Saddle Ridge is the established heart of north-east Calgary, developed from the late 1990s around what became Saddletowne station, the Blue Line CTrain terminus. It is the community every newer north-east neighbourhood connects to.
It has the amenities the newer communities are waiting for: the Genesis Centre, a large multi-use recreation and community facility; the retail cluster around Saddletowne Circle; open schools at multiple levels; and the CTrain itself with a park-and-ride.
New construction is effectively finished apart from multi-family infill. Saddle Ridge belongs on a new build site as the benchmark for the north-east: it shows what Cornerstone and Homestead will look like once their transit, schools and retail arrive.
Commute note: Approximate drive to downtown Calgary via Metis Trail and Deerfoot Trail, or roughly 30 minutes on the Blue Line CTrain. Off-peak roughly 22 minutes, peak roughly 28 minutes.