Monterey Park is a quiet residential community filled with a variety of homes at the eastern edge of the city in between McKnight Boulevard to the north, 68th Street to the west, the Trans-Canada Highway to the south, and 84th Street to the east. The neighborhood is found at the city’s eastern city limits, only adding to the privacy and the residential feel of Monterey Park. Originally established in 1985, the neighborhood was built around a California theme complete with a street design, street names, and building styles loyal to this theme. With approximately 10,500 residents living within the confines of Monterey Park, the majority of the properties here are single-family detached homes and they house permanent Calgary residents.

Public school students in Monterey Park attend the Monterey Park elementary, Clarence Sansom junior high, and Lester B. Pearson senior high school. If you’re a student enrolled in the Catholic school system, where you attend depends on which side of 32nd Avenue you fall on. North of 32nd Avenue students attend St. Thomas More elementary, Father Scollen junior high, and Bishop McNally senior high school while the students south of 32nd Avenue attend St. Patrick elementary, St. Martha junior high, and Father Lacombe senior high school.

The area attracts a wide range of families who choose to come to this community in order to settle down in a place that still maintains some of the privacy and closeness that a small town does. Monterey Park benefits from several bodies of water as well as numerous green spaces that are open to the general public. The nearest grocery store is just a little ways down 32nd Avenue where the street meets 52nd Street. Keep going down 32nd Avenue and there are a wide range of amenities.

Calgary Transit does have several bus stops set up throughout Monterey Park in order to give residents without vehicular transportation the opportunity to see other parts of the city at an affordable rate.

While Monterey Park isn’t known as a very popular destination for tourists or as a neighborhood with very many attractions, its charm is with the locals that occupy its properties. Take in the cheer of a true residential community while still being a part of the city and close enough to be able to enjoy both worlds beside one another. Calgary is very much an international community but within it are some true Canadian gems and Monterey Park is very much a Canadian neighborhood.