Historical homebuying

Apr 6, 2018Apr 4, 2018 Andrea Cox Leave a comment

Ashley McCallum found a home with character in the Beltline

Ashley McCallum loves history and character-filled older homes. So when it came time for this 35-year-old to find her first home, she immediately gravitated towards inner-city areas with more than a century of history. Although her first preference was a single-family home with a yard – her beloved eight-year-old bichon, Molly, loves playing outside – it wasn’t in her budget. After months of searching, she found a lovely one-bedroom apartment in the Beltline on the second floor of a four-storey walk-up. The light-filled space features crown mouldings, century-old hardwood flooring, big windows and all the interesting nooks and crannies that come with an older home.

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Red Mile revamp

Mar 30, 2018Apr 6, 2018 Geoff Geddes Leave a comment

City eyes the future with 17th Avenue facelift

Whether you’re a person or a stretch of pavement, 30 years of hard labour can take its toll. When you’re as heavily travelled as 17th Avenue S.W., the effect is multiplied. That’s why the City of Calgary, armed with a $44 million budget, is giving much of the area a facelift. From Macleod Trail to 14th Street S.W., the City is upgrading utilities, rebuilding the road and improving pedestrian areas to pave the way for future use.

“This began as simply a road construction project,” said Ryan Murray, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary’s transportation department. “After 30 years, it was time to dig down and rebuild the foundation of 17th Avenue. We decided that while we were down there, we should make the most of it by upgrading old utilities and rebuilding the road.”

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Less is more

Sep 29, 2017Oct 6, 2017 Barb Livingstone Leave a comment

The benefits of small-space living

When software developer Mike Surbey and occupational therapist Kaitlyn Bernardin got married earlier this month, they were already ensconced in a 498-square-foot, one-bedroom condo just off popular 17th Avenue S.W.

The young couple — he’s 32 and she’s 29 — along with their cat, love their open-concept, efficient space in Grosvenor’s Smith project in the Beltline. The smaller living space is the perfect fit for their lifestyle.

“We don’t accumulate a lot of stuff and it is really easy to clean,” said Bernardin.

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Living the high life

Sep 8, 2017Sep 6, 2017 Andrea Cox Leave a comment

Patricia and Michael Insole went from renters to buyers and never looked back

For Patricia and Michael Insole, timing was everything when it came to purchasing their penthouse condo in Calgary’s inner-city Beltline neighbourhood.

They weren’t really looking to buy a home, but when the building where they were renting became a condominium conversion, they jumped at the chance to purchase. They gathered a down payment, borrowing from family and friends, and purchased their 1,700-square-foot condo on the 15th floor. (more…)

Old community, new energy

Aug 4, 2017Aug 2, 2017 Andrea Cox Leave a comment

Historic Connaught provides inner-city lifestyle with old-world charm

Humming with an eclectic, urban vibe, Calgary’s inner-city community of Connaught attracts a variety of residents, from millennials to empty nesters. The community brims with multi-family housing, tree-lined parks, community vegetable gardens, purpose-built dog playgrounds, and a variety of unique restaurant and retail offerings. As an added bonus, many of these businesses, such as Kalamata Grocery and Analog Coffee, are spearheaded by local entrepreneurs.

“There is just this huge appeal – there are the parks and the trees and you are also in the thick of it. It’s a real community where there is something for everyone,” said Connaught resident Patricia Insole.

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