[1] Although the majority of the original residents of Sunnyside were Canadian Pacific Railway and Eau Claire Sawmill employees,[1] the community now mainly attracts urban professionals and their families due to its quiet neighbourhood atmosphere and close proximity to Calgary's active downtown.

Sunnyside was one of numerous Calgary neighbourhoods that suffered major damage in the Bow River flood of June 2013, with the community completely evacuated for a number of days.

Sunnyside, like the communities of Eau Claire, Chinatown, East Village and Inglewood, sits on the flood plain of the Bow River.

The berm was over topped in two areas and the Bearspaw Dam reservoir storage capacity was too small to prevent this large flood.

In June 2005 when exceptionally heavy rainfalls combined with the regular rise in the Bow River caused by snow melting in the mountains.

In March 2009, a similar incident occurred when heavy wet snow that fell overnight melted quickly during the day.

This time the cause was intense rain that fell in nearby upper plateau neighbourhoods and the fact that storm sewer outfall gates were closed and did not provide enough opening to release the water.

Sunnyside has a blend of single-family dwellings, modern mid-rise high-density housing, neighbourhood corner stores and restaurants and walk-up apartment buildings.

[6][7] Sunnyside is primarily a residential area with the majority of land used for single family homes, apartments and condominiums.

[8][9] This puts it at this comparison to other Calgary communities: Saddle Ridge (1.358/100), Whitehorn (1.741/100), Rundle (2.342/100), Brentwood (2.348/100), Acadia (2.542/100), Bowness (2.934/100), Shawnessy (3.296/100), Inglewood (3.438/100), Sunnyside (3.650/100), Marlborough (4.703/100), Southwood (5.147/100), Sunalta (5.307/100), Montgomery (5.483/100), Forest Lawn (6.528/100), Rosscarrock (7.049/100), Downtown Commercial Core (12.705/100), Downtown East Village (15.605/100), Manchester (43.368/100).

Their mandate is to provide and organize sports, recreational and social activities, and act as an advocacy group for the community's interests on planning and other civic issues.

The association adopted an activist approach, and succeeded in blocking the interchange plans and retaining much of the traditional small-scale quality of the community.

Calgary's light rail transportation line was proposed to replace 9A Street NW and many homes were to be demolished to make way.

Municipally, Sunnyside is in the Calgary City Council electoral division of Ward 7, represented by Councillor Druh Farrell.

[2] Provincially, Sunnyside is in the electoral district of Calgary-Mountain View,[12] and its Member of the Legislative Assembly is Kathleen Ganley of the Alberta New Democratic Party.

[13] Federally, Sunnyside is in the electoral district (or riding) of Calgary Confederation and its Member of Parliament is Len Webber of the Conservative Party of Canada.