Once rundown community emerging as residential magnet

* Old neighbourhoods, new Calgary: A look at some of Calgary's earliest communities and how they're evolving with the times

Once home to the city's early elite, the historic community of Victoria Park is back on the map for Calgary homebuyers.

The Beltline neighbourhood has seen resurgence in its housing market this year, with several newly announced high-profile condo developments complementing a dramatic rise in resale activity over the last 10 months.

Bowness Park partially reopens to public after two-year closure

Two years after being closed for renovations – with some added delay due to flooding in June 2013 – Bowness Park is partially reopen for business.

The City said the entire west side of the park – including the parking lot, picnic areas and a new central square – is now open to the public. The east end of the park will remain closed until next year.

New guidelines aimed at encouraging travel by foot, bike and transit

A new policy approved by council could have more Calgarians ditching their daily drive in favour of greener transportation.

Seen as a way of encouraging Calgarians to travel by transit, bike or by walking, the Complete Streets Policy and Guide is expected to "improve both measurable and perceived safety, provide attractive streetscapes, provide transportation options, improve universal accessibility, promote economic well-being of both businesses and residents, and increase civic space" while reducing the total amount of paved space in the city, said council.

Making great compost this winter

My husband is a new-age composter.

By that, I mean composting is a new thing for him – something he hasn't historically been involved with.

And if there is one thing my engineer husband likes it's a task with logical and direct instructions. He doesn't want to guess what I need for my birthday, so he isn't going to guess what pile the potato peels he's holding should be dumped into.

New film centre coming to southeast Calgary

After much delay, Calgary's burgeoning film industry is about to get a major boost.

Approved earlier this year but with roots dating back to 2009, the city's first major film studio broke ground late last week in a high-profile ceremony ironically set within an unassuming industrial suburb at 5750 76th Ave. S.E.

Spread out over more than three hectares of land, the $23-million facility will include 50,000 square feet of purpose-built sound stages, 20,000 square feet or warehouse space and 15,000 square feet of space for office and storage.

City approves building permits for six-storey wood frame homes

The City of Calgary has announced it will be accepting building permit applications for six-storey wood-frame buildings for already approved land use zones.

"We are looking at innovative ways to make housing more affordable for Calgarians," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. "Six storey wood buildings are easier and cheaper to build than using other materials, which makes for more affordable homes."

Local Village Brewery uses locally grown goods for featured Calgary suds

Four Calgary communities have taken local gardening to a whole new level growing hops and lavender, and producing honey, for local beer connoisseurs Village Brewery.

The community associations of Bridgeland-Riverside, Inglewood, Parkdale and Killarney-Glengarry each grew their own hops and in return are given kegs of Village Gardener Community Ale for fundraisers or community gathering events.

Price growth eases as supply improves

Calgary's hot condominium market helped fuel a 10 per cent increase in Calgary's residential resale housing market in October.

Overall sales for the month totaled 2,147 units, compared with 1,948 during the same period last year, according to the latest statistics from CREB®.

"Two consecutive years of relatively strong employment and population growth, combined with rising wages and low lending rates, have supported demand growth in our housing sector," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

Part three of a three-part series looking at the sinister and spooky side of Calgary's haunted housing history.

Serving as a place of work for more than 140,000 Calgarians, it may go unnoticed that the majority of this city's historic buildings also reside downtown.

Lurking among the plethora of glass-and-steel towers representing the core's newer additions are buildings that have managed to withstand the test of time. And, along the way, many of these same structures have managed to pick up a story or two surrounding their long - and sometimes eerie - history.

Shopping communities within communities popping up all over Calgary

All over Calgary, a trend has begun.

Communities that once would've used a simple strip mall to provide residents with amenities are increasingly turning retail offerings into miniature town centres, plazas and High Streets, creating communities within communities.

Brookfield Residential recently announced its southeast community of Seton would be throwing their hat in the power strip pile, with plans for more than 800,000 square feet of retail space.