University District Calgary

University District - Calgary

Until now, the most walkable communities in Calgary were only located in the downtown core. Located on a parcel of land connected to the University of Calgary, the University District was designed from the ground up to be a walkable and thriving community.  Living in the University District of Calgary is one of the more trendy and quickly growing neighbourhoods in the city. It offers a unique mixture of walkability, convenience, community, and vibrancy! 

Just to the west of the University of Calgary of Calgary, it offer easy access to the campus which creates a fun and youthful vibe and atmosphere. It features a diverse mix of students, faculty, professors, and professionals.  

UofC - Obviously one of the most significant advantages to living in the district is that it’s walking distance to the UofC. For this reason, I think this would be a great area for students to live in either ia rental, or if you’re a more affluent student definitely buying here is a good option. I sold a townhouse here to a professor in the past and I think this would be a great spot for both professors and faculty as well. Students and faculty can take advantage of the easy access to campus facilities such as libraries, sports facilities, and academic resources. I also think it’s a good option for professionals as there are many big ticket items around here such as the Children’s hospital, Foothills hospital (largest hospital in Alberta), and market mall.

The area just offers a very unique atmosphere that includes families, young professionals, retirees, and students combined with many community events, local business, and recreational actives make it a very lively area.

Another reason to live in the District is that the University of Calgary often hosts events, performances, and exhibitions that are open to the public. I’ve probably been to Mac Hall to see different bands at least 10-15 times over the years and it’s just another great reason to live in the District.

Walkability and Transportation - Outside of the downtown core this is one of the only walkable neighbourhoods in the city that I can think of. Calgary is definitely more of a car city but this area is changing that. The District is well connected to Calgary’s public transportation network making it easy to get around the city. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the District to the Brentwood Ctrain station. There are buses that stop in the District and will take you to the train stop in 5-10 minutes as well.

It’s also about 12 minute walk from the center of the District to MacEwan Hall at the UofC which is the main student centre area.

It is very walkable, but it is also convenient if you have a car as well as you have easy access to some major roads such as 16th ave or the Trans-Canada highway, crowchild trail (a freeway cutting from the inner city to the deep NW), Shaganappi trail, and Memorial Drive.

Brentwood Ctrain station is walkable and a short bus commute with stops directly in the district. 20 minute walk from the University District to the Brentwood station.

Retail - One of the cool things I like about the University District is all of the amenities and services located right on the main drag. It kind of has a small town feel with all the shops on the main street.  This includes grocery stores, there is a Save On Foods directly in the district, a Safeway across the street in Market Mall, and there’s more grocery stores in the Brentwood shopping centre. There’s also plenty of cafes, bars, restaurants, pharmacies, medical stores, a movie theatre, and boutique shops all within walking distance enhancing convenience and quality of life. Also newly opened is the Alt Hotel.

Parks and Green Spaces - There are plenty of parks and green spaces in the University of Calgary campus grounds as well as in the University District neighbourhood. In the district you’ll find walking trails, dog parks, fire pits, a skating rink in the winter along with its own Zamboni to keep the ice in good condition, and there’s also a beautiful fountain and park at the entrance area.

Not too far away and about a 5 minute drive you can easily access the Bow River offering extensive trails for walking, jogging, cycling, and rafting.

Real Estate- Housing options in the University District include both condos and townhouses. It is a very built up and tight nit community that’s very walkable, so you don’t see the suburban single family homes in this neighbourhood. There are single family homes in the older communities surrounding the District such as Varsity and Brentwood though.

Condos range in price from a low of $275,000 to a high of $1,066,275.

The bulk of the condo sales are from $300,000 to $500,000.

Townhouses range in price from $400,000 to $1,000,000

The bulk of townhouse sales are from $500,000 to $700,000

One of the unique things about living in the District is that the homes are purchased on a leasehold basis which you don’t really see too often with residential sales in Calgary. However, you still have the same rights and responsibilities as a traditional freehold property owner for the length of the lease which is 99 years in the District. At the end of the lease the university could negotiate an extension of the lease, or pay the leaseholder fair market value for the residence which sits on the land. 

More information about this structure can be found on the University of Calgary Properties Group website. I would also suggest when closing on a transaction like this that you use a real estate lawyer that is familiar with this neighbourhood and leasehold structure.

Overall I think living in the University District offers a fun, dynamic, and walkable lifestyle that I think many people will enjoy.