The lands that became northwest Calgary's Mount Pleasant community were annexed by the City in 1910, making it one of Calgary's older neighbourhoods. When development began in the area in 1912, Calgary's population numbered fewer than 50,000 people.

Inner city is a term we use and misuse in equal measures, and as Calgary grows and the inner city's perceived boundaries seem to expand, understanding this term may be more relevant than we realize.

Calgary's century homes are still turning heads

If you're lucky enough to live to 100, you'll probably slow down a bit. But many of Calgary's 100-year-old homes are still going strong and drawing plenty of attention.

"These are homes that have stood the test of time," said Karen Paul, director of communications for the Calgary Heritage Initiative Society (CHI), a grassroots, member-based organization dedicated to the preservation, and productive use and interpretation, of buildings and sites of historic and architectural interest in Calgary. "They offer a level of craftsmanship, character, uniqueness and aesthetic beauty that is hard to find in modern homes."

Design, comfort and location come together in Simone Carr-Smith's Mount Pleasant duplex

Simone Carr-Smith and her husband, Colin Smith, had a large list of must-haves when it came to finding a new home. The couple had been living in Winston Heights, but with their daughter, two dogs, and Carr-Smith's mom and aunt living with them, the home had become too small for their needs. They wanted a fresh floor plan – one that could comfortably accommodate three generations – and a convenient location in the northwest, close to the inner-city and to high-ranked schools. It also had to appeal to the couple's diverse aesthetic sensibilities, blending both modern and traditional elements. So, when Carr-Smith's cousin, Saville Homes founder Sheldon Appave, mentioned that he was building a duplex in Mount Pleasant, the couple jumped at the chance to partner with him and build their dream home from a blank canvas.

Calgary's urban parks offer nearby residents a slice of the great outdoors in the heart of the city

At the beginning of July last year, John and Ildi Arlette took their first-ever walk through Confederation Park.

By the end of that month, they had bought a home in Mount Pleasant sitting near the crescent-shaped green space that stretches across 162 hectares – including eight hectares of wetlands – in northwest Calgary.

"We were on a date night and someone had told me about Confederation Park," said John Arlette. "Ildi is from Ontario and I realized I hadn't shown her much of Calgary – I hadn't even been to the park myself."

After that visit, the Arlettes sold their home in Signal Hill, becoming both inner-city – and park-side living – devotees.

When looking for a good place to raise a family, it's tough to argue with the medley of character and convenience offered up by the Northwest communities of Capitol Hill and Mount Pleasant.

Sitting on the northern side of 16 Ave. and bordered by Second and 19 streets N.W., the two historic communities have long provided Calgarians with an idyllic place to raise a family.