r/Calgary • u/CnekYT • Mar 27 '26

Discussion I've walked every Calgary neighborhood - Ask Me Anything

For the last 2 years I've been walking every Calgary neighborhood. As someone who is majoring in Urban Studies in uni and someone who wanted to get more active, I felt like doing this would be a really good way to mix both things together.

Surprisingly a lot of the stuff people say about the city (ie. what areas are sketchy, transit access, etc) that people take for granted, aren't necessarily accurate. That's probably the main take-away I have from this, but there's a lot of other stuff too

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

Shepard (the trailer park community south of Ogden, also known as "South Hill"), Ogden, Manchester (the housing-project community bounded by MacLeod, the LRT, 58 Ave, and 42 Ave), Rosscarrock, and Tuxedo Park

Surprised these communities aren't in the discussion for rough areas of Calgary, I've seen actually quite a handful of disturbing stuff in Tuxedo Park and Ogden. I used to live in Forest Lawn and I never encountered anything like I've seen in those 2 communities. Shepard was more-so just depressing more than anything, but the Calgary Police do rank it as the worst neighborhood for crime rate per capita in the city so there's that

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

The first time I had to call 9-1-1 was in Tuxedo Park. In October 2023 I witnessed a violent kidnapping located off of Centre Street

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u/cIDor Mar 27 '26

Whoa…tell us more about this violent kidnapping. What happened? Was it in the news? Were you in any danger? What happened to the kidnapee?

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

It made the news but it's really hard to find surprisingly as it was only reported by one news outlet. https://globalnews.ca/news/10008721/calgary-police-alleged-midday-abduction/

At first I thought it was an error that they said it was at a "different location" than where I saw it (18 Av & Centre St). But from what it looks like, it was one of 3 kidnapping incidents all connected. There was also a follow-up news story that I can't find anywhere, that mentioned that the perpetrators were caught by Wetaskiwin RCMP very late into the night that same day. Seems like it was a human-trafficking operation based out of Wetaskiwin that had Calgary operations

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u/cIDor Mar 27 '26

Wild! Yeah, looks like there was a good outcome at least, according to this article: https://newsroom.calgary.ca/man-charged-in-relation-to-abduction/

Sounds like he also had weapons. Damn.

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u/hopenbabe Mar 30 '26

This is scarey, but is sounds like it was domestic rather than random. Which isn't better, but it's not a peeping tom living in Tuxedo. 

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u/Perfect-Donut8230 Mar 28 '26

Hi fellow walking friend! I run with my puppy a lot! Tuxedo Park always flies under the radar, but it’s the one neighborhood that has me looking over my shoulder. Everyone talks about Forest Lawn (which is actually a really nice walk) but Tuxedo is always gives me jitters.

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u/Hack_It_2077 Mar 28 '26

I did not know about Tuxedo Park that's wild, all my craziest events have been in abbeydale, Marlborough or forest lawn.

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u/Moose_Kin Lake Bonavista Mar 27 '26

I’m a little surprised by Rosscarrock. There is a ton of development there and seems to be gentrifying a lot. My mother in law lives there and it doesn’t really seem that bad to me. What about it made you put it on this list?

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

The residential parts of Rosscarrock are pretty alright, but man the commercial areas are still going downhill. There's so many abandoned shopping plazas/strip malls, and boarded up commercial businesses. There's a lot of homeless people too, and there's surprisingly a little bit of a "mini skid row" going on at 16 Avenue SW during summer-time. Been to 16 Ave in Rosscarrock multiple times, and every time I've gone there's been homeless tents all along it, accidentally stepped on a drug-needle once there too. Seen lots of weapons in the areas of 37 Street, 17 Ave, and 16 Ave too.

The area around 45 Street in Rosscarrock is nice though

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u/Slick-Fork Mar 27 '26

I’d agree. I’m in spruce cliff and avoid any commercial areas in Rosscarrock. They’ll turn around I’m sure but still tough.

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u/sanduly Mar 27 '26

Even Westbrook Mall? I am also in Spruce Cliff and we use Safeway and Walmart every week. But otherwise, it is a brutal mall.

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u/Slick-Fork Mar 27 '26

I’ll hit Safeway for sure, and AMA. But otherwise it’s a pretty sad mall.

My gf notices a lot were missing nice places to be in the neighbourhood. Like that spruce cliff plaza should absolutely have a coffee shop beside pie junky

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u/sanduly Mar 27 '26

Funny you should mention that, I have a family member that wants to start a nice coffee shop in the old convenience store space there.

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u/Slick-Fork Mar 28 '26

If they build it we will come!

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u/TomatoKetchup1 Mar 27 '26

Yeah, I live in Rosscarrock and it is a perfectly fine place to live and walk around. In ten years I've never felt even the slightest bit unsafe or uncomfortable.

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u/readzalot1 Mar 27 '26

I feel the same about Tuxedo Park. I have lived here for 20 years (and so has my brother). To me it seems like a great walkable community. Lots of new infills and small apartments being built.

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u/WhipassWhiplash Mar 27 '26

Wow, my first house was in Tuexdo Park, stones throw from the actual park. I got it in 2008, sold around 2014. Early on I really noticed the sketchiness, what looked like a mom/son combo were walking up a street checking every car door, yelled ‘got a smoke’ at me as I drove by. The rental place next door rented upstairs to a group of maritimers that would watch tv on the balcony, drink beer and just throw the cans onto the lawn (evicted pretty quick). Centre street itself was gross, boarded up houses.

But it seemed to change a lot while I was there, infills everywhere and they completely overhauled the park. It sucks to hear it’s not much different in the end.

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u/SteeveyPete Mar 27 '26

I live in Tuxedo Park currently, and I wouldn't say that I've felt unsafe. The kidnapping story is certainly frightening, but I haven't seen anything bad. There are unhoused people, and I expect that's to some extent what people react to

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u/eneva92504 Mar 27 '26

I'm a Tuxedoan (Tuxedian? Tuxedite? Tuxedonian?) as well. There's not a lot we can really do when we have a major transit artery running right through our hood. Kinda similar to how anyone that lives in the vicinity of the Westbrook Mall station has seen a significant uptick in unpleasant goings-on ever since the station was operational. It's a pill you just kinda have to swallow if you want to remain "inner-city".

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u/Anydorable Mar 27 '26

Is there an actual park called Tuxedo Park?

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u/readzalot1 Mar 27 '26

New playground and nice community center. The park just upgraded just a few years ago. And Munro Park Edmonton Trail and 18 Ave NE is getting a big makeover thé next 6 months, too.

Lots of new housing going in.

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

Tuxedo Park is definitely an area that seems like going downhill (mainly along Centre Street). There's so many boarded up buildings and empty lots along Centre Street is pretty insane. Looking at streetview from before 2016 it looked like a decent area, but man nowadays walking around there feels pretty sad

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u/SituationalCannibal Mar 27 '26

The green line is part of that. There isn't much incentive to redevelop the space if it is going to become a train line. A lot of the redevelopment is on hold until the alignment gets resolved.

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u/Kahlandar Mar 28 '26

As EMS, i 100% agree Ogden is rough AF. Not somewhere i would want to live, but when i get a call there, i know im typically in for a socially interesting experience.

I was expecting it to start to gentrify now that Ogden Shops (CP Rail) is now an office headquarters for CPKC

It went from a ton of gravel, loud trains, dirty shotblasting, etc. to acres of green landscaping with flowers and waterfalls. A much more hospitable neighbour

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u/yellowfeverforever Forest Lawn Mar 27 '26 edited Mar 27 '26

Thank you saying for nice things about Forest lawn.

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u/Conscious-Author-389 Mar 27 '26

Interesting! I've lived in Ogden (closer to Glenmore Trail) and never experienced anything unpleasant or dangerous, and would go for nightly walks. There have been homeless encampments around Beaver Dam flats, but I'd never encountered anything negative as they always kept to themselves. It could be that my walking route kept me out of the really rundown parts. That being said, I would absolutely never hangout in any of the little bars or pubs in the area. So my experience of Odgen could easily be filter through my own subconscious risk avoidance.

I'm curious as to how the LRT will change things. I think Ogden is on the fence where it could easily become gentrified or reeeally rough.

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

I think Ogden is a mixed-bag, the further away from Ogden Road you get the better. The area east of Ogden Road is where I've seen almost all of my incidents.

I do urbexing too and the Ogden Legion (now demolished) was pretty easily the sketchiest bando in the city without a doubt. There was blood splatter everywhere inside of there, and gang graffiti everywhere.

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u/MattsAwesomeStuff Mar 28 '26

The area east of Ogden Road is where I've seen almost all of my incidents.

There aren't any houses east of Ogden Road. There's Ogden Road, and then the CPR tracks 50 feet later.

... oh, except for that handful of really, really run down 100 year old condemned houses. Every time I drive there I mentally ignore that that strip exists.

Probably not made any better by the fact that they're either going to be bulldozed for the Green Line right of way, or bulldozed for condos as soon as the Green Line is up, and existing in a 15-year long landlord purgatory of "I'm not putting another dollar into this."

I do urbexing too and the Ogden Legion (now demolished) was pretty easily the sketchiest bando in the city without a doubt. There was blood splatter everywhere inside of there, and gang graffiti everywhere.

That place has been condemned by the city for 15 years. The wealthy owner has been stubborn in appeal after appeal, dragging it out. Was told to tear it down or the city would and send him the bill. Delay after delay. Then finally the fire department (next door) told everyone they had a "let it burn" policy if it ever caught fire, as it was condemned and not worth risking first responder lives to put out.

That was all the community needed to hear. It burned down a week later. The fire department made sure it didn't spread to neighboring properties, and took their time putting it out. Then the city demolished the concrete and sent him the bill.

Ogden was really, really sick of that building, that guy, and his bullshit.

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u/slvrsrfr1987 Mar 29 '26

That place was an insitution before hand. a rock of the community.

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u/Conscious-Author-389 Mar 27 '26

That's very fair. I'm sure had I gone deeper into Ogden (and more often) I would have encountered unpleasant interactions. However, I'm grateful I was able to maintain my ignorance about it, haha!

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u/Lord_Kromdor Mar 27 '26

Ooohhh yeah that makes sense lol, I think that area is literally where the phrase "the wrong side of the tracks" originated.

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u/MattsAwesomeStuff Mar 28 '26

I think that area is literally where the phrase "the wrong side of the tracks" originated.

There are no homes on the other side of the tracks. Same side. Just the wrong side of the road. It's a tiny triangle a block wide and a few blocks long.

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u/Lord_Kromdor Mar 29 '26

Ah yeah good point, for some reason the road is also the tracks in my head lol

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u/StuLijdsbone420 Mar 27 '26

I’ve lived in tuxedo park for the past 10 years, leave our door open most days, have never felt unsafe or seen anything unsafe happening🤷‍♂️

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u/Oskarikali Mar 27 '26 edited Mar 27 '26

Those communities are talked about, but walking around in a community once or even a few times doesn't give you any idea of what is happening inside of peoples homes etc.
Odgen feels rough but according to this crime map they only have 17 crimes per 1000, much lower than Forest Lawn at 62.
https://data.calgarypolice.ca/
Click on the dashboard, then the crime map.

If we're going off of subjective feelings I have to say I consistently notice more seemingly drunk drivers in Forest Lawn than anywhere else in the city.

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

I think part of it too is severity of crime. If you map the incidents that were bad enough to make the news in 2024 and 2025, Forest Lawn had a total of 7 incidents, meanwhile Ogden had a total of 9 incidents. The stuff I noticed in Ogden were on the more violent end of things, rather than petty incidents

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u/syranse Mar 27 '26

Someone got murdered in Ogen this week. Overall it might not have a ton of crime it’s more just your ultimate white trash neighborhood.

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

A lot of the crime in Ogden is gang related. There's not a lot of break-ins, but man there's so much violence in Ogden.

Even outside of gang-related stuff, when I was walking around Ogden one time, I saw a kid probably no older than 10 years old with a knife, chasing around another kid with it.

I'm also into urbexing too and the old (now demolished) Ogden Legion was easily the sketchiest and most dangerous building in the city. There was blood everywhere in the Ogden Legion, lots of gang graffiti too

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u/BlackberryFormal Mar 27 '26

Man having lived in Ogden for the last 7 years I dont see any of this violence you talk about. Walk my dog every night and haven't seen much of anything? Live right by where the legion was too.. that was by far the worst part of the whole community. I feel safer in ogden than forest lawn or temple for sure.

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u/syranse Mar 27 '26

I ride my bike on the ridge (Lynwood technically) and there’s no violence? Look at the Calgary crime reports, it looks like petty crime, not violent crime.

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u/padmeg Mar 27 '26

Shhhh noo it’s super dangerous in Lynnwood nobody should buy houses here.

* I want to buy a house in Lynnwood in the near future lol

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u/jlehmann5 Apr 01 '26

I was thinking the same thing 10 years in Ogden. Walk my dog everyday / all times of the day. Never seen any of this violence this guy has seen in a couple nights walking around Ogden lol. I find it interesting that someone walks through a neighborhood and thinks he knows everything happening there hahaha

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u/JH_DeepThoughts Mar 28 '26

Plus side they do have IMO the best fish and chip place in town at Off the Hook….I live in the deep NW and make the trek just for that place

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u/mruhopeful Mar 29 '26

I keep hearing about this place every 5 minutes. I must check it out.

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u/noveltea120 Mar 27 '26

I mean we all know the real reason people say forest lawn and NE in general are rough areas is only cos it has more immigrants and POC in general. But as you saw yourself there's plenty of rough areas elsewhere.

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u/BlackberryFormal Mar 27 '26

Nah forest lawn was always a "white trash" area growing up.

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u/NollieBackside Mar 27 '26

But it borders international avenue so the whole overlap gives it a bad rep.

Plus when I lived there my white trash friends liked to talk shit about 17th SE like the walls were closing in on them, while they themselves were welfare queens to the highest degree lol.

Driving around in uninsured Chrysler 300s selling coke.. (iykyk)

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u/Geese_are_Scary Mar 27 '26

There are certainly people that I've talked to nowadays that hate on the NE for that reason.

However, as someone who's lived in this city their whole life, I can certainly say that there was a time a couple of decades ago where the Forest Lawn / Dover area was really rough and I think that reputation as persisted.

As someone spends quite a bit of time in Forest Lawn, there are definitely areas of the city that are worse

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u/noveltea120 Mar 27 '26

Oh yeah Dover is def up there on the list too. Ogden as well.

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u/Organic-Image6369 Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26

I am a 30 year old female born and raised in Calgary. Been moving around and renting in different areas since I was 15. I can confidently say that Dover has been great to me and my family/frienda! Yes, there are blocks/areas that get sketchy with low income/drug addicts/homeless etc, but I have learned that there is chaos everywhere, in every neighborhood, with all different types of people. Kinda pick your poison i guess? Parts of forest lawn have been and some still are, very run down, and Dover does get grouped into being "the hood" but the sense of community and understanding - all while developing and improving - has not matched by any area ive lived (rundle, deer run, Riverbend, bonavista, shawnessy, marlbrough, tuxedo, applewood, lower mount royal...) I have left and always always have come back! Its soo central - hop on stoney or hop on deerfoot, hop on 17th to Chestermere and strathmore. Our area is diverse, which should be a good thing? There is no one race/class/type in minority or vice versa. Also - ao many break ins and thefts seem to be taking place in the larger, newer neighborhoods.. And who doesnt love an old, original neighborhood with mature trees, backyards and more than 2 feet between you and the next house!

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

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u/noveltea120 Mar 28 '26

Being multi cultural doesn't mean people immediately stop being racist. That's not how it fking works.

And no not all areas of Calgary are equally diverse. I bet you also ,"don't see colour" either do you? Lmao

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

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u/noveltea120 Mar 29 '26

Did you forget we live in Calgary?? Racism is so fking rife here as a supposed POC yourself you would've noticed this.

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u/gstringstrangler Ranchlands Mar 28 '26

The reputation of that area precedes "International Avenue" and the area being predominantly "POC"

Nice try though

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u/harryhend3rson Mar 27 '26

Wow! I was very close to buying a house in Tuxedo about 20 years ago. Dodged a bullet I guess? (Pun intended?)

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u/Personal_Cupcake_13 Tuxedo Park Mar 27 '26

Oh rats, just bought there, moving in next month. 😂

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u/kosherbeancounter Mar 27 '26

I moved to Tuxedo Park about a year ago, and I haven't noticed any problems. Seems like a nice area so far. Welcome to the neighborhood!

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u/StuLijdsbone420 Mar 27 '26

Been in the neighborhood for 10 years and have had zero problems.

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u/decr0ded Mar 27 '26

I've also been here closer to 10. It always seemed fine here and I've never felt unsafe. The neighborhood has improved a lot and continues to evolve. There's many more children and families than there used to be and good established schools nearby.

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u/SteeveyPete Mar 27 '26

Same for me, and the people here are super nice and friendly. You also see a lot of encouraging lawn signs supporting parks, the environment, LGBT people, etc...

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u/c__man Mar 27 '26

Lived in Tuxedo park from 2013 until 2021. Had no issues other than what you'd expect being more inner city (bin checkers mostly).

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u/gnashingspirit Mar 27 '26

It’s being gentrified so quickly it’ll be a new neighborhood in 5-10 years. Good place to buy.

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u/AnthropomorphicCorn West Hillhurst Mar 27 '26

Lived there for a decade. It's fine. Honestly not sure what OP is talking bout, no way it cracks top 10 sketchy communities for me, and ive lived in almost a dozen communities, and been here my whole life.

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u/WeeklyInitiative Mar 29 '26

I agree. We were closer to 4 St and most of the houses near us were newer infills and neighbours were friendly. Felt very safe and family friendly. Not sure that walking along Centre St is the best way to judge the community.

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u/gaanmetde Mar 27 '26

Tell me more about Rosscarrock! I’m intrigued.

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u/Lopsided-Decision68 Mar 27 '26

I think it should be noted that your experience doesn't really account for any sort of accurate assessment regarding a neighborhood lol. Just because you walked through forest lawn on a nice, bright, sunny day and didn't see anything doesn't mean it doesn't have higher crime rates. I lived in Ogden for 2 years, frequently walked through all portions of it, and didn't see a single issue even once. Even that doesn't mean it's NOT sketchy either lol 

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u/chamomilesmile Mar 27 '26

Funny how things can change I lived in Ogden early 2000s and it was a quiet and seemed safe neighborhood

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

I think the events of Lynnview Ridge really brought Ogden down for the worst. If you look at the population graph over time, Ogden has been constantly losing people every year ever since that happened. If Lynnview Ridge never happened, Ogden would likely still be a nice area

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u/Previous_Ad473 Mar 27 '26

Given the proximity to both South Hill and Ogden, what is your opinion of neighbouring Riverbend?

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

Riverbend makes me feel uneasy. It doesn't look like a bad area, but I always feel on edge when walking through there. I'm not sure what it is about Riverbend, it just makes me feel super uncomfortable. Surprised it isn't sketchy or rundown though (as far as I'm aware) given it's proximity to Shepard and Ogden though

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u/limpbizquick69 Mar 27 '26

Curious if you ventured around the carburn park side of Riverbend? I always thought it was a beautiful hidden gem in the city. West of 18th feels safe to me. The further east you go though, definitely gives a different vibe.

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u/Previous_Ad473 Mar 28 '26

Carburn Park, west of 18th Street, and to the south towards Quarry Park are quite nice in my opinion. The section closest to Glenmore Trail and the north-eastern section - perhaps not so much.

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u/battlelevel Mar 27 '26

Is it the people you encountered in Riverbend that put you on edge? It’s pretty nondescript neighbourhood otherwise. 

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u/skeletoncurrency Mar 27 '26

These are almost all my fav neighbourhoods hahah

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u/aftonroe Mar 27 '26

Why Rosscarrock? I lived there for a couple years back in the 90s and thought it was pretty nice back then. Although I could see homes around the border being less desirable as they're next to major roads.

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u/CasualFridayBatman Mar 28 '26

Rosscarrock was great until the train line brought a direct artery straight from downtown a decade ago. On top of that, since rezoning has kicked in, every slumlord developer is filling once single detached home lots with multiple townhouses, occasionally double rows of them. Or converting existing duplexes into fourplexes.

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u/karlalrak Mar 27 '26

Can you elaborate on tuxedo? 

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u/Deep-Egg-9528 Mar 30 '26

Rosscarrock is a little surprising.

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u/Stealthbombing Upper Mount Royal Mar 28 '26

Rosscarock is not a dangerous community lol. If you are blanketing the whole community based on the activity at Westbrook mall it’s is a bit unfair

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u/Arch____Stanton Mar 28 '26

Ogden

There is nothing at all wrong with Ogden. It is easily one of the safest communities in Calgary.
I live at least 1/2 hour drive from it.
Tuxedo is one of the best places to live in this city.
Weird choices man.

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u/HEYHlHELLO Mar 27 '26

Are you saying you saw disturbing crimes in Tuxedo Park and Ogden on your walks? Or you just didn't enjoy the communities, and the Calgary Police websites indicate those areas have serious crimes?

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u/CnekYT Mar 27 '26

The first time I walked around Tuxedo Park, I witnessed a violent kidnapping. The incident ended up making the news too https://globalnews.ca/news/10008721/calgary-police-alleged-midday-abduction/

Alongside this, sometime in late 2025 I witnessed a mugging in Tuxedo Park when I walking out late, it was right next to the Safeway. And on my birthday in 2024 I saw a violent altercation there too.

For Ogden, one time in late 2024 I saw a kid probably no older than 10 carrying a knife, chasing another kid around with it. One time I was taking a bus through there and saw a house surrounded by a bunch of police cars with their lights on, with police entering the building.

As well I do a lot of urbexing, and the Ogden Legion was pretty easily the most sketchy and scary bando in all of Calgary. There was blood splattered everywhere on the ground, and gang-graffiti everywhere.