Photo: CnekYT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Forest Lawn Calgary Homes for Sale and Community Guide

Where Is Forest Lawn, Calgary?

Forest Lawn is in southeast Calgary, about 6 km east of downtown. It runs from 8 Avenue SE in the north to 26 Avenue SE in the south, and from 36 Street SE in the west to 52 Street SE in the east. Forest Lawn's east edge steps in to 48 Street SE south of 17 Avenue SE.

• Neighbour to the west: Albert Park/Radisson Heights is the neighbouring community directly west, along 36 Street SE. The listings and stats on this page come from the Forest Lawn area mapped in our MLS system, not from the neighbouring communities.
• International Avenue: 17 Avenue SE is also known as International Avenue. It runs through Forest Lawn, but it is a longer commercial street that also passes through neighbouring communities.
• Main roads and transit: The City's plan designates 17 Avenue SE an Urban Main Street. 36 Street SE and 52 Street SE are major transit and community corridors. MAX Purple stops at stations on 17 Avenue SE at 36, 44 and 52 Street.
• Ward and community association: As of October 2026, Forest Lawn is in Ward 9, represented by Councillor Harrison Clark (elected October 2025). The Forest Lawn Community Association is at 4020 26 Avenue SE (myforestlawn.ca).

What We Love About Living in Forest Lawn, Calgary

What we like most about living in Forest Lawn, Calgary is how much is on or near International Avenue (17 Avenue SE). The avenue has many shops, restaurants, grocery stores and MAX Purple stations. A City pool, an arena and a library branch are also in or beside the community. Here are four things we point buyers to.

• Food and shops on International Avenue: Along International Avenue you will find many shops, restaurants and grocery stores selling goods and food from around the world. The International Avenue business district stretches about four kilometres along 17 Avenue SE.
• MAX Purple bus rapid transit: MAX Purple opened in 2018 with dedicated transit lanes and stations along 17 Avenue SE. On Forest Lawn's stretch of the avenue, it stops at 36, 44 and 52 Street.
• Recreation close by: Bob Bahan Aquatic & Fitness Centre is a City-run pool and fitness centre at 4812 14 Avenue SE. Ernie Starr Arena and Forest Lawn Athletic Park are both at 4808 14 Avenue SE.
• Deep local roots: Homesteaders began settling the area around 1910. Forest Lawn became a village in 1934 and merged with neighbouring Albert Park in 1935. It became a town in the early 1950s, and Calgary annexed the town in December 1961. The Forest Lawn Community Association dates back to 1952.

Is Forest Lawn Safe? Good to Know Before You Buy

We can't give a one-word safety verdict on Forest Lawn, Calgary, and no single number can either. The Calgary Police Service publishes a Community Safety Dashboard by community, updated on the fifth of each month. As of October 2026, you can look up Forest Lawn there and read the latest month yourself.

• Read the official data, and know its limits: To look up Forest Lawn, open the Calgary Police Service Community Safety Dashboard. Use the community filter or the Find a Community tab. It counts crimes reported to police in key violence and property categories, and it shows only the most serious offence in each incident. It also includes a rate per population, so communities of different sizes can be compared. The dashboard does not include every type of call or crime. Traffic violations and collisions are left out. Domestic-related crimes are shown only at district and ward level. That is how the tool works for every community, not just Forest Lawn. We don't print a Forest Lawn number here, because a figure without its month and method can mislead.
• Visit at different times, and ask the neighbours: Walk or drive the street on a weekday morning, an evening and a weekend. Talk to people who live on the block. If a home is close to 17 Avenue SE, notice how the street feels at each hour. The City's plan calls it an Urban Main Street, and its business district is about four kilometres long.
• Older homes need a closer look: Much of the housing is older, so a home inspection matters. Ask what has been updated and what has not.
• Plans are not promises: The City has plans for the area. But the plan's investment priorities do not yet have funding or timelines, and no Civic Centre construction dates are set. Buy for what is here today.

Homes for Sale in Forest Lawn, Calgary: Types and Age

Homes in Forest Lawn, Calgary are mostly older and come in a mix of types. The City of Calgary's community profile, based on the 2021 Census, shows about one quarter single-detached houses and about one fifth row houses. About 80 per cent of homes were built in 1980 or earlier. Live prices and listings are on this page.

• Housing types (2021 Census): About one quarter of homes were single-detached houses, about one fifth were row houses, and most of the rest were apartments in low-rise buildings or in duplexes. The City's profile lists no apartments in buildings of five or more storeys.
• Age of homes (2021 Census): About 80 per cent of homes were built in 1980 or earlier (about half between 1961 and 1980), and very little has been built since 2000. Homes here come from several eras, in a mix of styles.
• Own or rent: In 2021, about two in three households in Forest Lawn rented their home (Calgary: about one in three). Ask us about the mix on the street you like.
• Land use: Forest Lawn has a mix of land use districts: low-density residential, row-house friendly (R-CG), multi-residential, and mixed-use and commercial along 17 Avenue SE. Check any address in the City's land use tool. If a secondary suite is part of your plan, read our guide to secondary suite rules in Calgary.

Prices aren't typed into this text. Current Forest Lawn Calgary house prices and real estate listings load from the MLS in the stats bar, the listing grid and the market charts on this page.

Lifestyle and Amenities in Forest Lawn, Calgary

International Avenue runs through Forest Lawn, Calgary. Along it, many shops, restaurants and grocery stores sell goods and food from around the world. The community also has a City pool and fitness centre, an arena, an athletic park and a seasonal outdoor pool. Forest Lawn Library sits on the community's northern edge.

Photo: CnekYT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

• Shops and restaurants: International Avenue is also called 17 Avenue SE. The business district stretches about four kilometres along it, through Forest Lawn and neighbouring communities.
• Pool and fitness: Bob Bahan Aquatic & Fitness Centre is a City-run pool and fitness centre at 4812 14 Avenue SE. Check the City page for hours and programs.
• Arena and athletic park: Ernie Starr Arena and Forest Lawn Athletic Park are both at 4808 14 Avenue SE.
• Outdoor pool: A seasonal outdoor pool sits at 1706 39 Street SE. The not-for-profit Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pools Association runs it.
• Library: Forest Lawn Library (Calgary Public Library) is at 4807 8 Avenue SE, on the community's northern edge.
• Community association: Forest Lawn Community Association, 4020 26 Avenue SE; myforestlawn.ca.
• Big park nearby: Elliston Park is a large City park with a lake and off-leash area at 1827 68 Street SE. It is east of Forest Lawn along 17 Avenue SE.

Getting Around Forest Lawn: MAX Purple, Roads and Commute

As of October 2026, MAX Purple bus rapid transit stops at stations on 17 Avenue SE at 36, 44 and 52 Street. That is Forest Lawn's stretch of the avenue. There is no CTrain station in Forest Lawn, Calgary. We don't give travel times, because they depend on the hour and where you start.

• Distance to downtown: Forest Lawn is about 6 km east of downtown.
• MAX Purple: It opened in 2018 with dedicated transit lanes and stations along 17 Avenue SE. Check the Calgary Transit schedule for current times.
• CTrain: There is no CTrain station in Forest Lawn. The Blue Line stations the City's plan lists for this area, Franklin and Barlow/Max Bell, are to the west. We don't give a walking distance, because we have not confirmed one.
• Main roads: The City's plan designates 17 Avenue SE an Urban Main Street. 36 Street SE and 52 Street SE are major transit and community corridors.
• How residents get to work (2021 Census): 15 per cent of employed Forest Lawn residents commuted by public transit (Calgary: 9 per cent). About 70 per cent drove to work. That is a commute to anywhere, not only downtown.

Schools in Forest Lawn, Calgary

As of October 2026, Forest Lawn, Calgary includes Calgary Board of Education (CBE) schools Patrick Airlie (K to 6), Ernest Morrow (grades 7 to 9) and Forest Lawn High School (grades 10 to 12), plus Holy Trinity (Calgary Catholic, K to 6). Schools are assigned by home address and can change, so check your address before you buy.

• Calgary Board of Education (CBE): Patrick Airlie School (K to 6), Ernest Morrow School (grades 7 to 9), Forest Lawn High School (grades 10 to 12) and Jack James High School, a school of choice open to students from across the CBE. Check an address with the CBE Find a School tool.
• Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD): Holy Trinity School (CCSD, K to 6) is in the community at 1717 41 Street SE. Father Lacombe High School, west of Forest Lawn, lists Forest Lawn among the communities it serves. Check an address with the CCSD attendance-area maps.
• Nearby, not in Forest Lawn: Holy Cross School (CCSD, K to 9) sits just south of the community's southern edge. Ian Bazalgette School is also just outside the south edge.

We don't rate schools. Boards change attendance areas from time to time. Confirm with the board before you make an offer or enrol.

What's Changing in Forest Lawn: Projects and Zoning (2026)

As of October 2026, four things are changing or being planned in Forest Lawn, Calgary. They are a City local area plan, a planned Civic Centre, studies for future bus service and the City's August 2026 zoning changes. We can't say what any of them will do to home prices. Each is dated below.

• East Calgary International Avenue Communities Local Area Plan (approved December 17, 2024): The City's plan guides growth in Forest Lawn and neighbouring communities, and it is now being implemented. Its investment priorities do not yet have funding or timelines. The plan does not change any property's zoning by itself. Read the City's plan page.
• Forest Lawn Civic Centre (City update, July 2026): The City is planning a Forest Lawn Civic Centre on a site between 8 and 14 Avenue SE and roughly 44 to 52 Street SE. As of the July 2026 update, the City was advancing a land use redesignation for the second phase. Later phases are subject to approvals, funding and priorities. No construction dates are set. See the City's Civic Centre page.
• Bus rapid transit studies: The City has studied extending MAX Purple east of 54 Street SE. Its engagement page says funding for detailed design is limited and further funding for design and construction has not been secured. The City is also studying a future 52 Street East bus rapid transit route to replace Route 23 service. No construction or funding is stated.
• Zoning (changes took effect August 4, 2026): In April 2026 Council voted to repeal the 2024 citywide rezoning. The zoning changes took effect on August 4, 2026. The City says about 99 per cent of properties returned to the zoning that applied before. Some lots are exempt, so check the lot. We can't tell you what zoning applies to your address, so check the City's rezoning page. Our guide explains how zoning changes affect lot value.

Who Forest Lawn, Calgary Suits

Forest Lawn, Calgary may fit buyers who want older homes, shops and bus rapid transit close by. Below, we pair a few common goals, such as a first home, renovating or investing, with the facts to check. It may not fit buyers who want a mostly new suburb or a CTrain station nearby.

• If you are buying your first home, compare the home types and get the home inspected, because much of the housing is older. Read our guide to first-time home buyer incentives in Alberta and the full cost of buying a home in Calgary.
• If you like to renovate, about 80 per cent of homes were built in 1980 or earlier, so there are many older homes to update. Ask what has already been updated, and have each home inspected.
• If you are an investor, about two in three households rented their home in 2021. Zoning changed on August 4, 2026, so check the lot before you plan anything.
• If you want transit and shops close by, MAX Purple stations and International Avenue are on the same street.
• If you want a mostly new suburb, this may not be the fit. Very little has been built here since 2000.

We can't guarantee price, timing or outcome for any purchase or sale. Tell us your budget and we will show you what fits, street by street.

Forest Lawn, Calgary Real Estate FAQ

Last updated: October 2026 (facts checked October 1, 2026)
Written by Michael Smith, Team Leader, Michael Smith Team, Calgary
Sources: City of Calgary community profile (2021 Census), planning, recreation and school data; Calgary Police Service; Calgary Transit; Calgary Board of Education; Calgary Catholic School District; Forest Lawn Community Association; Federation of Calgary Communities; CREB (2021).