Communities

From Calgarypedia

1 Calgary Communities and Neighbourhoods
2 City Layout
3 Community Index
4 External Links

Calgary Communities and Neighbourhoods

Calgary contains over 160 communities with varying sizes, populations, housing mixes and amenities. These communities are split by quadrant: NW, NE, SW and SE. Several unique areas exist in and around the city’s downtown core, including Eau Claire, Chinatown and downtown districts like the Downtown West End, Downtown East Village and Olympic Plaza.

One of Calgary's most densely populated neighbourhoods is the Beltline, located south of 9th Avenue. The area, which is distinct from the downtown core, contains a number of sub-communities including Connaught, part of the Rivers District and Victoria Crossing. In an effort to rejuvenate the Calgary centre, the municipal government has focused major planning and development efforts in Beltline.

Radiating from the city centre are the inner-city communities of Crescent Heights, Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill, Hillhurst/Sunnyside (including Kensington), Bridgeland, Renfrew, Mount Royal, Mission, Ramsay and Inglewood and Albert Park/Radisson Heights.

Toward the ever-expanding boundaries of the city lies the inner suburbs and outer suburban communities, such as Arbour Lake and Sundance. Calgary’s suburban communities offer a range of scenery and amenities, from mountain views in the west to lake communities in every quadrant of the city.

City Layout

Calgary’s communities and streets are organized by quadrant. Street numbers count upward as you travel from the city’s central dividing roads. Latitudinally, Macleod Trail divides the SE and SW quadrants in the south and Centre Street divides the NE and NW quadrants in the north. Longitudinally, the dividing line is the Bow River in the west and Centre Avenue north of Memorial Drive in the east.

Addresses radiate outward from the centre of the city. For example, 402 11th Avenue SE is on 11th Avenue in the southeast quadrant, east of Macleod Trail and south of Centre Avenue. Calgary’s grid of numbered streets may be confusing to visitors of the city, but it makes navigating easier once you understand the quadrant system.