If you're planning a move to Airdrie, Alberta, you're going to want to know both the good and the bad. Today we're going to be going over 5 pros and 5 cons to living here in 2022.
PRO #1: AMENITIES
Airdrie has all the main perks of the city, without actually being in the hustle and bustle. You can find everything you'll need on a day-to-day basis, from restaurants to shopping to recreation just a short distance away.
Just outside of Airdrie is Costco, New Horizons Mall, and Cross Iron Mills Mall - a massive outlet mall. So, you won't necessarily need to make trips into Calgary unless you want to.
PRO #2: CONVENIENT LOCATION
The location of Airdrie is in a great spot when looking at Alberta as a whole. Being right on Highway 2, you can enjoy easy access to everything the province has to offer, whether you want to travel north to Edmonton or south to Calgary. A huge pro for some people is Airdrie's close proximity to the airport, as you'll only be a 15-20 minute drive away.
It's also just a couple hour drive to explore the Rocky Mountains, where you'll find stunning scenery, plenty of opportunity for outdoor activity, and tourist favourites like Banff and Canmore. Going in the other direction, you can check out the hoodoos and dinosaur museum in Drumheller or a nature area like Cypress Hills.
PRO #3: DISTANCE END-TO-END
Although the city is growing quite quickly with building happening on every corner, you're still only going to be 10-15 minutes from one edge to the other. Being so close to everything can be handy, because you can get to where you need to be in a short amount of time, versus a big city like Calgary, where some neighbourhoods are 45 minutes apart. The size of Airdrie definitely makes it easier to become familiar with the area.
PRO #4: AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Our prices in Airdrie have increased in the last few years, but we are still more affordable than other communities surrounding Calgary, even though are increases have been more significant. Current Benchmark Prices:
Airdrie - $482,500
Calgary - $523,900
Cochrane - $507,000
Okotoks - $537,000
Chestermere - $615,900
So, Airdrie is still the cheapest option when it comes to buying a home. This has always been a bit strange to me, as we have the most to offer in terms of amenities and location. I do suspect this may not be the case for very much longer, as more and more people choose to move to Airdrie. Our prices will continue to appreciate more than these other towns and cities. In our most recent run up, Airdrie appreciated as much as 30% year over year compared to the other areas, where they appreciated anywhere from 15% - 22% at their peak.
PRO #5: FAMILY FRIENDLY
Airdrie has long been a really young city in terms of the average age, we see a lot of families with your kids moving here due to the types of homes and affordability. This means that there's no shortage of family friendly activities throughout the year put on by the city or other organizations, many highlighting various holidays.
We've got a large rec centre on the east side of Airdrie, with another on the plans in the near future. Also, a brand new library and multi-use facility is under construction right in the heart of Airdrie.You'll also find tons of playgrounds and parks all over the city and pathway to connect them all.
CON #1: POPULATION GROWTH
The rate in which Airdrie has been growing has been good for bringing new amenities, but things can become a tad overrun before relief comes. For example, we probably could have used a bigger library and rec centre a couple years ago, but planning and construction takes time. Until these additions to the city are completed, you can expect spaces to be busy and for programs to fill up fast.
CON #2: AIRPLANE NOISE
Most people living here don't really notice the airplane noise at all anymore, but if you've never lived near an airport it could be something to get used to. I would consider the noise minor and we aren't in Calgary or right next to the airport where it may be worse.
CON #3: NO SWIMMABLE WATER
One thing to note, is that there is no good swimmable water here in Airdrie. We do have a lot of ponds, canals, and Nose Creek running through the city, but none are you can actually take a dip in. These features do however provide tons of opportunity for sight seeing, fishing, kayaking, and skating in the winter.
Compared to other areas where you might have a river or lake to cool off in during the summer, this is an aspect that Airdrie is lacking in and just something to consider. There are plenty of options a short drive away, such as Big Hill Springs Park or the multiple river spots in Calgary.
If you are a buyer and looking to get your home search underway, I would love to help! Click the button below to go fill out my buyer consultation request form!
CON #4: RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC
I need to preface this by saying, if you are used to the Vancouver to Toronto rush hour traffic, you're going to probably laugh at why I'm complaining about this all. Traffic here doesn't come close to what you get there, but things can get backed up around Yankee Valley Boulevard, which can add up to 20 minutes to your drive. Good news is that we have a solution underway, the new 40th Avenue overpass will be finished this coming October and should be a huge fix to this rush hour traffic.
CON #5: STRONG WINDS
It can get quite windy here in Airdrie, as Calgary is Alberta's windiest large city and it can blow strong and hard with big gusts, especially on the west side of the city. This isn't a huge issue to living here, but if you are coming from somewhere where there is little to no wind, you may notice it more here.
Check out my YouTube video below where I go over everything in this blog post and subscribe to my channel if you want to see more Airdrie related content!
- Brad Walker
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