Broadcast Hill

Named for the iconic 459 foot CFCN tower that has stood atop Southwest Calgary since 1961, Broadcast Hill – otherwise know as Coach Hill Patterson Heights – was first annexed by the city in the late 1970s. Known for the historic brick home that served as residence to wrestling's Hart family, the community also takes its name from the home's prior occupant, Judge Henry Stuart Patterson.

Part of Ward 6, which saw its population increase by just under two per cent in the last city census, the area has seen plenty of development since first being cast into the spotlight during the 1988 Olympics. Playing host to the media village and welcoming the addition of Canada Olympic Park to the area, Broadcast Hill has become one of the most sought after areas of the city.

As a longtime area resident and president of the Coach Hill Patterson Heights Community Association, Shauna Baty is well versed in what makes the area so attractive.

"We have excellent schools up here, so people want to keep their kids in that school system. The other thing is that it's a more mature neighbourhood, so...houses are not cookie-cutter, and well established businesses and pathways and a lot less development," she said.

Along with the proximity to schools, most Broadcast Hill residents are also within walking distance of the Westside Recreation Centre. Since first opening in 2000, Westside has become an important hub for fitness-minded folk. Home to an aquatic park that features wave, lap and tot pools as well as a "lazy river" and waterslide, the facility is the perfect solution for anyone looking to beat the heat (or the cold). Another hot commodity at any time of year, the facility's year-round indoor arena hosts adult, family and youth shinny, as well as family skates.

According to Baty, such amenities provide the area with the best of both worlds in many ways.

"It's a lot quieter neighbourhood as well, and I think a big thing is you feel like you're living in suburbia but you're 20 minutes from downtown, and if you take the LRT, you're like 12 minutes from downtown."

Constructed at a cost of $1.4 billion, Calgary's 8.2 kilometre West LRT line is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the City of Calgary to date. Making it possible for Broadcast Hill residents to commute to work in the core in less than 20 minutes, the new line is already taking between 6,000 and 8,000 cars off city streets every day according to the City.

Another feature of the area that's nearly impossible to miss are the sweeping vistas that can be found from nearly any vantage point. Looking west, the Rocky Mountains tower over the landscape even in the distance, serving as a backdrop for the rolling fields and foothills of Southern Alberta. To the east, Baty said the view of Calgary itself draws plenty of onlookers.

"We get a lot people who drive up here just to look out over the city."

Tagged: Calgary Real Estate | Calgary Real Estate News | West LRT