Scarboro
Scarboro is a small inner-city Calgary community set on the escarpment above downtown, bounded by Bow Trail SW to the north, 17 Avenue SW to the south, 14 Street SW to the east, and Crowchild Trail to the west. Laid out beginning in 1910 as one of the city's first planned garden suburbs, its curving, tree-lined streets and irregular lots were shaped with input from the Olmsted Brothers, the firm behind New York's Central Park. By 1921 the district had taken the Scarboro name, setting it apart from neighbouring Sunalta.
More than a century on, the character holds. Early property restrictions known as the Anderson Caveat kept commercial development out, and the community remains almost entirely residential, quiet, and walkable. The Scarboro Community Association, founded in 1934, still anchors local life. Homes here trade on heritage, escarpment views, and downtown proximity rather than square footage alone, which places Scarboro firmly among Calgary's established city-centre luxury enclaves alongside communities like Sunalta, Bankview, and Mount Royal.
Green space is woven through the community, with five parks including Triangle Park, which has kept its original layout since the neighbourhood was first laid out. At the eastern base, Royal Sunalta Park offers playgrounds, open lawns, and the tennis courts of the Calgary Tennis Club. The Bow River pathway network and Edworthy Park sit a short ride west, opening kilometres of paved trails for cycling, running, and riverside walks.
The Scarboro Community Association, active since 1934, runs local programming and one of Calgary's longest-standing community preschools at Sunalta School. Commuting is straightforward: the Sunalta CTrain station sits just south of the community for a direct ride into downtown and out to the University of Calgary, while Crowchild Trail, Bow Trail SW, and 14 Street SW link quickly to Memorial Drive, the Trans-Canada Highway, and Glenmore Trail.
Everyday shopping and dining sit right at the doorstep along 17 Avenue SW, Calgary's Red Mile, with its concentration of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and boutiques a short walk south. Downtown's core amenities are minutes east, and neighbouring Sunalta and Bankview add further local options. The result is a quiet residential setting with the full range of inner-city services close at hand rather than a drive away.
Where Scarboro sits
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