If you and your family are thinking about making a move to or within Airdrie, you’ll want to know the best neighbourhoods to call home. Not only am I a local Realtor, but I’m also a father of 3 young children, so I know how important it is to find the perfect neighbourhood to raise your kids and have your family thrive in.
1. WINDSONG & SOUTHWINDS
These neighbouring areas really feel like one community because both were master built by Mattamy Homes and effortless blend into one another. From my perspective, there is probably the highest percentage of young families with kids here, you'll be amazed at how many are out and about when the weather's nice.
A big reason for this is because Mattamy Homes has the lowest priced new builds in the city. They were able to make prices cheaper by increasing the density in the area from making lots and roads smaller. This means many of the roads can get pretty tight in here, and the average lot size is smaller than other neighbourhoods of the same age.
At the heart of Southwinds is the Osborne Park, where you’ll find a great playground, shaded picnic areas, and a small toboggan hill. The neighbourhood also features a 4 acre environmental reserve, integrated into a 6 acre pond area. Only a couple minute walk away too is Chinook Winds Park, the city’s 55 acres recreation hub, with baseball diamonds, a skate park, a splash park, beach volleyball nets, basketball courts, and more.
2. CHINOOK GATE
This is an up and coming community, located a little further west with various kinds of new construction happening. The homes started being built here in 2018 and are a more modern style with great curb appeal. We had to add Chinook Gate based almost solely on the fact that it’s the best connecting neighbourhood to Chinook Winds Park. Some of the homes will be just steps away from Airdrie's biggest playground.
Plus, the community playground in the middle of Chinook Gate acts as a gathering place for kids of all ages. With some homes fronting right onto the playground, it feel’s kind of like a hub in the middle of the neighbourhood.
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3. WILDFLOWER
This is a brand new development in the super early stages of construction. It’s located on the west side of 24th Street across from Bayview and is the first community to be built on this side of 24th Street. It will also feature Airdrie’s first outdoor pools and have an homeowners association like non other that we’ve seen in Airdrie.
The highlight for families here, is their plans for an 8,000 sq.ft amenity centre with pools, hot tub, sports court, change rooms, toddler play area, playground, lounge areas, pickleball courts, and more. Infrastructure like this doesn’t exist in the city yet, and residents here will have exclusive access to it. Imagine being able to have your kids walk to the community pool during the summer or the ice rink in the winter and not have to deal with the business or waitlists of the Genesis Rec Center.
They also have plans for walking paths, harvest gardens, a stormwater pond, and tons of picnic and lookout points. Being on the upper west side means experiencing sunrise views and getting a feeling of being away from the city, but still very close.
Ultimately this area will drive a TON of families due solely to the home owners association amenities, whereas people without families may stay away since the HOA fee will be higher here, and if you’re not using the amenities then it may not be worth it to live here.
4. BAY AREA (BAYSIDE, BAYVIEW, BAYSPRINGS)
The thing that makes this area special is all the water access you have and the pathways surrounding them.
People love biking around the canal or shoveling off a skating rink in the winter. I’ve seen in the winter as many as 6 or 7 ice rinks all in a row being clearned and maintained on a regular basis by owners backing onto the canal. This really has a way of bringing community spirit to Bayside that I don’t know you’ll find anywhere else in Airdrie.
Many of the houses in the area back onto the canal, which is a huge attraction for people to move here, and some of the higher end homes even have a dock to enjoy kayaking or canoeing in the summer.
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5. BIG SPRINGS
Unlike the previous neighbourhoods we discussed, Big Springs is located on the east side of Airdrie and is the only one we’ll be talking about that’s not in the southwest. This is primarily due to the unmatched value of homes in the area and its proximity to Genesis Rec Center.
You’re going to find older homes, big lots, and a large number of manufactured homes here, which are great options for those looking to make their first home purchase. The special thing about Big Springs is that you can get a freehold detached home for between $200-300,000 in most cases.
Now in this price range, this will be a modular home with no basement, but if you’re a family, this does let you have an actual yard, and in many cases a good size garage, for the price of a townhouse. So, you won’t be paying a condo fee and you own your own house on its own land, which is great if you have pets or kids.
The neighbourhood is just a couple minute drive to the city’s only rec centre at the moment, which is a perk if that’s somewhere you’ll be going to quite often. There you’re going to find a wide range of activities including swimming pools, hockey rinks, multiple gymnasiums, gymnastics, a play place, a full fitness facility, and more.
R.J. Hawkey Elementary school is situated right in Big Springs, and your middle and high schools are just in the neighbouring areas. This means your children will be able to walk to school in most cases, especially your young children going to that elementary.
If you don’t mind older homes, and can see past some of the rough exteriors or yards that you may find here in Big Springs, you can come own property fairly inexpensivly in comparison to other areas, and get your start in the real estate market.
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- Brad Walker
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