You probably have some ideas about the design of the brand-new home you want to live in. But, how about the community where it’s located? Consider these seven helpful tips as you decide which of the many desirable Calgary communities is best for you.

1. Conduct Research on Local Schools
2. Check Out the Selection of Businesses in the Area
3. Think About Your Lifestyle
4. Check on the Amount of Parks and Green Space in an Area
5. Look at the Public Transportation Options
6. Think About Employment
7. Research the Home Designs Available in Various Communities

Conduct Research on Local Schools

Whether your kids are in elementary school or moving through their high school years, you want to move to a community with quality schools. If you move into the Walden community and have a child in 7th to 9th grade, the MidSun School is an option. Or, Fish Creek School is open to students K-6. For older students in Walden there’s Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School.

If you’ve taken a special liking to the Savanna community, the Hugh A. Bennett School close by serves students K-4th grade. Peter Lougheed School is open to students in grades 5-9 while Nelson Mandela High School is an option for students grades 10-12. No matter which Calgary community you choose, there are quality schools nearby.

Check Out the Selection of Businesses in the Area

Maybe you like the idea of living in a community with a choice of doctors’ offices nearby. If you choose the Savanna community you have a short commute to several doctors’ offices including the Medicentres Family Care Clinics, Medicare Walk-in Clinic and Family Practice and the Apex Medical Clinic.

Restaurants

Do you love to try out new places to eat? You and your partner may want to focus on communities with a large selection of restaurants nearby. Living in Drake Landing Okotoks gives you a varied choice of restaurants such as Bistro 1882, the Roma Italian restaurant and Almira’s Mediterranean Grill along with many more. In the Wedderburn community, you have access to great restaurants like Taste of Thailand and Olive Chicken.

Shopping

If you live in the communities of Wedderburn or Drake Landing Okotoks, then you live a short distance from many places to shop. The CF Chinook Centre, Westhills Towne Centre and the CORE Shopping Centre are just a few options.

Think About Your Lifestyle

The community you live in should ideally reflect the way you want to live - some people might want to be close to interesting nightlife or a thriving arts district, while others may prefer a more quiet area, or one closer to nature. If you're an active family, you might want to have easy access to walking trails or be near a gym or sports centre. 

When choosing a community, make sure you check out not only the immediate area but also the community at large to see what the culture of the place is and make sure it's one that suits your lifestyle. After all, you're going to be spending a lot of your time there!

Check on the Amount of Parks and Green Space in an Area

If you and your family want to live in a community in Calgary with lots of green space and serene parks, then moving into a place like Savanna is a good bet. Do you want to live in a community offering you a wonderful view of the river valley and the mountains? If so, the community of Drake Landing Okotoks is worth a second look. In addition, this neighbourhood has walking paths, playground areas and a dog park.

The Walden community offers you a collection of preserved trees, modern playgrounds, parks and plenty of green spaces. Imagine walking your kids to a playground where they can blow off some steam and you can meet some more of your neighbours. Walden is a safe community with a pleasant atmosphere for families of all sizes.

The community of Wedderburn has a central park where residents can enjoy a relaxing walk and take in the view.

Look at the Public Transportation Options

If you’d like to live in a community where you’re able to forgo your car in favour of the bus, you can do so in the Walden, Savanna, Wedderburn and Drake Landing Okotoks communities. You have access to bus service and can check out the routes that suit your needs.

Think About Employment

Whether you're looking for work or you're already employed, the local employment options should be a major factor in your choice of community. Ideally, you'll be spending a lot of time both at work and at home for the foreseeable future, so if you can minimize the amount of time to get from one to the other, you could potentially save yourself a lot of hassle in the future.

When choosing a community, think about how the commute to work will be. Perhaps you could even do a trial run from the community to your workplace to see if any unexpected delays or problems come up. Try to do this at around the time of day you'd usually be going to work if possible, as rush hour can be very different to a mid-day commute.

Research the Home Designs Available in Various Communities

As you get closer to choosing a Calgary community, you can make your final decision about the type of home design you want.

A Bungalow

A bungalow is a home design with a single level and attractive open floor plan including a modern kitchen, family room, master bedroom and more. If you and your spouse are retired and looking for a home with less space to care for, then this design may appeal to you. In our Walden community, we have the Berkshire 24 bungalow design and the Berkshire Walden show home. In Drake Landing Okotoks, we have bungalow homes including the Berkshire 26 as well as the Berkshire 2 Bedroom.

Bi-Level

A bi-level home design combines the convenience of the bungalow design while providing a second floor accessible by fewer stairs than a full two-storey design. This design is appealing to small families and people looking for a comfortable home with just enough rooms.

Wedderburn and Drake Landing Okotoks

The Wedderburn and the Drake Landing Okotoks communities have the Bishop two-storey home design. In addition, Drake Landing has the Diefenbaker Showhome and Spice designs as well as Henko, Kananaskis, Aspen IV.

Savanna

Two-storey homes appeal to large families and households with multiple generations. Looking for a beautiful two-storey for your family? Consider the Pavanna in Savanna! Other two-storey designs in this community include the Diefenbaker 24 Spice and The Abbott.

Walden

Walden has several two-storey home designs to consider, including the Pavanna II, the Diefenbaker Spice, the Diefenbaker Showhome, the Kingsway, the Jackson, the Colewest, the Kendrick and the Graham.

The tips mentioned above are great areas to start your search for the best community to build your new home in. Remember what matters most to you as you look for an area in or around Calgary that makes sense for your needs and your lifestyle. Once you've found the community you want to live in, deciding on a home is much easier!

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