Just steps away from the action and amenities on 17th Avenue S.W., the sister communities of Upper and Lower Mount Royal epitomize the best of the age-old adage: location, location, location.

Drawing a line down Elbow Drive from north to south traces a rough timeline of Calgary community creation. This one road spans nearly 60 years of development – starting with some of Calgary's earliest, inner-city neighbourhoods and ending with several of the
1960s-era suburbs that now make up the city's middle ring. Here are the communities that  fall within the city's Elbow Drive corridor.

A special stretch of residential development in Calgary, including communities that took root more than 100 years ago, continues to be a treasure trove for today's high-end homebuyers.

If you follow the stretch of the Elbow River that runs from the Glenmore Reservoir all the way to the downtown core, you'll come face to face with some of Calgary's swankiest addresses. Bel-Aire, Britannia, Elbow Park, Eagle Ridge and Roxboro topped the luxury charts in 2018 when it comes to average home sale price. CREB®Now chatted with Sam Corea, luxury specialist with RE/MAX House of Real Estate, to find out what makes these top luxury communities so desirable.

A luxury market stats breakdown with CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie

CREB®Now: How do statistics for luxury homes fit into the overall housing market in Calgary?

Lurie: It's usually the media that defines what the luxury market is. What I see as luxury is different from everyone else. To me, this reflects properties that have sold for over $1 million, and these properties account for roughly four per cent of all our sales activity

Lavish Bel-Aire property showcases local builder's talents, and what $6 million can buy in the Calgary luxury market

While the term showhome often denotes a certain level of sophistication, there are properties that take that refinement up a notch. And then there's Bel 35.

Constructed by award-winning builder Rockwood Custom Homes, the 6,400-square-foot home in the community of Bel-Aire isn't your average new build.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, say housing experts

The term "luxury" defies a single definition – especially when it comes to housing in Calgary, say experts.

"Luxury is specific to each individual, driven by their particular needs," said Kevin Mullen, president of the Empire Group of Companies, which has constructed dwellings in most of Calgary's upscale communities.

"If someone values the weekend lifestyle, then you might live in Springbank. If being proximate to the Glencoe Club is important, then you might choose Elbow Park. Those lifestyle decisions reflect into defining a luxury community."