Athlone

What to know about Athlone.

Athlone is a mature northwest Edmonton neighbourhood bounded by 127 Street to the east, 132 Avenue to the north, roughly 139 Street to the west and 127 Avenue to the south. Annexed in 1913, it honours the Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of Canada from 1940 to 1946, and was largely built in the 1950s in the post-war modified grid, with shops along 127 Street. Its western portion, Dunvegan, was built on the former Dunvegan rail yards.

The housing stock is predominantly post-war. Bungalows and bi-levels of 1950s vintage line the interior streets, while row housing and low-rise apartments occupy a few larger sites, and Dunvegan adds more recent houses where the rail yards stood. Tenure is mixed, with owner-occupied homes and rentals. Mature trees and lanes give the area its settled feel.

Athlone School, at 12940 129 Street, is the public elementary; Sir John Thompson Catholic Junior High, an Edmonton Catholic grades 7 to 9 school, sits at 13525 132 Avenue. Attendance areas change, so confirm an address with the division's finder. Athlone Park at 13010 129 Street has the community league hall and outdoor rink, and shops cluster along 127 Street and at 132 Street and 132 Avenue. Athlone has no LRT station; ETS buses run on 127 Street and 132 Avenue.

For buyers, Athlone offers established streets, a community league, schools and a central northwest location, but many homes need updating and shopping means driving or taking transit. For sellers, the maturity, tree canopy and mix of housing types appeal to a range of purchasers, though newer suburban homes compete on finish and size.