Meet Nicole O’Dell, long-time Okotoks resident, mom and Area Sales Manager for Sterling Homes. After seven years in town and more than three years in the community of D’ARCY, she recently moved up from a laned home to a Sterling Homes front drive model… just two blocks away.
We sat down with Nicole to talk about why her family loves D’ARCY, what daily life looks like here, and why she chose to move up without moving out.
What are some of your kids’ favourite places in D’ARCY?
Nicole: As my kids are growing up, they’ve moved on from the playground and they are now loving the close proximity to the D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club and D’ARCY Crossing.
What does a typical weekend look like for your family?
Nicole: My weekends are often spent in the showhome, but that works perfectly for our family because we live in D’ARCY. One of the things I love about living here is how independent my kids can be. They can easily walk to a friend’s house or the nearby shopping plaza without needing a ride. The community is incredibly pedestrian friendly and well connected with neighbouring areas like Wedderburn and Mountainview, which make it such a convenient and enjoyable place for families.
Are there any Okotoks events you look forward to each year?
Nicole: We look forward to Light Up Okotoks every year. It feels like the official kickoff to Christmas and I think most of the town ends up coming out. It’s a great time.
Do you have any favourite Okotoks food or hangout spots?
Nicole: There are so many spots to visit as a family, it’s really hard to narrow it down. My kids love catching a Dawg’s game, which is always a treat when they let me tag along. Personally, I enjoy visiting the local market or taking a stroll through downtown. Okotoks offers an incredible variety of locally owned shops and services. We hardly ever need to venture into Calgary.
What outdoor activities does your family enjoy?
Nicole: D’ARCY is definitely geared towards active families. We love to go outside in the evenings for a walk and we really enjoy being able to walk to D’ARCY Crossing for brunch or dinner. My son and I have also been taking golf lessons at D’Arcy Ranch, so it’s really convenient to be within walking distance of the driving range.
Have you connected with neighbours in D’ARCY?
Nicole: For sure. And I’ve had a unique situation in getting to know my neighbors before we’ve moved in. But Okotoks has such a small town feel and sense of community and I think families moving into the community around the same time really strengthens that bond.
You meet a lot of buyers in the showhome. Where are they coming from?
Nicole: Probably 40% of the showhome visitors are from Calgary. We see families looking for a quieter and slower lifestyle. D’ARCY is definitely closer to hockey arenas and baseball. Okotoks is well known for the children’s sports community. But most of our traffic comes from Okotoks. I think once a family has made the move to Okotoks, they don’t want to leave. They just want to move up. And that’s what’s so nice about D’ARCY…you can start out in a townhome and move all the way up to an estate home without leaving the community.
How does pricing and space compare between Okotoks and Calgary?
Nicole: I think one of the nicest features about lots in Okotoks is that we do not have zero lot line (lots). You get four feet on either side of your house and then between you and the neighbours, it would be eight feet. We also have lots that are a little bit deeper. We’ve heard from some communities in Calgary that you can’t build a bungalow, so in Okotoks, it’s nice to have that option.
How long is the commute for residents working in Calgary?
Nicole: A lot of our clients work right in Okotoks, but for those commuting to the city, it’s really convenient to access downtown through Deerfoot, Macleod or Stoney (Trail). Driving into downtown is most likely a 35 minute commute. You can get to the South Health Campus in 15 to 20 minutes. So, it’s really easy to get into the city.
What Sterling Home models are most popular?
Nicole: Our most popular single family model is our showhome model, the Legacy, the open to below great room brings in so much natural light while being super functional for families. And we’ve also seen a growing interest in our front drive duplex models, especially the Walker, which is a bungalow floorplan.
Final thoughts — what do you love most about living in D’ARCY?
Nicole: Well, I think living in D’ARCY, having the ability to move up is amazing. I was living in a laned home and I’ve moved up to a front drive home. It’s been great for my kids because they only moved two blocks over. They’ve got the same bus stop, the same friends, the same school and it’s just elevated our lifestyle without disrupting the kids’ lives too much.
Visit Nicole in the Sterling Homes showhome to find your perfect home (and lifestyle) in D’ARCY.
