It's early afternoon on a chilly Saturday in January, and in Calgary's southeast community of Sundance, groups of teenagers gather to play a friendly game of shinny on the frozen, manmade lake that serves as a hub for the community. There is camaraderie here – an old-fashioned feeling of belonging. A fire pit takes centre stage at the upper skating rink, and an oversized sculpture of Santa Claus and his sleigh – remnants from holiday festivities – graces the promenade level of the park.

Bearspaw is part of Rocky View County, a horseshoe-shaped region that encompasses over 16 communities, including the upscale estate areas of Springbank, Elbow Valley and Bragg Creek. Today, Rocky View County has a population of almost 40,000 people, living in 13,620 dwellings, mostly on acreage-type lots, with Bearspaw making up a much smaller portion of those numbers through a combination of farms, ranches, acreages and master-planned communities.

When it came time to purchase his first home, finding a neighbourhood with a pulse was at the top of the list for 31-year-old entrepreneur Tyrell Dasilva. Dasilva, who owns several businesses, leads a busy life and wanted to find a home in a walkable community with access to great music venues and quaint mom-and-pop stores. He found it at i.D. Inglewood, a 19-unit, four-storey condominium project located on Ninth Avenue S.E.

As big-box theatres stretch their reach into new communities, independent cinema is being kept alive in the heart of the city by two theatres that continue to draw a crowd, decades after they first opened.

The Plaza Theatre in Kensington and the Globe Cinema downtown have stood the test of time, as Calgary has shifted, expanded and sprouted skyward around them.

The Plaza began life as a garage in the 1920s, debuting as a theatre in 1935. It has held its ground over the years, as the area went from a little working-class community to a run-down relic in the '70s, and finally became a revitalized, gentrified gem in the present.

"There are a lot of things about the Plaza that make it special," said Logan Cameron, operations manager for the theatre.

Two southeast communities conceptualized in the late '80s and early '90s are still turning heads 20 years later. McKenzie Lake and McKenzie Towne share a lineage and a location: they are both named after one of the first homesteaders in the area, James McKenzie, and they sit side by side on the east and west boundaries of Deerfoot Trail. But that is where the similarities end.

Perhaps one of Calgary's most beautiful neighbourhoods, Crescent Heights is a photographer's dream. Situated on a staggered bluff overlooking downtown to the south and the Rocky Mountains to the west, the community is peppered with two-century-old elm trees that create whimsical canopies along the streetscapes.

"We've lived in the neighbourhood for more than five years and the view just doesn't get old," said Victor Gallardo. "I'm always thinking how lucky I am to have my everyday running route include a spectacular view of downtown and the mountains."

On the northern edge of Okotoks, beside the pristine D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club, a new community is taking shape. D'Arcy, a master-planned community from Anthem United, will bring together people, popular amenities and natural beauty at the doorstep of the Rocky Mountains.

The established community of Aspen Woods is slated for some growth thanks to the optimistic outlook of a few developers. On the south side of 17th Avenue S.W., immediately south of Aspen Landing Shopping Centre, Ronmor Developers Inc. is in the conceptual stages of its latest project – Springbank Hill Market, a 20-acre, mixed-use, commercial and residential development.

One of the fastest growing communities in the city, Evanston was designed with lifestyle in mind. Located on the city's northern edge and bounded by two major arteries – Shaganappi Trail and Stoney Trail – the community features easy access to the downtown core and the mountains.

"Evanston's vision was wide-open spaces and a place for families to grow and flourish. It was achieved by creating parks, soccer fields, green spaces and amenities right in the community," said Laura Field, marketing co-ordinator for Qualico Communities, the developer behind Evanston.

At first glance, the southeast communities of Ramsay and Ogden may seem as though they have nothing in common. Ramsay is an up-and-coming, inner-city, hipster hangout, while Ogden conjures images of a more family-centric, suburban lifestyle. However, these communities are threaded together by a common denominator that weaves through the city's landscape and is steeped in rich history – the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).