Calgary's Forest Lawn district used to be a town in its own right before it was annexed by the city, now Canada's fifth largest, in 1961.
Perhaps as a result it still has the feeling of being cut-off from the hustle and bustle of other neighbourhoods, with a small-town style of living and also, for many decades, a less-than-salubrious reputation. But desperation in Calgary's residential property market - in the past 18 months, average housing costs have jumped more than 50 per cent - is causing a change in attitude. Forest Lawn is now regarded not as a sketchy area on the outskirts but as one of the last places in the city limits where young families can buy a starter home.
