Calgary's Top 5 Friendliest Neighbourhoods

Friendliness of neighbours tied with safety for second most-desirable factor in a neighbourhood, according to Avenue’s city-wide community survey.

Leger Marketing created a friendliness score for each community based on survey responses of how friendly people found their neighbours to be, how often they had received help from neighbours and how regularly they talked to their neighbours. These top communities all received a score of more than 80 for friendliness (for some context, Calgary’s lowest-ranking community — which shall remain nameless — received a score of 53.1).

1. Shaganappi
Friendliness score: 85.5
This southwest community is friendly on the street and online. Its community association boasts a blogging site (shaganappicommunity.ca/blog), which members can use to chat about community events. There’s a wealth of gathering places including playgrounds, an ice rink, tennis courts, tobogganing hills, a community hall, a baseball diamond and a coulee for community members to socialize at. And the neighbours seem to be taking advantage of that. Survey respondents reported they knew eight or more of their neighbours and spent 30 minutes or more chatting with neighbours most weeks.

2. Sunnyside
Friendliness score: 83.8
One of Calgary’s oldest inner-city communities, the northwest neighbourhood of Sunnyside is located on the north side of Bow River across from downtown Calgary. The area’s community association has been around since 1948. Small local businesses including mom-and-pop convenience stores and coffee shops line the streets, encouraging community members to walk to local services and mix and mingle with those who often work and live in the community. Survey respondents knew on average four to eight neighbours and spent 10 to 20 minutes chatting with them a week.

3. Ramsay
Friendliness score: 83.0
Located just a hop, skip and jump from downtown, this southeast neighbourhood puts an emphasis on community involvement. Ramsay holds an annual garage sale, a yearly Plant Share and Gardening Exchange and a community festival called Ramsay Rocks. Residents say neighbours are helpful and give each other a hand with clearing snow and picking up kids. Many described it as having a small-town feeling where everyone knows each other.

4. Elbow Park
Friendliness score: 82.6
Elbow Park is located about three kilometres from the city centre, making the historic southwest community close to a number of social scenes including restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues. There are a variety of sports leagues and community clubs for people to join, including the Glencoe Club (a private sport and family multi-facility club on 29th Avenue S.W.) and a minor hockey league. Residents reported knowing four to eight neighbours, and chatted with them for 10 to 20 minutes a week on average.

5. Rosedale
Friendliness score: 81.7
This northwest neighbourhood is located between 4th and 10th streets. The Rosedale Community Association offers social clubs such as bridge, as well as sports such as grass root hockey to help bring people from the community together.

Read more of Calgary's Best Neighbourhoods 2010

Top 5 Pedestrian-Friendly Neighbourhoods

Top 5 Safest Neighbourhoods

Top 5 Friendliest Neighbourhoods

Top 5 Neighbourhoods with Curb Appeal

Top 5 Neighbourhoods for Parks and Recreation

Calgary's Best Neighbourhoods: The Data
Wonder how we determined the 15 top Calgary neighbourhoods? Here's how they ranked in each of our criteria categories. Plus: view the stats for 19 additional neighbourhoods in the city.