"Life at the lake is just better," said Tannis Anstey, marketing manager for Calgary communities at Brookfield Residential, while explaining the vision behind the community of Auburn Bay.

"It was really inspired by the cottage lifestyle. We wanted to create a four-season lake community where everyone feels welcome and neighbours become friends."

For many Calgarians, the idea of living beside a lake is extremely appealing. Thankfully, Calgary is home to several lake communities, and each has its own unique character and mix of amenities.

For those thinking about buying their own lakefront oasis, here's a look at each of Calgary's established lake communities to help you find the one that's right for you:

Brookfield Residential is renowned for creating communities that shine.

"We build communities for life – where residents can work, play and thrive," said Tannis Anstey, marketing manager for Calgary communities with Brookfield Residential. "At the core of what drives us is how we can contribute to someone's sense of belonging and quality of life."

For anyone looking to buy an affordable condo in Calgary, now is the time, with a variety of both townhome- and apartment-style units available for $250,000 or less throughout much of the city.

Taradale (N.E.)
This northeast neighbourhood shares bountiful amenities, from schools to recreational centres, with its neighbouring communities of Saddle Ridge to the north and Martindale to the west. The three communities seamlessly flow into one another, with no sharp boundaries. The Genesis Centre acts as a hub for all three communities, with sport and wellness offerings for the entire family.

If you want to have a Calgary community that outpaces all others in population growth, with lots of children and young families, it helps to have a lake.

A growing family often means it's time to grow the home as well – a space that once seemed roomy and open often feels cramped once a little one is running around.

Depending on your priorities, it might also mean the time has come to relocate from an inner-city area to a quieter, family-focused community in the suburbs. If you're struggling to pick a new neighbourhood to call home, or have no idea where to even start looking, these are Calgary's top-10 communities for young families (based on percentage of population 14 years old and under):

When it comes to the names of Calgary communities, some honour early pioneers, others are named after the surrounding landscape and some simply sound like a nice place to live.

Pleasant Heights, Scenic Acres and Sunalta (a mash up of sunny and Alberta) sound like they could have come out of a real estate subdivision name generator. But how do developers actually come up with the names for new communities?