Bit by bit, over the 10+ years my husband and I have lived in deep suburbia, we’ve become more and more disillusioned with the suburban lifestyle. Maybe it’s partly Calgary – I’ve heard that Albertans own more trucks and SUVs than residents in any other province, and indeed, when we first moved here we were amazed at the proliferation of pickup trucks on the road – back in Toronto we only saw them once in a while, and mostly with a couch or dresser or some other furniture in the flatbed. Obviously they were being used for a move. Other than that, you usually spotted them farther out in the country, where it made sense to own a truck. And SUVs? Other than the old-school Jeep Cherokee, they just didn’t exist yet.
But here in Calgary, I was stunned to see my VP driving to work in a big (and when I say big I mean HUGE) Silverado. Genuinely surprised, I asked him why. His answer? “Because it’s big”. And that, indeed, seems to be the motto here in Calgary. Why do you drive a pickup truck/SUV? Because it’s big. Why do you live in a 3000+ sq ft mini-castle? Because it’s big. Why do you eat a 14oz prime rib? Because it’s big.
Big, Big, Big.
It’s a bit exhausting, really. But, being new here, we bought into a lot of it. We own a house with nearly 2200 sq ft above grade, and a fully-finished walkout basement with another 1000 developed sq ft. We have two vehicles – one of which is a mini- (and I use that prefix ironically) van. We have an Executive membership at Costco, and we use it. We have a trampoline in our backyard (as do 80% of our neighbours).
We are, in a word, suburban.
And one day, we woke up and looked at ourselves and said, “how did we become like this?” We used to be urban. We lived in great, diverse inner-city neighbourhoods in Toronto, and I pride myself on the fact that I never owned a car until I was nearly 30. We took public transit. We walked. We supported local professionals, trades and shops. We belonged to independent video stores. We got our apples at the local fruit vendor and our meat at the local butcher and our bread at the local baker and we had never even heard of Costco and its 19kg tubs of peanut butter.
And then about five years ago, we watched Canadian documentary The End of Suburbia, which cemented our sense of dis-ease with our lifestyle. We also read James Howard Kunstler’s work, and regularly listen to his podcast. And we’ve been reevaluating our position. Why do we live here? We have to drive absolutely EVERYWHERE. Hubster drives nearly 25km each way! to work. The only things within walking distance are the gas station and the kids’ school. We even have to drive them to most of their playmates’ homes. It’s crazy!
So this weekend, we spent some time exploring the very few urban neighbourhoods in this city. It’s not easy to find them, but here are a few vibrant, livable, walkable communities here in Calgary, and our interest has settled on one: Inglewood. Right on the banks of the beautiful Bow river, cris-crossed with bicycle and walking paths, good shopping, close to downtown (and the zoo!) and only 5km from Hubster’s work. That sounds better, doesn’t it?
And if you want a really incisive look at life in the Calgary suburbs, check out local CBC morning show guy Jim Brown’s film, Radiant City.
There are many aspects(design concerns) in this seo concept, and due to the rapid development of the Internet,It is better to include new aspects that may emerge.
Just having returned to suburban Calgary from urban Toronto I must add how powerful of a ‘vibe’ a large city like that has. Coming back to the suburbs is such a contrast. There’s nothing unique – either places or people, there’s just sterility and conformity. I’ve read of the feelings one can draw from being in nature, how some develop a sense of calm and power when in the mountains. I draw that same sense from big cities (London / Toronto). The spirit that lives in the gathering of so many people can be powerful. We need more livable cities! Let’s leave the suburban areas to nature (and perhaps some farmers).
Oy that first picture. Everytime we see a new housing survey under construction we’re amazed that so many people can afford/need such large homes. Our home, built in 1965, would have been luxurious and spacious then, but is now smallish at 1800 sq ft and outdated with no master bath. I much prefer the urban lifestyle, but our urban neighbourhoods leave a little to be desired.
My husband and I live in a condo in Connaught right now but are thinking of moving to Acadia or Kingsland or somewhere similar to start a family. Right now we LOVE being able to walk to the grocery store, video store and so many restaurants. Hopefully we can find that in an area that is a little less sketchy than downtown. Hey, here’s a question. Do you think it’s tougher to live a healthy lifestyle in the suburbs, or is it the same no matter what?
I enjoy your blog…
i know inglewood, it’s beautiful. my in-laws live in the Mission area, close to Elbow Park, I think and Mount Royal. I love all those neighbourhoods too, partly because of their proximity to all the city amenities. We live near the Danforth in Toronto, and I love being able to walk there for my groceries, fruit meat etc. Howeve, i do feel pangs of envy when I visit the huge homes of my suburban friends with their vast backyards and beautiful landscaped gardens. AT the end of the day, however, i agree with you. urban is good.
Looks beautiful! I am all for urban living. Driving is a pain in the city so it forces you to walk and be active. Everything is out my front door and I am always meeting my neighbours on the street. My house and lot may be smaller but the community aspect is totally worth it.