoods to live in Calgary if you enjoy a suburban lifestyle with all the conveniences you need to make life enjoyable close to home.

What is the Best Area to Live in Calgary?

It’s hard to say which one of these communities above is the absolute best area to live in Calgary. We will leave it up to you to decide!

If you would like to find out more about any one of these best areas of Calgary to live in, contact our team of experienced REALTORS^® with RE/MAX House of Real Estate at 403.370.4008 and we will be happy to assist you!