Each year since 2010, Avenue has worked with
Leger, a research and marketing
company, to run a survey that gets to the heart of the question: What are Calgary’s
best neighbourhoods to live in?
Rather than simply voting for their favourite neighbourhood, survey respondents consider
various characteristics and tell us which ones are most important when they think about a
good neighbourhood. Are parks and pathways preferable to bars and boutiques, for example? Is it more important to have access to major roads than access to schools? Is proximity to a public
library preferable to proximity to a movie theatre?
Each year we tweak the survey for clarity and to respond to the previous year’s results,
eliminating characteristics that were deemed unimportant to most and trying new questions.
We also update the quantitative data that Leger uses to compare each neighbourhood once
we know how important each characteristic is.
This year, we did a total data overhaul and that caused a few exciting changes in the results.
With the launch of the City of Calgary’s Open Data Portal in late 2016, we had access to more
detailed and more accurate information than ever before. What changed the most this year
was how we counted parks. Previously, we simply counted how many green spaces were in
each neighbourhood. Using the City’s open data, we could include information on the actual
amount of park space — the more hectares a park is, the more points we allocated to it.
This change caused some big movements in the rankings. Varsity moved from 47th overall
in 2016 to first and Edgemont moved from 70th in 2016 to third.
In many other ways, the results are similar to what we have found in the past. This year,
Calgarians’ top-five most important neighbourhood characteristics were access to parks and
pathways, low crime, walkability, access to restaurants, cafés and pubs, and high community
engagement. In 2016, parks and pathways, low crime and access to restaurants were also
among the top five.
It’s important to note that the best neighbourhoods in Calgary, as determined by this survey,
aren’t necessarily going to be the best for every Calgarian in the city. Different people value
— and need — different things. Fortunately, each neighbourhood offers something that makes
it the best to someone and there is a neighbourhood that offers the best for each of us. —K.O.
This year’s overall Best Neighbourhood sits in that sweet spot where you get all the best
parts of being both old and new. Seniors aging in place in modest bungalows share calm
streets lined with mature trees with energetic young families in new builds, creating a
nice, welcoming mix.
The neighbourhood also occupies a sweet spot in terms of getting around. Located just west
of the
University of Calgary, residents get the benefit of both a reasonable commute to
downtown (either by vehicle or via the C-Train from the Brentwood and Dalhousie stations
on Varsity’s eastern edge) and an easy escape to the Rockies.
The banks of the Bow River beckon to the south, while
Market Mall provides a convenient
hub of shopping amenities within the community, everything from fun and frivolous boutiques
to a full-sized Safeway grocery store.
Varsity’s streets and pathways are conducive to walking around, yet the neighbourhood’s
expansiveness means you never feel fenced-in — even the actual fenced-in residential lots
are spacious and comfortable-feeling. Plentiful park space and recreation facilities, including
the scenic
Silver Springs Golf and Country Clubon the banks of the Bow, encourage active
living in residents of all ages.
It’s a neighbourhood with a view, a river on one side and the C-Train on the other, wide-open
sunny spaces and mature, shade-giving trees. It perfectly encapsulates what expat Calgarians
dream about when they think about home, and it’s why Varsity deservedly owns the sporting
chant of “we’re number one!” —S.A.
ROOM TO IMPROVE
While it’s hard to find fault with Varsity, advocates for urban density would identify the
relatively low number of people per square kilometre (1,855) as potential grounds for
improvement. The proximity to the university and the neighbourhood’s conduciveness
to a car-free lifestyle would make Varsity a prime candidate for secondary suites; however,
as of January 2017 there were no approved secondary suites registered in the community.
2. Beltline
T
he vibrant area south of the downtown core known as the Beltline is chock full of great
restaurants, cool cocktail bars, packed pubs, bumpin’ nightclubs, boutiques and bookstores,
coffeehouses, yoga studios, boxing studios and anything else a connected Calgarian would
be tuned into. Tucked into the mix are charming urban parks and green spaces to chill out in,
heritage monuments like the Memorial Park Library and Lougheed House to explore and
admire, a handful of hip hotels and a variety of options for residents to do their grocery
shopping and run drugstore errands. Plus, you can get your bike fixed, get your skis tuned
and get yourself a nice bottle of wine, all within a few buzzing blocks. Sure, living in the heart
of the action isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but for the many Calgarians seeking a
vibrant scene (not to mention an easy walk, bike or skateboard ride to work), the Beltline
brings it. —S.A.
ROOM TO IMPROVE
It should come as a surprise to no one that a highly populated area with an active nightlife that
draws crowds from outside the community will have problems with crime. The Beltline’s rate of
439 crimes per capita is this inner-city neighbourhood’s Achilles heel, putting it leagues above
the 65 crimes per capita of top-ranked Varsity.
Nose Hill Park, the expansive prairie-grassland preserve in the city’s northwest, is a huge
asset (literally) to the neighbourhoods nestled around its borders. It’s one of the key reasons
why Edgemont, which tucks up against Nose Hill Park to the west, edged up into the top five
this year.
But Edgemont has more going for it than just its proximity to this favoured destination of
cyclists, runners and owners of energetic dogs. The community association’s membership
count of 780 exceeds that of top-ranked neighbourhood Varsity, and Edgemont also scores
high in the area of community-supported projects. These, and other indicators of healthy
community involvement, could be due to the fact that the neighbourhood is comprised primarily
of single-family homes, with the majority of dwellings (86 per cent) occupied by the homeowners.
That pride of ownership, in both home and community, is likely one of the reasons Edgemont
can also claim a reassuringly low crime rate, well below any of its fellow top-five. —S.A.
ROOM TO IMPROVE
Easy access to arteries such as John Laurie Boulevard and Shaganappi Trail is a boon for
car commuters, but outside of that, the picture gets bleak. With strikingly low scores in both
walkability and transit access, just over two per cent of Edgemont residents walk or bike to
work.
Brentwood is a perennial strong finisher in the Best Neighbourhoods survey, which makes
sense since it has many similar attributes to this year’s number-one, Varsity. Brentwood sits
just across Crowchild Trail to the north of Varsity, positioning it to be walkable to the University
of Calgary and just a zip of a commute downtown, either by car or C-Train from Brentwood
station. Residents include a mix of old-timers and young families and everyone in between,
with a vibrant university-student population, as well.
A wealth of shopping amenities includes four grocery stores. There are also several community-
fostering organizations within the neighbourhood, including a
Calgary Public Library branch,
a community garden and the well-used Brentwood Sportsplex, which is a hub for everything
from figure-skating and hockey programs to Scrabble and bridge groups. All contribute to the
sense that this is a neighbourhood that’s friendly, fun and comfortable in its skin. —
S.A.
ROOM TO IMPROVE
From the outside, Brentwood seems like the ideal community for aging in place; however, the
lack of any nursing-home facilities means that long-time residents who might require this kind
of care in their twilight years are forced to uproot.
The west-end neighbourhood of Signal Hill is easily identified by the striking geoglyphs on the
hillside at Battalion Park. The large-scale installation of whitewashed stones placed to create
groupings of numbers serves as a memorial to the Albertan soldiers who fought in the First
World War in battalions 137, 113, 151 and 51. This unique fusion of heritage and public art sets
Signal Hill apart — as does the exceptional shopping at the base of the hill. Westhills Shopping ]
Centre is practically a neighbourhood in its own right, with everything from a
Real Canadian Superstore
(with liquor store and gas bar) to a
Cineplex Odeon multiplex. Among the vast array of retail
options is arguably the city’s best
Winners store, which contains a trove of high-end designer
items at double-take prices.
Bordered to the south by Highway 8, Signal Hill is also well positioned for getting out to the
mountains, whether for biking in Bragg Creek in the summer or skiing at Nakiska in the winter.
For these reasons, and more, it can proudly claim its spot in the top five. —S.A.
ROOM TO IMPROVE
While Signal Hill has an admirable number of registered community members, the
neighbourhood lacks a community centre, which hinders its community engagement.
Nestled between Nose Hill Park and Deerfoot Trail, Huntington Hills scored among the top
Calgary neighbourhoods for playgrounds, access to libraries and parks and pathways. It also
ranked among the top 15 for recreation facilities, schools and grocery stores. Between its
community centre and sportsplex — which offers a number of recreational programs such as
curling, soccer and ringette — and its skateboard park, there’s always something happening
in the Hills. —A.G.
As the home to great restaurants such as
Shiki Menya,
Tazza and
Blue Star Diner,
Bridgeland/Riverside has people talking (often with their mouths full). A wealth of amenities —
including grocery and drug stores — as well as proximity to downtown make this inner-city
community very walkable, and more than 20 per cent of commuters here opt to bike or walk
to work.
–A.G.
At the crossroads of Stoney Trail and Crowchild Trail, this northwest community is well
situated for getting around the city and getting out to the mountains. But it’s what’s inside this
neighbourhood that really counts, particularly the residents’ association members-only beach
around the community’s eponymous lake. Not surprisingly, Arbour Lake also benefits from a
high community-engagement score. —A.G.
High walkability and easy access to public transit make living in the Downtown Commercial
Core carefree for the car-free set. This urban area also brings an abundance of shops and
restaurants to the table, as well as the theatrical and musical happenings at
Arts Commons
and the summer fountain-turned-winter skating rink at Olympic Plaza. —
A.G.
Straddling Centre Street, just north of the Bow River, Crescent Heights benefits from being
close to downtown, with the walkability and transit access that affords. A variety of amenities
and good community engagement also helped this ’hood rise in the rankings. It’s also home
to McHugh Bluff Park, which offers one of the most picturesque views of the city’s skyline.
—A.G.
明年1月1日开始，新的房贷压力测试就要开始执行了，如果你现在还不清楚这是怎么一回事的话，那么现在有必要了解一下了，尤其是潜在买家以及准备更新贷的人，这个新规可能会影响你的决定。
新压力测试影响范围：
首付超20%贷款者
最早的压力测试是在2016年10月，当时加拿大金融机构监管局（TheOffice of the Superintendent of Financial Institution﹐OSFI）发布规定，要求首付不足20%需购买房屋保险的购房者通过压力测试。根据加拿大的金融法规，首付不到房价20%的按揭贷款必须购买保险。购房者在申请房贷时必须按照加拿大央行规定的五年期固定利率来接受测试，而不是银行给予的优惠利率。买家通不过测试的话，其贷款申请就会被银行拒绝。
明年开始，OSFI要求各大银行执行更加严厉的房贷压力测试。首付超过20%无需购买保险的人也要进行压力测试。另外，已有房屋但首付超20%需要更新贷款的人也受影响。
新规要求，贷款机构按照加拿大央行公布的五年期利率（现为4.99%），或合同利率基础上再追加2%的较高者来审批首付超过20%的贷款。这意味着如果约定的合同利率是3.34％（您为抵押贷款支付的利息率），那么购房者将以5.34％的利率接受测试。
购买力将大大减少
购房者先要清楚银行的挂牌利率（posted rate）和折扣利率（discounted rates）之间的差异。当您看到的利率显示2.99％、3.14％等，这些是折扣利率。挂牌利率是加拿大银行在向公众提供利率折扣之前设定的利率，目前的挂牌利率是4.99％。
也就是说，明年开始，如果您打算买房首付超过20%，或者之前买过房但现在需要更新贷款，那么银行的评估标准就变了，购房者仍然可以根据合同规定的利率每月还款，但同样的收入条件下，能借到的钱就少了。
举例来说，假设一个家庭收入12万元，首付20％，五年固定利率3.34％，按25年平均摊销。根据目前的规定，这个家庭有资格获得68万元的抵押贷款，加上20％的首付款17万元，能买到价格为85万元的房子。
不过，在2018年1月新规生效后，根据5.34％的利率进行压力测试，同一家庭只能够买到价值为75万元的房屋。他们的购买力减少了10万元。他们能买到的房子类型和位置都将有很大不同。
加拿大央行此前表示，新房屋按揭贷款压力测试将会使10%准购房者失去购房资格，更会影响150亿美元的新贷款。根据道明债券评级公司（Dominion BondRating Service，DBRS）的数据，加拿大目前有46%的按揭贷款业主属于首付20%以上，不需要购买房贷保险。
预先批准有用吗？
很多人会想，既然新规明年才实行，那么可否申请预先批准贷款，锁定90天-120天的利率？
需要注意的一点是，"预先批准"的利率或锁定的利率与购房者拿到的"最终批准"利率是不同的，银行一般都还要再核证申请人信贷、收入及债务状况没有变坏，才会同意最后的放款。如果最终批准要到明年元旦以后才能完成，那么还是会受限于新的规定。
而且，监管部门鼓励贷款商收到指引之后尽快实施新例，所以不排除贷款机构有提早执行的可能性。新压力测试最后指引是于10月17日发出，此日期之前已经签署的贷款申请不会受影响。但10月17日之后至1月1日前才办理的申请或预审，则可能需要符合新测试的要求，实际情况视乎有关贷款公司而定。
也就是说，目前房贷商在处理房贷申请或预审方面，已可能采用新的标准来计算还款能力，导致批出的贷款额明显减少。
如果购房者不得不将接受新的压力测试，那么最好重新做购房规划，或是增加首付，或是在预算内重现选择房子，或降低房屋大小，或改变选房位置等，必要的话可以向专业的贷款经纪咨询，确保在新规下做出最适合自己的变化。
